The Rules Of Ageing Well

Beauty Specialist Olivia Falcon offers advice on choosing the right cosmetic doctor for you

Whether you’re a public figure or just someone who takes pride in their appearance, you always want to put your best face forward – and that means putting a considerable amount of trust in any cosmetic doctor you enlist to help you. Beauty Specialist Olivia Falcon has made it her job to know what to look for in an aesthetic medicine professional, and here she shares some of her most tried-and-true advice.

As the former editor of Brides Cosmetic and Tatler Cosmetic Surgery & anti-ageing guide, cosmetic medicine is my specialist subject, and so inevitably I have become a sounding board for many of my friends and family. “Who shall I see about this?” they ask, pointing out crow’s feet, sunspots and the occasional turkey neck.

I always advise that – whatever your concern – you consider a few fundamental rules to finding the right cosmetic doctor for you. The most important thing to remember if you’ve got a doctor in mind, is to check his/her credentials. A recommendation from a friend is all well and good, but make sure your doctor is accredited with the General Medical Council (or the equivalent organisation in your country of residence). Surgeons – who are now doing more and more injectable work – should be listed with BAAPS (the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons). If you’re planning to see a nurse, that’s fine, too, but check that they belong to the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Play detective and ask to see ‘before’ and ‘after’ pictures of a selection of your doctor’s former patients, and speak to people in the waiting room about their experiences.

I personally run a mile from any doctor who talks to me about their ‘signature look’. Your treatment should be as individual as you are. Angelina Jolie’s lips look great on her, but they might look downright silly on you. The best doctors will ask to see old photographs of you in your prime and use this as a reference to getting you back to looking your best, so dig out a few to take for your first visit. Ask as many questions as you can about the proposed treatment plan so you can gauge the pain factor and weigh up the side effects, such as bruising and swelling – and plan your social life accordingly. Believe me, you do not want to show up at a party or an evening with your parents and have to explain weird bruises.

When it comes to injectable treatments, always ask exactly what products the doctor is planning to inject into your face and keep a note of it, in case you ever decide to switch doctors in the future. It’s always helpful to know what has worked or, even more importantly, not worked for you. There are many types of botulinum toxin (Botox is just a brand name), and although they generally do the same thing –temporarily smoothing fine lines and wrinkles – some doctors believe they have subtly different effects. For example, I have been told that Dysport has a marginally softer effect and spreads better through a large area, like a forehead, than other brands. 

It’s the same with facial fillers, I strongly recommend sticking to semi-permanent hyaluronic acid fillers (trusted names include Restylane, Juvederm and Teosyal), and don’t try and ‘fix’ everything in one session. Go slowly and gradually for subtle changes, so no one can quite put their finger on why you are looking so much fresher. 

And, finally, the golden rule: less is more. If you’re fifty plus, your aim shouldn’t be to look twenty again, but rather just naturally good for your age. A few expression lines are the key to a happy, attractive face.

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