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

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.

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.

One stitch face lift, Norwich UK

Why we love Intense Pulsed Light or IPL

IPL, Intense Pulsed Light is the most powerful weapon against skin ageing.

We have a number of anti-ageing treatments available today. These include anti-ageing supplements, vitamins, lotions, potions and hormones. What is striking is that none of these reverse skin ageing and prevent skin ageing to the extent that IPL does.
We have been using IPL photorejuvenation for many years and patients typically remark how well their skin looks. The effect on improved skin tone, complexion blending and brightening is seen within weeks. This is not all thought, when patients come back a few months or years later you can see a healthy glow to the skin, improved texture, reduced fine lines, wrinkles and pore size too.

There is now available peer reviewed scientific literature showing that regular maintenance IPL treatments functionally rejuvenate skin and delay skin ageing. IPL treated skin looks more youthful and healthier. Regular maintenance treatments enhance this effect even further. Many doctors have also observed reduced incidence of skin cancers in IPL treated skin.

A recent study at Stanford showed that IPL treated skin showed favourable changes at genetic level. A very powerful observation that came out of this study is that IPL treated skin shows gene expression patterns of a younger skin. Not only is IPL treated skin looking younger, it is genetically getting younger too! These changes are also seen at a microscopic level. IPL treated skin shows less pigmentation, redness and elastosis and more uniform collagen deposition.

We now have the technology and considerable experience of using this technology effectively to repair the appearance of damaged skin, delay and help prevent signs of skin ageing and also possibly reduce the risk of skin cancers in the treated skin. It works very well on the face-photofacial and non facial areas.

In my opinion if you are going to choose one treatment for your skin health-it has to be IPL.

NICE guidance for treatment of Varicose Veins

Endothermal ablation, EVLT or EVLA is considered best treatment for Varicose Veins.  We use the latest 3rd generation lasers for EVLT.
Surgery used to be the most widely used treatment for Varicose Veins but controversy remains about possible drawbacks of vein surgery. Need for general anaesthesia, large incisions and formation of new veins [neo-vascularisation] being some of these. Recently however surgery has waned in popularity. This is due to a move towards less invasive procedures in general and due to emergence of very effective minimally invasive vein treatments such as EVLA and foam sclerotherapy.

NICE guidance news here

EVLT for Varicose Veins Norwich, Norfolk here

Vein treatment photos here

There are new treatments such has clarivein, injectable dyes, glue etc but these do not have the evidence to be considered as treatments of choice. Only lasers and foam sclerotherapy are widely recognised standard treatments at present.

Author Dr Sanjay Gheyi 24 July 2013

Laser treatment of pearly penile papules

Hirsuties coronae glandis (also known as "hirsutoid papillomas,"and "pearly penile papules") are small whitish blemishes on glans penis or corona glandis. The papules appear as one or several rows of small, pearly or flesh-colored, smooth, dome-topped bumps. It is a harmless anatomical variation. They are found significantly more often on uncircumcised men and younger men.
They are common and estimated to be present in a quarter of adult men.  These bumps are not transmitted through sexual activity and are not a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

Treatment Some of the "home remedies" found on the Internet and elsewhere use mild ointments or creams to soften the papules, but others are physically dangerous techniques for papule removal which can result in permanent genital mutilation. Rapini et al. advise that, since dermatologists have safe, effective ways to remove them if desired, home remedies involving corrosive substances or self-surgery should be avoided, since they can permanently damage sexual functioning. They further state that removal should only be performed by a physician using proven medical techniques.[Source: wikipedia]

CO2 laser ablation is the gold-standard treatment for PPP or
pearly penile papules. We use a local anaesthetic cream to numb the area. Laser ablation is then a quick and painless procedure. Smaller papules are vapourised in an instant. Larger ones form a superficial scab which falls off in 7-10 days.

Cost typical cost for a session is £ 500 and usually only one session is required.

Contact us via the website or
call 0800 0430737 to book a consultation