When a facelift and neck lift are performed together, they are undertaken through incisions planned to work in a coordinated way — the incision placement is designed to allow Dr ILLIE to address both areas without creating additional visible scarring. The neck component may involve addressing the platysma muscle to improve neck contour and sharpen the cervicomental angle, as well as removing or redistributing excess skin and submental fat, where present.

Dr ILLIE is clear that combining procedures is a clinical decision, not a commercial one. Patients for whom a neck component is not indicated are not recommended to have one, and patients for whom a staged approach is more appropriate are advised accordingly. His goal is a coherent, natural-looking result for the overall face and neck — not the completion of a procedure list.

The upper lip lift — also called a subnasal lip lift — is a surgical procedure that shortens the distance between the base of the nose and the upper lip border (the philtrum), which tends to lengthen with age and can give the lip a flattened, elongated appearance. Dr ILLIE assesses suitability for this procedure by measuring the philtrum height and evaluating the proportions of the lower face, the degree of lip show at rest, and the patient’s overall facial balance. It is a procedure where subtle anatomical precision matters considerably: the incision is placed in the base crease of the nose, and the amount of skin removed is planned carefully to achieve a natural-looking result without distorting the nasal base or creating an overly pronounced appearance.

Dr ILLIE discusses with each patient what the procedure can and cannot achieve. A lip lift addresses the vertical dimension of the philtrum and can increase the appearance of the upper lip border at rest, but it does not add volume in the way that injectable fillers do, and it is not appropriate for all patients presenting with concerns about the lips. Where the philtrum length is not the primary issue, Dr ILLIE will explain this and discuss what other options may be more relevant to the patient’s anatomy.

The procedure is frequently performed under local anaesthesia with sedation as a day procedure, and recovery is relatively straightforward compared with more extensive facial surgery. Dr ILLIE takes care to discuss scar management after lip lift surgery, as the scar position — while well-concealed — is in a visible area and requires appropriate post-operative care during the healing period.

Facial surgery acts on tissue that is profoundly individual. Two patients can present with what looks like a similar concern — jowling, for example, or upper eyelid heaviness — and yet have fundamentally different underlying anatomies, skin qualities, and healing biologies. Dr ILLIE addresses this directly with every patient: the result that appears in a photograph is a product of the interaction between the surgical technique, the patient’s specific anatomy, and the patient’s individual healing response. None of these three factors is the same between any two patients.

Skin quality is one of the most variable factors. Skin that is fine and elastic responds differently to the tension and repositioning involved in a facelift than skin that is thicker, more sun-damaged, or less elastic. The depth and distribution of facial fat, the thickness of the SMAS layer, the degree of bony projection underlying the soft tissue — all of these are individual features of each patient’s face that shape what can be achieved surgically and what the result will look like.

Healing variability adds a further layer. Some patients experience prolonged swelling; in others it resolves quickly. Collagen remodelling — which continues for many months after surgery and contributes to the long-term feel and firmness of the operated tissue — proceeds at different rates in different individuals. These are not things that Dr ILLIE or any surgeon can control; they are part of the biology of each patient. What Dr ILLIE can control is the thoroughness of his planning, the quality of his technique, and the support he provides his patients through the recovery process.

Dr ILLIE’S consultation process is built around taking time with each patient and making sure that all relevant information is genuinely understood. He meets with every patient personally — the consultation is with Dr ILLIE himself, not a patient coordinator or nurse practitioner — and he conducts a thorough assessment of the patient’s facial anatomy, medical history, and the concerns they have come to discuss.

During the consultation, Dr ILLIE listens carefully to what is bothering the patient and what they hope surgery might address. He then examines the anatomy relevant to those concerns, explains what he observes, and discusses the options available — including the honest limitations of each. He is direct about cases where he believes surgery is not the most appropriate option, or where the patient’s expectations may not align with what a procedure can clinically deliver. He considers this part of his responsibility to the patient.

The consultation includes a discussion of surgical risks and complications specific to the procedure being considered, because Dr ILLIE believes that fully informed consent is not an administrative formality — it is a clinical and ethical requirement that he takes seriously. Patients are given the opportunity to ask questions, and are usually given further information to read before the second consultation. Surgery is never booked during the first appointment.

Dr ILLIE operates at St Vincent’s Private Hospital, Bondi Junction Private Hospital, East Sydney Private Hospital and Gosford Private Hospital. His work spans both aesthetic and reconstructive surgery, and this breadth of practice informs his clinical judgement in ways that benefit his aesthetic patients.

No — and this is something Dr ILLIE is direct about with every patient who raises the topic. The photographs in this gallery document individual patients under their specific anatomical, biological, and circumstantial conditions. They are factual records of what happened in those particular cases. They cannot be used to predict or infer what a different patient will experience, because no two patients have identical anatomy, identical skin, or an identical healing biology.

What a gallery can usefully convey is the range and character of Dr ILLIE’s work across different patient types and different procedures. It demonstrates that his surgical approach produces results across a variety of presentations. But the specific visual outcome in any photograph belongs to that patient and that patient alone. The only way to understand what may be possible in your own case is through a direct clinical assessment.

Yes. Additional examples of surgical cases may be available for review in a clinical setting, depending on patient consent and the availability of cases relevant to your particular circumstances. Consent for the use of medical photographs is sought separately and voluntarily from each patient, and the cases available at any given time reflect those where consent has been provided.

During your consultation with Dr ILLIE, you are welcome to ask whether cases relevant to your own anatomy, age group, or specific procedure of interest are available to review. Where they are, Dr ILLIE can discuss the clinical context of those cases with you — the presenting anatomy, what was done, and the timeline of the documentation. This can be a useful part of the consultation discussion, though the same principle applies: cases viewed in the clinical setting are examples of individual documented outcomes and cannot be used to predict your own result.

Dr ILLIE’S consultation is most useful when he has access to relevant health information and when the patient arrives with a clear sense of what they want to discuss. From a health perspective, it is helpful to bring a list of current medications — including prescription medications, over-the-counter items, vitamins, and supplements — as a number of commonly used medications affect bleeding, healing, and anaesthetic risk. Any significant medical history, including prior facial or neck surgery, blood thinning conditions, autoimmune conditions affecting the skin or connective tissue, or a history of keloid or hypertrophic scarring, is relevant to disclose.

From a personal perspective, the most useful preparation is a clear and honest account of the concerns you want to discuss — what is bothering you, for how long, and what prompted you to consider surgery now. Dr ILLIE does not expect patients to arrive with a specific procedure in mind; that is his role to advise on. What he does value is an honest conversation about what matters to the patient and why. The more clearly a patient can articulate their concerns in their own words, the more useful and efficient the consultation will be.

There is no obligation to make any decision at a first consultation with Dr ILLIE. It is an assessment and information-gathering appointment, and patients leave with a clear understanding of what options are available, what would be involved, and what to expect — not a signed surgical form. If further reflection time is needed, this is considered when booking the second consultation.