Emma, Facelift

“I developed acne in my late teens that left me with scarring, so 25 years ago I decided to have ablative laser surgery. I researched it carefully and spent a lot of money on it, but laser skin resurfacing was very much in its infancy at that point and, from my eyes down, it basically melted my skin off.

“I had to take three to four months off work and moved back home to be looked after. My face swelled up to twice the size and I had to cover my face in Vaseline every two hours. It has significantly changed the tone and texture of my skin and prematurely aged me.

“The effect on my confidence has been profound. I wouldn’t have a summer wedding because I didn’t want to get married in the full sun. When I meet new people, I often sit there with my chin in my hands so I can cover my lower face. I’m incredibly self-conscious.

“So, over the years, I’ve been on a journey to improve my skin and overall appearance. I’ve tried every non-surgical treatment going and probably spent over £20,000 with disappointing results. As well as Botox in my upper face, I’ve had dermal fillers, Profhilo, the 8-Point Facelift, and a Thread Lift to try and reduce sagging in my lower face.

“I feel completely fatigued at this point and worry that if I keep putting more fillers in my face it will change how I look. I want to look like me but just refreshed and I came to the realisation that surgery was probably the best option for me.”

“I did lots of research and spoke to a few plastic surgeons on the phone but decided to have a consultation with Mr Alex Karidis. When it’s your face, you want the very best surgeon possible.

“The consultation was incredible. My husband was opposed to me having surgery initially, so I took him to the consultation and by the end he was convinced. Mr Karidis put both our minds at rest that I would still look natural.”

“One month on and I’m feeling incredible. Totally thrilled with the results. I’m still a little bit swollen on the cheeks, but generally I feel absolutely incredible.

“The reaction from friends and family has just been really, really great. People can’t believe how well I look. The thing I’m most looking forward to now the surgery is over and a month on, is just looking in the mirror and not wincing at the wrinkles and lines and saggy skin that were there before. It’s really nice just to look in the mirror and think, ‘Yes, that’s me.’

“I was really self-conscious about my skin generally. I got quite obsessed about lighting and didn’t really like going into rooms where there were bright lights. Now, I’m looking forward to seeing my friends and seeing how they react and just generally getting my life back.

“It’s been life changing and the aftercare has been incredible. I always knew that somebody was at the end of the phone, whenever I needed them. Not that I did very often, but just having that reassurance that somebody is there for you when you hit the low points in the early days was fantastic.

“Mr Karidis has been incredible. His bedside manner was just amazing. I’m going to be sad to say goodbye to everybody because I feel like they’ve become friends or family.

“This has been the best thing that I have ever, ever done. I highly recommend it to anybody, especially if you’ve got insecurities about your skin or ageing.”

It’s been two years since I underwent my lower facelift. It has been life changing in terms of my confidence levels. Both in how I feel when I look in the mirror and liking what I see, but also how I take compliments. I’d had such a bad journey with my skin that I never felt like I looked nice. So, when someone complimented me in the past, I would just not believe them.

Looking back at the healing process

I think I had a really easy, very lucky healing journey. Within six weeks, nobody would have noticed, and I felt confident going out.

Within 10 weeks I thought it looked absolutely great, but now I look back at photographs at even a year post-procedure and I can see there’s a tiny bit of swelling and I still look a bit tight. Now, I have the final, fantastic result.

Enhancing my facelift results

My skin and face look completely and utterly different. Obviously, the lower facelift has done the majority of the work, but I have been having aesthetic treatments since then with Stevie which are incredible.

A facelift doesn’t stop crow’s feet or frown lines, so I have regular anti-wrinkle treatments. Recently, I also had dermal fillers in the apples of the cheeks and into my chin as I have a flat, square chin. This has given me a more feminine, softer look and I’m thrilled.

I think of these as just an enhancement.

My advice two years on

I think you must choose your practitioner wisely. Mr Alex Karidis has been incredible, and it’s been so worth the expense and downtime. I wouldn’t think twice about doing it again and maybe in 10 or 15 years I’ll be coming back. He’s got a patient for life.