Your Consultation

	This woman is considering endoscopic forehead lift. During her consultation, Dr. Kriston Kent uses on-screen digital photos of her face to demonstrate the results she might achieve with the procedure.

You'll have at least one and maybe two consultations with your surgeon before your procedure. Whether the doctor is one of several you're considering or is the surgeon you've chosen after doing your research, go to the initial visit well prepared. Educate yourself about facial plastic surgery, particularly about the procedure or procedures that interest you. Be prepared to ask questions during your initial consultation. Some individuals are more comfortable if they take a friend or companion along for the consultation. A companion can help you take notes and be sure you've asked all the pertinent questions.

Determining Your Goals

As you contemplate facial cosmetic surgery, your surgeon may tell you about procedures you didn't realize were available. Or you may learn that the procedure you're considering may not do all you thought it would, and you may benefit more from another procedure.

	Dr. Jon Mendelsohn answers a patient's questions as she is being prepared for a modified, deep chemical peel to eliminate fine wrinkles and imp ro ve skin tone.

As you contemplate which procedures would be best for you, keep in mind the three basic ways in which aging affects the face: sagging skin, loss of plumpness, and loss of smooth skin texture. Accordingly, three separate types of p ro cedures are used to reduce these signs of aging. Sagging skin is treated by lifting facial skin and tissue. Loss of plumpness is treated with fillers, whether injectable fillers or implants. Skin texture is rejuvenated with skin resurfacing, either by laser or with chemical peels.

During the consultation, the doctor will probably ask what you like and don't like about your appearance, what makes you self-conscious, what you'd like to change, and what you're hoping to look like after surgery. Maybe your ideal is out of reach, but by knowing what you want, your doctor can tell you what can be achieved.What you'll probably discover is that the procedure your doctor recommends can dramatically improve your appearance in ways you might not have envisioned.

	Dr.William Truswell performs a standard SMAS facelift, a procedure that usually takes two to three hours.

He or she will examine your facial features, skin, expressions, and bone structure, and will explain the procedures that would benefit you, along with their risks and side effects.You'll look at before-and-after pictures of other patients who have had the same procedures.The doctor may take a digital photo of you that can be modified on a computer as you discuss your goals and concerns. For example, if you're considering a nose job, the doctor can project a picture of your profile on the computer screen and then digitally shape your nose to give you a be tt er idea of how the proposed changes might look.This tool gives you and the surgeon a way to see the possibilities as well as any limitations of a procedure.

The doctor might recommend additional surgery be done before, after, or at the same time as the primary operation. For example, a facelift alone may not remove some skin flaws such as mo tt led skin or sun damage. Accordingly, a surgeon might recommend facial skin resurfacing along with the facelift. Or, if you're interested in a nose job and a facelift, the doctor may recommend these procedures be done separately. If you have chosen a skilled and reputable surgeon, he or she will recom­mend these procedures only if they will help you achieve your goals and for no other reason. As safe and effective as facial cosmetic surgery has proven to be, no surgery is risk free and no ethical surgeon will carelessly expose you to unnecessary risk and prolonged recovery.

Go to the consultation with an open mind. The procedure you've investigated might not be the right one for you.You may have explored eyelid surgery in detail, but the surgeon thinks a Endoscopic Forehead Lift is a be tt er way to go. If you trust the doctor, then find out all you can about Endoscopic Forehead Lifts.

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