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Wednesday 21 January 2015

Thread lift goes non-surgical. A unique non-surgical facelift from Coltishall Cosmetic Clinic.

We have been using a variety of face and neck lift techniques at the Coltishall Clinic. From Surgical face-lifts, laser facelifts, liquid facelifts to very gentle no needle radiofrequency lifts. Thread lifts have been around in various forms for last many years. Recent refinements however make this procedure very attractive.

So what has changed? Dr Gheyi MBBS MS FRCS BCCAM Medical director and laser surgeon explains- ‘three things’-

1] The procedure has changed from a surgical procedure to non-surgical. We do not need to use a knife anymore.
2] The threads have changed from permanent threads to reabsorbable ones-same as used in fillers.
3] The price has come down. In the past you could have a surgical face-lift for not very much more so I was reluctant to do a thread lift at such a higher price point. Now these advantages have resultant in a resurgence of interest in thread lifts. A thread lift enables two joint actions:
• A lift effect as soon as threads are applied for an immediate and discreet result.
• A regenerative effect, for progressive and natural results.

How is the procedure performed?
No special preparation is required prior to Silhouette Soft® treatment. After a small local anaesthetic, the doctor inserts the thread under the skin to a depth of about three to five millimeters. No incision is required, as the suture is inserted using a fine needle. It is held in place with absorbable cones.
Once the suture as been applied, the doctor performs slight compression of the tissue to reshape it by hand and to obtain the desired lifting effect. The non-inserted ends of the suture are cut off. One or more sutures may be applied, depending on the patient and treated area.

What is the recovery like?
After Silhouette Soft© treatment, as with any cosmetic treatment, some slight swelling, redness or bruising may sometimes be observed, but these disappear within days.
There is sometimes a slight wrinkling of the skin (required for optimisation of the treatment), which disappears very quickly.

Log on to the website www.coltishallclinic.co.uk or call 0800 0430737 for more information or to book an appointment.


Tuesday 2 September 2014

Changing options for the treatment of unwanted veins.



Changing options for the treatment of unwanted veins. Days of open surgery, prolonged bruising and painful recovery are long gone. ________________________________________________________

There is no denying that patients today are choosing minimally invasive or non-invasive  options where possible. In the past there has been a degree of scepticism about benefits of such treatments. How can a beam of light replace a surgeon’s knife? Is this too good to be true ? Not anymore-

Today non-invasive methods are replacing surgery at a very fast rate. So much so that NICE -The National Institute of Clinical Excellence has updated it’s guidelines on the treatment of varicose veins. It has recommended Endovenous laser treatment as the preferred option, foam injections second and surgery where the first two options are not suitable or declined.

How is EVLT or endovenous laser treatment for varicose veins performed?

Endovenous laser therapy involves the insertion of an ultrasound-guided laser fibre directly into the faulty vein. Laser energy heats the vein from within, causing it to shrink, collapse and seal shut. Patients experience minimal discomfort, and they can return to normal activities the same day. Because there are many veins in the leg, the blood that would have flowed through the closed vein simply flows through other healthy veins after the laser therapy.

What about thread and spider veins on the legs?

Thread and spider veins can be like tips of an iceberg. There can be hidden Varicose Veins that need to be ruled out before undertaking treatments for these veins. This usually means an ultrasound scan. It is irresponsible to start firing a laser at thread veins without first undertaking a thorough clinical and ideally an ultrasound evaluation.  It is not a great idea to see a non-doctor with a laser as this is a dangerous tool in the wrong hands. We have seen patients with deep laser burns resulting from inappropriate treatments carried out elsewhere.

Usually microscerotherapy or microinjections into thread veins work well. For tiny veins we have a range of lasers that can be used.  It is important to choose a clinic with a range of lasers as one laser is never suitable for everybody.

How do you treat veins on the face?

Sclerotherapy is very valuable for treatment of leg veins but laser and IPL treatment is safer and better for facial veins. Facial redness and spider veins are a common cosmetic and medical complaint. These are particularly common in rosacea suffers. Common associations are seen with sun damage, a fair complexion, stress, spicy foods and fluctuations in temperature which exacerbate rosacea symptoms. As with many conditions, genetics plays a role too.
Numerous treatments are available but laser and light based treatments are the gold-standard treatment options. We have a comprehensive range of lasers to treat these very successfully. Usually a few sessions are required for best results.

What are venous lakes and can you treat these?

Venous lakes a common condition but unfortunately there is a lack of awareness even amongst the health professionals. Venous lakes are dark blue to violet compressible small swelling caused by swelling of venules. These are common on sun-exposed skin. They also commonly occur on lips and are uncommon before 50 years of age.

We have patients travelling from all over the country to see us and so far we have managed to clear all of these in just one or two sessions.

What other vein related conditions can you treat?

We can treat veins and blemishes such as angiomas, spider naevi, birthmarks and lumps and bumps anywhere on the body. With hand veins and blue veins on the temples it is better to disguise these veins by using fillers or fat injections rather than remove or zap these with the lasers as these may be normal veins which have started to become visible due to loss of volume.

For more information or to book an appointment, Call 0800 0430737 or log on to the website www.coltishallclinic.co.uk.

Tuesday 27 May 2014

So you are not ready for a facelift? But you want better results than popular non-surgical treatments. What are your options?



When we talk about a facelift we talk about skin removal which is surgery. Too many treatments have been named non-surgical facelift. Unfortunately none of these provide a true lift. All these treatments are capable of doing is skin firming or skin shrinking. That is not to discredit these treatments. In fact majority of our treatments are geared towards improving the skin quality and skin health.

The closest we get to a non-surgical facelift is skin suspension. Various threads have been used for this procedure but these are also considered surgical as a skin incision is required to anchor these sutures in the area of the temple. Recently a non-anchoring version has become available which are silhouette soft sutures. These are capable of lifting the skin without cutting. The downside- results are not permanent. These are a good option if you want to try a reversible facelift without the knife. You can get this repeated later or you can move up the next step which is silhouette lift or even higher up the surgical ladder with skin removal and tightening of the underlying layer.

But I don't like the idea of a thread in my face and I also don't want the knife. Is there nothing else you can offer me?

The answer is yes I can. I can use a dual-plane laser facelift. How is this done? We use a numbing solution along the sides of face and neck. Then we introduce a hair thin laser fibre under your skin and activate the laser. The laser energy heats and shrinks the deeper layers of the skin. Then we use a co2 laser on the skin from outside to tighten the top layers of your skin further.

Is there an advantage to these treatments if you are recommending them, I hear you ask?

The answer is yes. A facelift only removes the excess skin. It does nothing to the remaining skin. Skin treatments such as lasers, LED, Radiofrequency, peels and even microdermabrasion help improve the skin quality. Patients often ask me- I only want one procedure doc. I don't have the time to do other things for my skin. Unfortunately there are no shortcuts in life. If you want to maintain skin health you have to invest in it. Skin is the largest organ of the human body and needs looking after. You can't just have one facelift and forget about it. Skin health is a life-long process. 

Contact us by phone 0800 0430737 or via the website http://www.coltishallclinic.co.uk

Monday 9 December 2013

Minimally invasive neck lift. Platysmaplasty

Minimally invasive neck lift

If you with to have a neck left but wish to avoid incisions on your face then this may be an option for you. This procedure is suitable for patients with visible neck bands or fat under the chin, jowls or neck.
This procedure is a combination of laser liposuction  and neck muscle tightening or platysmaplasty purely under local anaesthesia.
Laser liposuction is done through tiny 1mm incisions under the chin and ears. These incisions heal to be  virtually invisible.
This is followed by neck muscle tightening through a tiny incision in the preexisting neck crease.
This is a small procedure with great results.
It can be combined with CO2 laser resurfacing for knife less face and neck lift.
Modern technology and technological innovations allow us to provide great results without general anaesthesia, prolonged recovery or high cost.
Please call 0800 0430737 to book your appointment.

Saturday 7 September 2013

Bothered by sagging facial or neck skin? You have many Face Lift and Neck Lift options at the Coltishall Clinic. UK



In today’s fast-paced, competitive society, looks are more important than ever. Many of us look for solutions to address sagging jawline, neck and jowls. For many of our patient’s the overly tight ‘wind-tunnel’ look following a facelift is unacceptable. They desire a more natural looking facial rejuvenation and lift.

Why consider a face lift or neck lift surgery

Whilst non-surgical options such as botox, fillers and lasers are very effective for early signs of facial ageing, they cannot tighten a lot of loose skin. A surgical face or neck-lift entails removing this excess skin.

Why an awake face lift?
Many cosmetic surgery patients do not want to go under general anaesthesia. Being under general anaesthesia can be associated with risks. Nausea, vomiting, breathing problems and sluggishness for days afterwards can result. Those who have been there, say recovering from a general is like being hit by a truck. Operations under general anaesthesia also tend to have prolonged bruising and recovery involved.

How do you perform face lift and neck lifts at the Coltishall Clinic?

With our technique, the operation is performed under local anaesthesia with an awake patient. A special solution of saline (salt-water), epinephrine, and lidocaine is injected. Saline helps to separate the tissues, making the dissection less traumatic for the face and neck. Epinephrine causes the tiny blood vessels in the area to constrict, minimising bleeding and bruising.  Lidocaine numbs the area to provide pain control and this lasts for 12-18 hours afterwards-reducing the need for painkillers.

What types of facelift and neck lift do you offer at the Coltishall Clinic?

Apart from a full range of non-surgical treatments we offer a variety of surgical options mentioned below.

1] One stitch facelift- this is our minimally invasive facelift. It is suitable for younger patients or for those who do not want a full face or neck lift but desire a subtle result at low cost. One small incision on either side of the face is used. The incision is hidden in the hair and lifts the jaw line.

2] Thread lift- this is also a minimally invasive procedure and suitable for those patients who want to avoid the knife on their face. A small cut, well hidden in the hairline is used to suspend the facial tissue with threads.

2] Laser face lift- this is an excellent option when the main consideration is excess fat in chin and jowls. Laser can melt these and also heats the surrounding tissue. This stimulates collagen formation and assists in skin and tissue tightening. The amount of tightening greatly depends on skin type, age, elasticity, general health and other factors.
Lastly, a small amount of fat, which varies from patient to patient, is suctioned away when needed. This can also be used in conjunction with full face or neck lift when more tightness is desired.

4] Full face and neck lift- We perform a tumescent facelift. It is also known by various other names such as weekend or mini-facelift, S-lift, MACS lift or a facial lipo-lift. Pre medication is recommended to relax the patient. A special local anaesthetic solution is injected in front of the ears. This solution numbs and gently lifts the skin from underlying structures. One side is operated at a time. A small amount of skin in front of and below the ear is removed. The skin is lifted, underlying layer is tightened and finally the skin is repositioned and closed with fine sutures.

5] Neck lift only- this can be performed through a tiny 1 inch incision in the neck crease. This is suitable for patients with neck bands. Men with turkey neck in particular may be interested in neck only lift where it can be combined with removal of excess skin.

How will I look after surgery?

The change following your surgery can be dramatic. The use of small instruments and fluid to separate the skin from deeper tissue results in a bloodless procedure. There may be minor bruising or swelling for 1-2 days. You may elect to return to work in 2-5 days or wait till your stitches are removed in 7 days. The days of prolonged swelling and bruising and having to hide away for weeks are long gone. Our patients do not generally get any significant bruising.

What are the benefits of Coltishall clinic face-lift procedure?

Dr Sanjay Gheyi MBBS MS FRCS Medical Director at the Coltishall clinic has had advanced training in face and neck lifts in the USA and has adapted best practice and technological innovations. As the procedure is performed in the clinic purely under local anesthesia and not in a hospital, it offers the following advantages-
A natural look
Quick recovery
Minimal complication risk
Minimal scars
No hair loss
Less cost
Less risk of infection.

With so many face and neck lift options on offer, along with a whole host of cutting edge non-surgical options, we are sure to have a solution to offer you. So why not give us a call on 0800 0430737 or log on to the website at www.coltishallclinic.co.uk.