A Woman's Touch

By: Steve Bustin
Created on 11th August 2010

A recent survey revealed that 90 per cent of UK cosmetic surgery patients are women yet only 9 per cent of surgeons are female. We investigate why many women are seeking them out

Think of a cosmetic surgeon. You’re thinking of a male surgeon, right? Think of a cosmetic surgery patient. Now you’re probably thinking of a woman.

Despite headlines about the increase in the number of men looking at cosmetic surgery as an option in keeping themselves looking younger, women still make up the majority of patients, and yet, when it comes to the professionals, there are far fewer female surgeons to men, although it could be argued that a female surgeon will have a far more intuitive feel for the female body.

Probably the UK’s top female cosmetic surgeon, Angelica Kavouni, who operates at Cadogan Clinic, is world renowned for her surgical skills and incredible results and while she frequently operates on men, most of her patients are women, many of whom like knowing they are in female hands.

“Some women just feel more comfortable with a female surgeon,” says Angelica. “This might be due to natural shyness but there are also cultural and religious issues involved, so, for instance, some women will seek out a female surgeon and will ask for a female anaesthetist too.”

Angelica has built a superb reputation among both fellow surgeons and, perhaps more importantly, patients, for her ability to give women the body they’ve dreamed of.

“I usually start to see women when they’re around mid to late 30s, although the exact age they start thinking about surgery does depends a bit on their genetics and whether they have taken care of themselves.

“In the mid to late 30s, women start to see the first signs of ageing in their face, frown lines appear, breasts become droopy and loose skin develops in various areas of the body and face.”

Angelica has a number of specialisms pertinent to female patients, among them postpregnancy breast surgery and labiaplasty.

Post-pregnancy surgical options

Angelica says that her interest in post-pregnancy surgery stems from her own experience: “Because I have children and have experienced some of the effects of pregnancy on the body, I take the view that you don’t necessarily have to live with these just because you’ve been through childbirth; you don’t need drooping breasts to prove you’re a good mother!

“I see increasing numbers of post-pregnancy women who fall into two categories – those who have had multiple pregnancies and those who have lost their pregnancy weight very quickly. A procedure like a breast lift can dramatically boost a woman’s confidence.”

Empty breasts are the biggest complaint from those who have finished child rearing; some women choose to embrace the ‘scars of pregnancy’ whereas others seek help.

In an average breast, the nipple and areola are positioned at a point level with the centre of the upper arm. During pregnancy the breast skin stretches – in many cases the skin does not retract to its initial state and the breasts droop leaving the nipple at a lower level.

Breast feeding can also reduce the amount of residual breast tissue leaving the breasts and, most markedly, the ‘upper poles’ quite empty. For these women, a breast lift is the most suitable option.

If women are looking to increase their breast size, Angelica says that most do not request unnatural sized ‘Jordanesque’ breasts – they just want to regain their prepregnancy shape and size.

There are several ways to achieve this and the breast changes often go unnoticed by friends, as the effects can be quite subtle and scars so minimal that they disappear very quickly.

Neither Jordan nor Posh have served to help the amount of negative controversy surrounding breast enlargement but they are extreme cases for what has become a very subtle procedure. “Proportion, not disproportion is the key to successful postpregnancy breast augmentation in the twenty-first century,” says Angelica.

“Women increasingly ask for a softer, more feminine shape and implant manufacturers have followed this trend so it is now possible to match an implant perfectly to each individual patient.”

Labiaplasty

Labiaplasty, or reduction of the labia, has soared in popularity in recent years. It involves a technique to reduce the large or uneven labia minora to a thinner, more comfortable, and more appealing size and shape.

The aim of surgery is to preserve most of the natural contour, pigmentation, and sensitivity of the labia minora with minimal scarring. Angelica discusses individual needs and expectations with every patient, in absolute confidence.

Angelica says the rise in demand for labiaplasty has echoed the rise in awareness among women: “It’s become less of a taboo – women are aware that there is now a procedure that can take away any loose skin so it has become more popular.

“Most women want to undergo a labiaplasty because there is a lot of loose skin and it can be quite uncomfortable. Also some women have tears after pregnancy or it’s uncomfortable when riding a horse or bike. Sometimes it’s just for aesthetic reasons as the labial skin can be dark, thick and folding and it can look displeasing.”

Fat removal

Angelica is one of the few surgeons in the UK to be using the revolutionary non-invasive form of liposuction, Liposonix, and she explains why she’s been waiting for a technique such as this for some time.

The procedure, which can be carried out in a lunchhour and requires no anaesthetic or sedation, uses ultrasound technology to ‘melt’ fat that is then flushed out via the liver, and it’s great for the stubborn fat deposits that many women complain of on stomachs and hips, that are hard to shift even with the most dedicated exercise and diet plan.

“A lot of the women I see are very health conscious and they do a lot of dieting and exercise but they still have small localised areas of fat on their lower abdomen, flanks or thighs, traditionally the areas where most women have fat deposits.

“This is the ideal procedure for that as its non-invasive, there’s no risk attached to it and there’s virtually no downtime, so I can remove those small localised areas of fat without any cutting or anaesthetic.

“Seeing how grateful women can be to finally lose those last areas of fat is immensely gratifying.”