65 of 65 people found the following review helpful:
CJ Burlington, Vermont Aug 30, 2007 Cost: $9,000 Pain: Painfree
Facelift provider: Not specified
I had a face/neck lift and upper eyelid surgery two years ago at age 51. Prior to surgery I was getting jowly and had a lot of neck wrinkling. The surgery has taken at least 10 years off my face. I would caution people to plan at LEAST three weeks off from work and most responsibilities. I had a great amount of swelling and a huge blood clot on one side of the neck that needed to be drained several times in the surgeon's office. As bad as it sounds, this is a rather common occurrence. I had horrendous looking blood "pockets" under my eyes and lots of bruising--all of which went away without treatment. I was really not presentable for about two weeks, and then it was with makeup, sunglasses and a scarf on my neck.
Pain was non-existent and I did not need any pain medications, either in the hospital (where I stayed just one night) or back at home. The scars behind my ears are "ropey" and thick rather than flat. Other than that there is no visible scarring, except in the crease of the eyelids, which is hidden for the most part. The sides of my cheeks near my ears are still half-numb and I expect will always be. They were very numb the first 6-9 months.
All in all, I am happy with the results, but don't be fooled into thinking this is a minor surgery. It's a huge step and recovery can't be rushed. Get the best surgeon you can find, and stock up on pretty scarves and make-up to cover the scars for a couple of weeks. Be advised that no makeup, no matter how thickly applied, really covers bruising, but if you must get out of the house it's better than nothing. Good luck!
Facelift reviews by RealSelf.com users
Avg cost $9,453
82% say Facelift was worth it
18% say Facelift was not worth it
7/8/08
I am very happy with my full face endoscopy lift that I had done 2 years ago in Florida. My doctor prepared me for the procedure which took eight hours. I had done my research, met with several doctors and selected a doctor who only worked on faces. He was very expensive but worth every penny As i said to my husband when he asked "how much" I said how about a mercedes. I had initial pain for a few days, swelling was a lot longer than I thought, very little bruising, but he had a lot of work to do and the trauma can cause swelling for a longer period of time. This is major surgery to your face. I still have some numbness, but he prepared me for all of it. He even said that it would look even better after the first year as it takes that long for all the swelling to go away. I would do it again as I got the results I had hoped for. Being prepared is so important.
7/30/08
I was happy to read that you had a very positive experience with a Florida doctor!
I've been planning facelift surgery for a couple of years and interviewed 4 doctors in Fort Lauderdale (Florida) where I live.
Is there any way you could share the name of your doctor with me? I would like to schedule an appointment with him.
Thank you very much!
Rose
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9/10/08
Thanks for the honest and full review. It is descriptions like this one that we need in order to make fully informed decisions. Much appreciated.
10/18/08
HI AJ
Would you be willing to share your docs name in Florida?
Thank you