Dr. Moubayed is an otolaryngologist – head and neck surgeon practicing facial plastic surgery in Montréal. He notices that some patient questions are particularly interesting, and they often come from people who have done a lot of thinking at home before the consultation. That reflection helps build a plan that truly matches what you want.
Facial aesthetic surgery can do two main things: change the shape of a face, or rejuvenate it. Before meeting your surgeon, it is worth knowing which category your request falls into. Here are the three questions he suggests asking yourself.
1. Is there one thing that bothers you most?
The first question is simple: what bothers you most when you look at yourself? The jowls? The wrinkles? The tail of the brow that has dropped? The neck?
If one feature really bothers you, the plan often starts there. The rest can be added. But some people are bothered by a single thing and do not want anything else changed. That is a perfectly legitimate choice, and it is important to say so clearly during the consultation.
Some common concerns:
- jowls and loss of jawline definition;
- a loose neck;
- wrinkles and skin quality;
- the tail of the brow dropping and making the eyes look heavier.
There is no right or wrong answer to these questions. What matters is that the proposed plan matches what truly bothers you, rather than a ready-made list of procedures.
2. Are you looking for full facial rejuvenation?
The second possibility is to aim for more complete facial rejuvenation. When you want to rejuvenate a face, you work against the different effects of aging, which affect several areas at once.
A full rejuvenation plan can then combine several steps, depending on your needs:
- lifting the face and neck with a facelift and neck lift;
- resurfacing laser for skin quality;
- eyelid surgery, or blepharoplasty;
- lifting the tail of the brow, or sometimes the whole brow;
- lifting the upper lip slightly;
- fat transfer to restore volume.
Not everyone needs all of these steps. The plan depends on your anatomy, your goals and your health, and it is refined during the consultation.
3. Is there something that has always bothered you?
The third question is often forgotten: is there a feature that has bothered you for years, but that you never took the time to address? A rejuvenation surgery can be a good time to take care of it at the same time.
Dr. Moubayed gives the example of the brows. Contrary to what people often think, the brows do not really drop with age: it is mostly the tail of the brow that falls. In some people, the center of the brow has always been low. During eyelid surgery, it is sometimes a good time to change that shape, for example with a brow lift.
Another example is the nose. If your nose has always bothered you, you can discuss it and see whether it makes sense to include it in the same surgery. Combining procedures requires careful assessment: operating time, recovery and risks all take it into account.
A practical tip: before the consultation, write down what bothers you, in order of importance. Look at yourself from the front and in profile, in natural light. This short list will help you express your expectations clearly, and ask your questions without forgetting anything on the day of the appointment.
In short: what is your priority?
Before your consultation, take a few minutes to answer these questions:
- Is it one specific feature that bothers you?
- Do you want full facial rejuvenation?
- Are there things that have bothered you for years that you would like to correct at the same time?
Arriving with your priorities makes for a clearer discussion with the surgical team. Like any surgery, a facelift and associated procedures carry risks, and results vary from person to person. The consultation is there to assess what is possible and appropriate in your case.
Thinking about a facelift? Book a free 30-minute discovery call with our team. Clinique Face MD, the place for my face.