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Norman Waterhouse, a leading London-based consultant plastic surgeon and until recently Head of the Craniofacial Unit at Chelsea and Westminster, addressed as keynote speaker the first-ever joint conference of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) and the European Association of Societies of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (EASAPS), taking place at Cardiff City Hall 16-18 September. Mr. Waterhouse, internationally lauded for the natural look he achieves in facial surgery, recently developed an eponymous technique for facelifts which was published in the prestigious American Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. At this ground-breaking conference he unveiling a personal algorithm he has honed over twenty years and nearly two thousand cases, providing the wide surgical community with specific ratios to aim for when performing face and brow lifts.

According to Norman Waterhouse, former President of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) and co-founder of ‘Facing The World’ (www.facingtheworld.net), a charity for children with facial deformities;

"Craniofacial surgery provides a challenging environment for a variety of strategies to re-suspend, symmetrise and augment the face. The traditional procedure involves manipulating the SMAS muscles, which run parallel to the nose to mouth line. This remains the workhorse for face lifting and can vary from minor gestures to very extensive mobilisations. In arriving at my preferred philosophy and techniques, I will spotlight several elements including the need for pan facial harmony, avoidance of an ‘operated’ look, the role of mid-face elevation, complications and recovery."

As keynote speaker Mr. Waterhouse addressed a diverse community of surgeons from around the world who will also be presenting on various cutting-edge techniques and advances in the field of aesthetic plastic surgery. He also unveiled a new approach to brow lifting, dispelling the myth that the rejuvenating goal is purely ‘elevation’. He says;

"For the vast majority of patients undergoing a face lift procedure, a natural and harmonious result will require the upper third of the face to be addressed. Through careful assessment of the aesthetic goals, I’ve personally shifted away from the traditional brow lift – elevation of the brow is no longer the primary aim. Although this may be consistently achieved, it contributes little to pleasing aesthetics. Indeed, there are many negative consequences, and no one wants to look permanently surprised! Reassessment has to include the shape of the eyebrow rather than its position and the aesthetics of the whole area."