Facelifts were up (pun very much intended) 18% in 2022.
And yall, I know myangles.
Its not my imagination.
Wolfhard Koeppe / Gallery Stock
Even my long-term partner asks, Whats wrong?
Its the subtle shifts in my face that make me appear a little less fresh.
A smidge more tired.
Christine before (left) and after
Frankly, a little bitbitchier.
Ive been pretty chill about getting older until now.
Ive always taken care of myskin, diligently applyingsunscreenby day andretinolat night since my 20s.
Courtesy of Dr. Byrne
That (plus bangs) freed me from forehead ridges, frown lines, andcrows-feet.
Now, my eyelids are heavier.
My once-snatched jawline has lost its edge.
Deborah’s before (left) and after
(Are those jowls!?)
And every three years or so, I getFraxel.
But there are some things that noninvasive treatments cant do.
For a more dramatic and permanent improvement, I know surgery is my best bet.
So Ive been stalking facelift before and afters on Instagram.
And remaining stuck firmly in the contemplation phase.
Cindy before (left) and after
Could I ever sign up for an elective surgery?
How scary is getting afacelift?
More importantly, would it be worth it?
Courtesy of Dr. Kontis
In the pros column: The overly tight facelifts of the past are in our rearview.
The modern lift doesnt look weird and pulled.
And treating the midface, jawline, andneckas one piece improves results.
Connie before (left) and after
So is a facelift worth it?
Truth is, plastic surgery isnt a magic wand and managing expectations is key.
A facelift can only deliver what it promises, which is… a facelift, says Dr. Talei.
Courtesy of Dr. Talei
Its not restoration of all the layers of your face that have aged over the past few decades.
Seeing a marked improvement in lines, wrinkles, and sagging can depend largely on the individual.
The results should be balanced.
Elizabeth before (left) and after
The rest doesn’t look right.
The most obvious examples of this are incisionscars.
Before you freak out, its possible there could be massive improvements for a relatively small sacrifice.
Courtesy of Dr. Vasyukevich
Procedures:Deep-plane facelift with an endoscopic brow lift to raise the eyebrows.
Surgeon:Patrick J. Byrne, MD, is a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon in Cleveland.
Cost:approximately $15,000*
I cried for several years when my son passed away.
Thelma’s before (left) and after
It was really taking a toll on me.
I was getting jowls and myeyebrowswere practically laying on my eyelashes.
Thats where I found Dr. Byrne.
Courtesy of Dr. Talei
Hes the chairman of the Head & Neck Institute.
He does a lot of reconstructive surgery, like car accidents and dog bites.
His work looked good.
Mary’s before (left) and after
I didnt know a whole lot about the surgery, even though Im a registered nurse.
I chose not to look it up because I didnt really want to know.
I just wanted to get the facelift done.
Courtesy of Dr. Shafer
I was wrapped up like a mummy after.
I had a lot of sutures and drainage tubes sticking out of my head.
Then my daughter told me about thisfiltergoing around that showed what youd look like when you were older.
Melody’s before (left) and after
I asked her if she looked like me and she said, Worse!
She said it so matter-of-factly.
I was like, You know what, I should get a facelift.
Courtesy of Dr. Lee
That started my journey.
When searching for theright surgeon, I saw that Dr. Truesdale graduated from Morehouse.
Its a lot of money, but I said to myself…
Kristy’s before (left) and after
Lets just think of it as a new car.
My face is my new vehicle.
He has an amazing resume.
Courtesy of Dr. Talei
His focus has always been from the neck up and he is also a portraitartist.
So I knew he had that artistic side and he looks at faces all day.
Its going to be second nature to him to see if somethings off-balance.
Chris' before (left) and after
I told myself, Lets just think of it as a newcar.
My face is my new vehicle.
And I went ahead and did it and I love my results.
Photo courtesy of Dr. Jordan
Healing is a longer journey than you expect.
Overall, recovery took about four months total.
It was the best decision ever.
Marybeth’s before (left) and after
And the nice thing about it was that it eliminated thehollowness undermy eyes altogether.
That was the first thing I saw in the midst of all that bruising.
I was like, Hey, where did thosedark circlesgo?
Courtesy of Dr. Vasyukevich
As I got older, that surgery caused myneckto sag more than it may have otherwise.
I got the surgery at 64, mostly because of my neck.
It was only really painful for the first couple of days.
Raoul’s before (left) and after
I was swollen, but thebruisingwasnt very bad.
Very little showed on the outside.
Dr. Kontis said, Give me two weeks and youre back.
Courtesy of Dr. Shafer
In two weeks, I was back to stocking shelves and unloading trucks.
I just used some common sense and took it a little easy.
I never had a lot ofconfidence.
Maria’s before (left) and after
Now its like my nickname is, Hi, pretty lady, or Hi, beautiful.
I dont worry about wearing a turtleneck anymore.
Getting a facelift has encouraged me to take good care of myself.
Courtesy of Dr. Truesdale
Like really get in there andwash my faceevery night,drink that water, you know.
Because its not a magic wand.
I asked Dr. Kontis, [The result is] not going to go away, is it?
and she told me I had to do my part, too.
People my age look at me, like, Okay, what is she doing?!
And some do know, but I dont tell everybody.
Surgeon:Ben Talei, MD, is a board-certified facial plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills.
My son went through a really bad episode with [mental health] for four or five years.
I lost my home, lost my car.
It was just a really hard time.
I have two grandkids and I thought, I dont want them not to recognize their grandmother.
I said, Of course!
We did the procedure.
They took fat from my stomachand injected itinto my face.
I went home and didnt think anything of it.
And Im like, Of course!
you might do it in Dodger Stadium in front of a crowd!
As I was healing, I didnt look different.
I just looked like when I was younger.
It was like, if he knew me 20 years ago, which he didnt.
And everybody said, Why do you look so great?
Is it your hair?
Did you lose weight?
Everybody thought different things, but nobody could tell.
Especially here in LA, were used to seeing people with visible work.
As time goes by, the results look better and better.
My skin looks so good at 62 years old that Im not wearingfoundationanymore.
I just put on a littleeye shadowand lip gloss and thats it.
Before, I had to carry a makeup bag like a tool chest.
The experience has changed me on the outside and the inside.
Then, suddenly, when I hit 55, my whole face changed.
My body, its good enough, I dont have to touch it.
But the body didnt match my face it was sagging and losingelasticity.
I felt like my face was losing itshappiness.
I started doing online research with my husband, and Dr. Konstantins results caught both of our interest.
I kept opening his website and looking at his work for two years before deciding to move forward.
I got there around nine in the morning and we left the office around two oclock.
When we got home, I was able to walk around, but I did take it easy.
I lay down, I watchedTV.
I took 800 milligrams of Tylenol for maybe the first three days.
Soft toast and eggs kept me going, plus some meal replacement shakes.
But I was up andwalkingevery single day.
Id asked, Like when you go to adentist?
Its not exactly like with the dentist.
Its a slightly different kind of numbness, with tightness to it.
Its not a pain, though.
Six months later, the feeling is still coming back and I have been told its a process.
No one is asking me that.
People tell me, Oh, you lookrelaxed.
People who I didnt see for years say, Oh, you never change.
You look the same.
I was 78 when I had the surgery.
Now people just say, Oh my, you sure look nice.
And then I say, Um-hum, um-hum, and smile inside.
Every time I look in the mirror, I smile.
And Im still smiling.
Cost:approximately $65,000
I had surgery about six months ago.
In a way, I was investing in my business.
Im not a naturally self-conscious person.
I always say Im going to work until lunch on the day of my funeral.
I love what I do.
I started hesitating to doZoomor FaceTime because I dont see myself like that.
You dont want to date yourself visually, because people may question if your skill set is dated.
Honestly, resting was the hardest part.
I had to stopexercisingfor almost three months, which is a big part of my daily routine.
I like to be active.
But it is important to your healing, and youve just invested so much [in this procedure].
Its yourhealth, its your face.
Cost:approximately $60,000 (including the tummy tuck)
Ive had twoC-sections.
I was leaving the house at around two weeks withsunglassesor a mask on.
Im four months out from surgery and I feel amazing.
You cant see any scars because Dr. Lee hid them inside my ears.
Im still numb, but he says the feeling will return in a couple of months.
When I draweyeliner, its like when I was in my 20s.
Not too much change in [my eye] shape, not too little, just perfect.
At first, my husband didnt want me to do the surgery.
He always said, I dont care if youre older.
Even if you were ugly, Id still love you.
But even he admits I look much better now and he said hes very happy for me because Imhappier.
Id had estrogen-positivebreast cancer.
I went through chemo, which really destroyed my face.
I worked as a model for a long time, but everything changed.
I felt like the elasticity was gone and my skin was so dry.
And, unfortunately, two months after I finished chemo, a friends dog bit me in the face.
I needed 50 or 60 stitches.
He almost took my top lip off.
I went through a lot at that time, but I got through.
I was like, Oh, hell no.
I was working as Dr. Taleis assistant, so I was super familiar with his work.
But if your pre-op tests [such as blood tests] dont look good, you cant get surgery.
Honestly, you wont look like your true self for about four months.
When we would go on Instagram Live, some people were vicious.
They were saying he gave me cat eyes.
Im Ukrainian and they looked very dramatic at first.
Listen, you have to have realistic expectations.
You are not going to look great two weeks out of surgery.
I was actively recovering for at least a month.
Now I getBotoxevery six months or so.
I dont feel the need to get filler like before.
Im so happy I had it done.
No one asks if Im my friends mother anymore.
Cost: approximately $8,000
I have always taken care of my skin.
But there is only so much you’ve got the option to do without going under the knife.
They about died laughing."
I was home before noon on the day of my surgery and I took a Percocet for thepain.
After that, I switched to Extra Strength Tylenol, which I took twice a day for three days.
They about died laughing.
Id do it again today!
I was gettingfiller under my eyesfor quite a while, every four to five months.
My frustration was that the filler sometimes looked good, sometimes it didn’t.
I wanted consistent results and Dr. Konstantin explained that a blepharoplasty and mini lift would be right for me.
About a week later, it looked like I got hit with a baseball bat.
And then, 10 days later, I looked younger.
I documented mydaily picsin my social media feed.
I took prescribed painkillers for like three days.
I didnt take meds for long.
Even when my face looked good again, it still felt numb, though.
I wouldmassagethe skin to help bring the feeling back.
The numbness is something I had to get used to for quite a few months.
Then suddenly, I felt some tingling and I had my sensation back.
Now people tell me that I look like my high school self.
Now just lookingrefreshedwhen I wake up is a great difference.
I dontlook tiredor withered.
I feel like I wake up with afilteron.
The only telltale sign is scarring behind the ears and back hairline for me.
Nobody really notices it.
I want to feel good inside.
I project what I feel.
If I dont feel good about me, then everything elsecollapses.
I dont mind investing in me because if I cant do it for me, no one else will.
I wish that there were more before and after picturesof menavailable from plastic surgeons that I couldve looked at.
There are so few references.
Its like theres a little bit of shaming or taboo there.
So, I had the benefit of meeting [someone] that provided a real-life testimonial.
Ive had other body procedures done chest, arms,buttocks and some were grueling.
I wasnt sure if I could do it again because its so draining and painful.
The face is more delicate, but the experience wasnt as intense.
I had the procedure done on a Thursday and I went back to the office on Monday.
I wore a scarf.
I had always been quite photogenic and that started to change as I aged.
I saw my pictures and caught the doctors eye and was like, We have to fix this!
I took prescription pain medication for the first two days and then switched over to Tylenol.
“Theres something to be said for aging gracefully, but Im not that girl.”
Youre sick of being in recovery.
You start to question, Why did I do this?
But you have to trust the process.
That feeling passes and I started to see the positive changes in my face.
Theres something to be said for aging gracefully, but Im not that girl.
I dont want to look 53.
I want to look 40!
I wake up sexy.
The girls at work joke that Im having too much fun.
If I had to do it all over again, I’d do it in a heartbeat.
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