Not a week went by in the Eighties and Nineties without a Hollywood star returning from a mysterious, month-long “holiday”, suddenly looking like their features had been pinned back with bulldog clips.
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But with the advent of less invasive treatments such as Botox and dermal fillers, facelifts looked like they had become a thing of the past.
Between 2011 and 2016 — when Towie was at its plastic fantastic peak — web searches for Botox-style treatments increased by 31 per cent, while lip filler queries rose 78 per cent.
In 2016, the number of facelifts carried out in the UK fell by 44 per cent year on year.
And last year, Botox and dermal fillers accounted for nine in ten of all cosmetic procedures.
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But experts in the aesthetics industry are reporting a renewed demand for facelift surgery.
Plastic surgeon Nora Nugent says: “I have seen a 20 to 30 per cent increase in enquiries and consultations from women in their forties regarding face lift and neck lift surgery.
“Younger facial tissue retains the lift effect longer — so there are advantages in having the work done at a relatively younger age.”
Real Housewives Of Dubai star Caroline Stanbury, 48, went under the knife last year.
After years of filler jabs, she chose a “natural” face lift, which involved 6mm of skin being removed from her eyelids as well as three inches taken off her neck and around her face.
‘I wanted my kids to recognise me’
Caroline — mum to Yasmine, 19, and twins Zac and Aaron, 15 — says: “I always live by the motto, ‘If you don’t like something, fix it.’
“I want to remain looking how I looked five years ago.
“What’s the point of getting a facelift at 70?”
There were 25,972 cosmetic surgical procedures last year in the UK — 16 per cent down on fall from 2022.
But face and neck lift surgery bucked the downward trend, especially for women in their forties.
Surgeon Nora explains: “There is an increasing awareness that modern facelift surgery aims for a long- lasting, naturally rejuvenated appearance, rather than distortion.
“Having a facelift in your forties would typically be less extensive than that done in your sixties.
“Skin and other facial tissues are also in better condition in younger patients so can hold the lift well.
‘Taking their toll’
“People in their forties also tend to have better health which can reduce the risk of some complications and aid a smooth recovery.”
Caroline was a big fan of fillers — but over time, they took their toll.
She says: “They are great when you are young, but you get to a certain point and can’t go further.
“I should have dissolved them after a period of time, then started over again, because after a while, your face starts to look incredibly round.
“That’s why I started to wonder if there is something else out there.”
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After liking a friend’s facelift, she met a surgeon and decided to take the plunge, but feared ending up with a completely different face.
She says: “I wanted my kids to recognise me, not go: ‘Mummy, what have you done?’ ”
The reality star spent £27,442 on a deep plane facelift, which helps improve the definition of the jawline as well as reducing the appearance of jowls and loose skin around the neck area.
Cosmetic surgery experts Alpha Hospital Group says women in their forties are most likely to opt for a facelift.
Mr Reza Nassab, of CLNQ clinic in Manchester, thinks this could be due to “filler fatigue” and says: “Repeated filler use can make the face look worse.
“The taboo of facial rejuvenation is no longer the case.
“Risks of surgical facelift are much greater compared to non-surgical facelift.
“Having a facelift at 40 is generally safe when done by a qualified surgeon, but it does come with risks like anaesthesia reactions, infection, hematoma, scarring, nerve injury, and asymmetry.”