Face and skin treatments for men at Spire Harpenden Hospital

Cosmetic surgery isn't just for women anymore as more and more men are realising the boost in self-confidence that it can have on them. We offer a selection of surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures to help you regain that youthful confidence, while retaining your sense of masculinity.

As you age, your skin loses its elasticity and your muscles get slacker, meaning that gradually, the folds and smile lines on your face deepen. (source: British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons). We perform a wide variety of skin and facial cosmetic procedures to help tighten up your face, making it smoother and helping you to look younger.

Other procedures can also help you feel better about some of your natural features such as ears that stick out, moles, warts or scars. As well as looking younger this can also help to:

• boost your confidence for social, personal and working life
• literally smile again after the ageing process left you with a mouth that naturally turned down
• feel happier about how you look.

Many of these procedures, such as a facelift operation, involve your surgeon making cuts across your hairline, past the front of your ears and sometimes under your chin. These allow your doctor to remove excess skin and fat, tightening the muscles.

Sometimes other cosmetic procedures are carried out at the same time including:

• correcting droopy eyelids (blepharoplasty)
• a brow lift, which raises the level of your eyebrows
• a neck lift, which tightens the skin in the neck.

If you decide to have your treatment with us, you will be looked after by an experienced multi-disciplinary care team.

Our patients are at the heart of what we do and we want you to be in control of your care.

All of our cosmetic nurses and cosmetic surgeons are of the highest standard and benefit from working in our modern, well equipped hospitals.

All our cosmetic nurses and cosmetic surgeons are on the specialist register of the General Medical Council (GMC), and many are also members of the UK’s leading cosmetic and plastic surgery associations.

Cosmetic surgery can be a life enhancing decision and we’re here to help you make the right one. Our experienced cosmetic surgeons will guide you through every step of the way.

It’s important to meet with your chosen consultant before treatment so that you are completely comfortable with them and they know what you want to achieve. It’s helpful to bring in some pictures and a friend or family member to your initial meeting to help articulate your thoughts. You should also ask to see some of the surgeon's recent before and after pictures of similar operations they've performed.

We offer various procedures for different parts of the face, neck and body. Some of these involve newer techniques such as keyhole surgery, which have a shorter recovery time and leave fewer scars.

This is an important decision and we're here to listen and help you achieve your goals.

If you decide to go ahead with a procedure, we'll give you at least two weeks between consultation and operation date. This is because we want you to be really happy and confident with your decision.

We've tried to make your experience with us as easy and relaxed as possible.

For more information on visiting hours, our food, what to pack if you're staying with us, parking and all those other important practicalities, please visit our patient information pages.

Our dedicated team will also give you tailored advice to follow in the run up to your visit.

There may be specific preparations you need to make before the different procedures can happen, such as:

• lose weight before a facelift to allow your surgeon to remove more loose skin
• stop taking tablets containing aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for at least two weeks before surgery
• stop smoking two weeks before surgery.

We understand that having surgery can often be a time of anxiety and worry, but our experienced and caring medical staff will be there for you, holding your hand, every step of the way.

Brow Lift – this procedure can be performed in several ways. For a coronal brow lift, your surgeon will remove excess skin through a cut across the top of your scalp, hidden within your hair. Your muscles that cause frown lines are shortened and your eyebrows lifted.

Alternatively keyhole surgery can be performed using special surgical instruments inserted through tiny cuts in your hairline. This reduces the muscles that cause frown lines and there is minimal scarring.

Each method can be performed under general or local anaesthetic. Your surgeon will discuss this with you beforehand.

Chin implant surgery – your surgeon will build out on your receding chin by inserting an implant over the chin bone. The implant is usually inserted through an incision made inside your mouth between your lower lip and gum. This means there will be no visible scarring. Sometimes the implant may be inserted through a cut in the natural crease of your chin.

The material used for the implant is usually silicone or another manufactured material. This surgery is usually performed under general anaesthetic.

Ear pinning (pinnaplasty) – during this operation, your surgeon makes cuts behind each ear. The cartilage may be re-shaped, folded, or some of it removed. Stitches are then used to hold the ear back in its new position. The operation normally takes one to two hours. It can be performed under general anaesthetic or under local anaesthetic, for which you may also be offered a sedative to help you relax.

Eyelid surgery or eyebag removal (blepharoplasty) – this operation removes excess skin, fat and muscle from around your eyes.

For surgery on the upper eyelids, your surgeon will make cuts into the natural lines and creases in the lid and into the laughter lines at the corner of your eye.

On the lower eyelids, the cut will usually be just below your eyelashes.

This means scars run along the eye’s natural folds, concealing them. It usually takes one or two hours and can be performed as a day-case, but an overnight stay in hospital is sometimes required.

It can be performed under general or local anaesthetic.

Facelift – we offer several different techniques for a facelift (your consultant will discuss these with you beforehand). During a full facelift, your surgeon will make a surgical incision right around your hairline, past the front of your ear and sometimes under your chin. He or she will then carefully remove excess skin and fat, tightening the muscles. This is performed under a general anaesthetic. The operation can take four hours.

Mole, cyst, wart, and skin tag removal – most of these skin lesions will be removed using a scalpel under local anaesthetic. Other techniques include applying chemical treatments or freezing the skin. Sometimes a laser is used to destroy the lesion, while skin tags may be simply snipped off with surgical scissors.

Removing a skin lesion is a quick, straightforward procedure and is most often performed as an out-patient or day-case procedure.

Scar revision or removal – this involves several forms of possible treatment, such as laser therapy and micro dermabrasion. Both remove the top layers of skin so that when it grows back it looks smoother and the appearance of the scar is reduced.

For laser therapy, pulses of light are used to reduce the redness of your scar and the laser can also remove the top layers of the skin to make the scar flatter.

For micro dermabrasion, your surgeon will remove the upper layers of your skin with specialist equipment.

Scar revision usually takes from 30 minutes to 1 hour and is normally performed as a day-case procedure - often under local anaesthetic.

(Please note not all procedures may be available, please enquire at the hospital.)

The various treatments involve general or local anaesthesia so this will have an impact on how you feel after the operation.

Aftercare will vary to an extent depending on which treatment you have had. For example, after a facelift – one of the more significant procedures – your face will be tightly wrapped in bandages and depending on the exact procedure carried out, these may run under your chin, around your ears and/or over your head.

After this, you will be taken to your room or comfortable area where you can rest and recuperate until we feel you’re ready to go home.

Your friends and family will be able to visit pretty much anytime you want – we have flexible visiting hours.

Pain relief

You will be given pain relief medication after your operation including tablets or injections for headaches and drugs to help you with nausea.

We'll give you pain relief medication when we discharge you.

You will be able to leave as soon as your condition is stable and many patients go straight home as soon as they are feeling comfortable.

Recovery time

When we discharge you we'll talk to you about whether your stitches and dressings need to be removed and we’ll make an appointment to see your consultant again.

Brow lift – You'll usually be able to return home later the same day, and will need to plan some time off work to rest and recover.

Chin implant – you should be able to return home later the same day and will need to plan time off work to rest and recover.

Ear pinning – you’ll be able to return home later the same day.

Eyelid surgery – you will need to plan some time off work to rest and recover.

Facelift – your bandages will be removed after one or two days. After the operation there is normally some swelling, bruising and soreness. You will usually need to stay in hospital for one or two nights and you should be able to go back to work within two weeks.

Mole or cyst removal – there is normally no need to stay in hospital overnight and you can return to work the next day.

Scar revision or removal – you should rest at home for a couple of days before returning to work. Avoid activities that might put tension or pressure on the area that has been operated on. Don’t expose yourself to the sun for several months after treatment and use sunblock or a bandage to stop it from permanently tanning the healing surgical scar. (source: National Institutes of Health)

How your loved ones can help

Once you’re ready to be discharged, you’ll need to arrange a taxi, friend or family member to take you home as you won’t be able to drive. You should also ask them if they can run some light errands such as shopping for you as you won’t be feeling up to it.

Looking after you 

Even once you’ve left hospital, we’re still here for you. Your consultant is likely to want to see you after your operation.

If you have any questions or concerns, we’re ready to help.

We are committed to delivering excellent individual care and customer service across our network of hospitals, clinics and specialist care centres around the UK. Our dedicated and highly trained team aim to achieve consistently excellent results. For us it's more than just treating patients, it's about looking after people.

Important to note

The treatment described on this page may be adapted to meet your individual needs, so it's important to follow your healthcare professional's advice and raise any questions that you may have with them.