In an exclusive interview with Your Business magazine the renowned London-based plastic surgeon and TV star, Mark Solomos M.D, shares insights into the world of plastic surgery.

Here, Mark shared his answers to the questions:

In your experience, what has been the biggest change you’ve seen in the plastic surgery industry? 

Things are moving forward at a fast pace. Changes are happening on many fronts as we understand more about new materials, surgical and non-surgical techniques and most importantly, how our body works. Trends go in and out of fashion but natural beauty will always be the ultimate goal. I have seen a lot of advancements in anti-ageing in a holistic approach that involves general well-being, minimally invasive treatments and improvement on a cellular level. People will live longer, be healthier and look better, so the future looks bright.

What have you found are the most common procedures for professional males & females?

Treatments for facial rejuvenation, definitely. For a professional, on top of their game, looking healthy and radiating that inner confidence can be a big success factor.  

Starting from non-surgical treatments like injectables, volume replacement (fillers, fat or substances that promote your own body to do the work), stem cells, skin treatments (and not just in the face, let’s not forget the hands and the chest), they all work and there is an indication for all of them. From surgical treatments, most people start with eyelid and facial rejuvenation surgeries. These can be done in a near-invisible way, with a quite remarkable overall result. “You look good!” is what a patient wants to hear after having had a treatment, which takes real skill from the surgeon, as the line between looking natural and looking overdone and somewhat obvious is very fine.

How many years of plastic surgery experience have you had? What training have you had and where are you currently based?

I have been a plastic surgeon for 17 years, almost all of it in private practice, and almost exclusively in London. 

I had my training in the United Kingdom with frequent travels abroad to broaden my knowledge and experiences. The first part of training is general surgical specialties, then reconstructive surgery, and at the end aesthetic surgery. But the training never ends, and as a wise man once said, ‘When you think you know it all, this is when you stop being good!’

What are the most common areas people wish to change? 

That depends on the demographic. Overall breast and body surgery is most commonly followed closely by facial surgery. People are looking for the maximum result with minimal downtime, especially if they are in a high-pressure job

We saw you recently on Channel 4’s UNTOLD: My Big Boobs series, how was that experience?

It was really enjoyable and fun actually, and most importantly we helped an individual in a life-altering way! It was all very smooth, I think we managed to share some information with the wider public and disperse some myths.

What is the biggest satisfaction from your work?

Oh, that’s easy, it’s the heartfelt “Thank you, you have changed my life” words that come out of the patient’s mouth at the end of their journey. There is no amount of money that can buy me this happiness and satisfaction.

Tell us about a surgery you did last week…

I did a few, but one that stands out was a “mummy makeover” procedure. For the unaware this involves overall torso rejuvenation after pregnancy or significant weight loss. Usually deals with the breast, tummy and back and most commonly involves a lift/reduction with or without implants on the breast, 360 liposuction for volumetric correction and skin tightening procedures. It can all be done in one go. In this particular patient, we removed a grand total of 9.5 kg (1.5 st) and reshaped everything. Truly life-changing.

What are the common queries people have when approaching you?

Patients usually want to know what is the possible result, the level of safety and the recovery period required. My consultation is usually a double session, and the patients have a bit of preparation to do as they are given reading material in advance. 

This makes the conversation easier and more in-depth. The objective is to educate and inform in a realistic way so the patients understand what we are going to do and why, what is achievable, what are the risks and the timeline of the whole journey.

What has been the most popular procedure in men and women in the past 12 months? 

For men, Rhinoplasty is quite common, and we perform a few. And the indication is not always cosmetic as I perform a functional septorhinoplasty for most patients that addresses both the function and the form of the nose.  

For women, I guess breast surgery is most common, followed by rhinoplasty/facial surgery and torso reshaping/ mummy makeovers.

For those who are new to plastic surgery or have had it before, how do let people know about your approach?

It’s all about education and realistic expectations. 

My approach to the whole patient journey is quite personal and individualised (hence the name Bespoke Plastic Surgery). As I tell my trainees on a regular basis, one should know to perform surgeries in different ways as it is very rare that you will do the same thing in two different patients – for example, there are about 10 different ways one can perform lower eyelid surgery..!

In general, who do you mainly help and in what way? 

All my patients are special to me, but some have more specific needs than others. I deal with a lot of high-profile patients who need something effective, safe and invisible, with fast and efficient recovery, and we manage to marry all these requirements most frequently. I also perform a lot of third-line surgeries in the breast/ nose/ torso areas in people with previous unsuccessful attempts, as a last line of defence and I take pride in that. For these people quite often we are their last chance of success, which is associated with a huge sense of responsibility and duty of care.

About Mark Solomos M.D 

Mark was recently featured on Channel 4’s UNTOLD: My Big Boobs episode, where he shares his knowledge about the considerations, lifestyle and aftercare he goes through with his patients when they consider surgery. 

Mark qualified and honoured the title ‘Medical Speciality in Plastic Surgery’ through qualifications in Athens (Greece) in accordance with the European and British Directives (Articles 24,25,26 and 28 Directive 93/16 EEC), he has performed over 13,000 surgeries and has an incredible catalogue of before and after photos. 

Consultations can be booked with Mark Solomons by calling 020 4553 2107 and visiting www.marksolomos.com