Facelift: Stories

Steve, could you give me an idea of what your aftercare consisted of? I've got an appointment to have stitches out 1 week after surgery, and to see the surgeon one month after surgery. Is that reasonable? How much contact did you have with the surgeon and staff after surgery?

You're looking good, Steve! Ten to fifteen years younger. You're proof that doing your research beforehand and paying just that little bit extra is well worth it.

Thanks, Gavrick, for coming to my 'defense' -- I really have felt attached here, for the most part...to answer the comment above, thank you for the compliment! The stiches were made behind the ears and are either not visible at all or very faint. No one has ever said anything to me about it and I wear my hair short. There were also stitches down the front side of each other and were a slight pink line that ran just next to the ear for about two inches. At first, while my beard grew back, I used light cover-up but the pink scar lines faded completely after, maybe, six weeks and they aren't visible at all. And, Dazed, thank for the most welcome bit of levity here! It gave me a laugh and I never know what to expect here when I get a message alert :)

hI Steve,

Nice job!

In what part of the ear you had the stiches done and how long it took to heal enough to go out in public without any questions? Where they visible?

Steve, I can only hope to have to defend myself when I get my facelift. LOL

I also lost considerable weight during my recovery period, but especially during the time I spend in the clinic. No appetite. No exact figures, but it was quite a difference. My necklift, combined with a chin implant did wonders elongating my face.

Now, you guys ease up on my pal, Steve. And get a life. Time spent trolling is better spent on a fishing boat.

Any 'before' pics I have are represented in the two color shots I've posted., They were taken in December of last year; as I said, the b/w pics were taken in April. Really, I've identified myself and already have posted four photos! I'm not on call to post more photos on demand etc. In four to six weeks, I lost 20 pounds after surgery. A big part of it was that I didn't have much appetite while I was healing so the weight came off and then I was careful not to pack it back on and then when the doc cleared me for the gym after three months, I started up again and now go 5x week. The swelling was gone after four weeks, mostly after the third week. The only 'honeymood' phase could be was immediately the surgery when I was so shocked at the positive change in my appearance...it was simply the dramatic difference which everyone noticed and commented on, even if they didn't pinpoint it as face work. One said, did you cut your hair, that sort of thing. Some people I told, a lot of people I didn't. But if anyone asked directly, I wouldn't lie about it. I believe I said above that I lost the weight immediately after the surgery but didn't say that I returned to the gym at the same time. If you revisit what I wrote, I think my words might be clearer. The doc was strict on not doing weight training for three months but I could start to do light cardio around two and a half months, which I did, with his OK and with that of my cardiologist. Part of my'chiseled' appearance post-surgery came from the lower face lift having another unexpected benefit, it eliminated forming jowls and thus giving the appearance of a wide, clenched mouth and jaw and my frown line turned up, enchancing the overall effect.

So, from the time of the surgery to one month later, you lost 20 pounds while recovering? That's 5 pounds a week, and you could not have been working out during that time, because the usual protocol is not to work out for at least three weeks after a facelift.

sssteve,......The doctor usually takes a "before" photo just before surgery, and then takes one some time after. Do you have those? Also, you said the after is one month after the surgery,.....is the swelling gone so soon? One month after facelift surgery is usually the "honeymoon" period, where the swelling makes you look young. Yet, you seem to have a chiseled appearance one month out with no swelling at all. And, now, on this strand alone, we have two UNsatisfied customers that used this doctor. I'm sure you had great results, MGM's comment about the photo looking "vintage", just had me taking a closer look. I am happy for your great outcome.

Did you go to Dr P with your concerns and did he offer to make whatever revisions necessary and/or at no cost of his services or a reduced fee covering op room, etc.? Again, I can only speak of my personal experiences with him and his staff and in my reviews spanning months I didn't find any negative reviews from patients. But of course, as with anyone or anything, no one is perfect and less than perfect results can occur. In any event, I hope you are able, or have, done whatever revisions you feel necessary and are now pleased. But I am curious if you did speak with Dr. P about this and his response...?

Is this board about honest reviews of procedures? Mine were not alright.
Lower facelift and upper blepharoptosis by Dr Placik as reviewed by contributing surgeons to this board who said I would greatly profit from a revision. Photos posted. Look up
Bartlett 4047, upper blepharoplasty.

Then that was a positive outcome for you. Surgery is like driving, mishaps can occur
at any time... if one is fine, not all are good... it greatly helps if the surgeon sticks to their
specialty being honest about outcomes. Transparency is key for the patient to make
a good choice.

I did lose weight after the surgery. I took of 20 pounds and kept it off, plus started going to the gym 5x a week, because I was so motivated by the positive results of the face lift and wanted to get max. benefit. So I guess it would be fair to say that part of my looking better in the 'after shots' is due, perhaps to a smaller extent, from weight loss, but I wouldn't say it's the primary reason for looking so much better...it just didn't hurt! LOL

Thanks, Kirsty, for your comment above. I am the first to agree that healthy skepticism is a very good thing, particularly when it comes to evaluating doctors for cosmetic elective surgery. One wrong move, one wrong doctor, could alter your face or body for life, so, no, we each have the responsibility to take charge of our choices, choose our own doctor, make our own evalutations, do the leg work and research and then, make your decision...or not. I've been surprised that on this forum I've been accused of posting old photos as new and so forth...what could I possibly get as a benefit from doing so? I'm not a shill or stooge for Dr. P. And, again, I wasn't paid and, in fact, I offered to write a testamonial and include before and after photos -- he didn't ask me. And I didn't get paid a penny for doing so. Believe me, as a professional person, I'm not exactly thrilled about posting my story about a face lift publicly AND including full-view facial shots (eyes not pixilated or disguised) for the benefit of readers here. I did it because I was so pleased with my results, as "kudos" to Dr., P and his staff -- but, most of all, to possibly help and inform others who are interested in face lift surgery, particularly other men, for whom this is far less common and discussed publicly and privately. Frankly, by putting myself out here like this, I have everything to lose and nothing really to gain, as the surgery itself is my 'reward' '-- I'm only here to give information and illustrations to others wanting info and personal stories about cosmetic surgery. I have no agenda, except to say, once again, make informed choices after you do your own research, etc. There isn't a day goes by that I regret having done it. My social life, my professional life, my confidence, my spirit, have all skyrocked due to the positive results of the face lift. I look at least ten years younger than I did before, I don't look 'tired' all the time as I did before and when I walk into a room, people look at me...over the last five years or so, I felt more and more invisible as I aged and felt unattractive. So whether it's a combination of the actual surgicial results, and/or increased confidence, it's all come together to have made it a 100% positive experience for me. Yes, it was pricey and I had to stretch my pennies to make it happen and pay it off, but I have and it was well worth it. It was a once in a lifetime event for me, the results will last as long as I do and I figured, better spend the money on the surgery instead of a cruise, a vacation, a car or something else which will last for awhile, bring me some pleasure or happiness, but my face surgery is something which benefits me every day. I can finally look sqarely into the mirror with confidence and like what I see. And I can't think of any greater benefit than that.

As far as the comment about from someone who wrote about 'pixie ears" as a result of a procedure, all I can ask/say, is did you bring this up to the doc or Shari and ask if the doc would correct whatever you think is unsatisfactory? Again, I have nothing to complain about myself, so I can't speak to your situation. I'm sorry if that was your experience, but I wonder if you asked Dr. P if he would work with you and try to address your concerns and perhaps fix it, either for free or just paying for the operating room, etc. costs?

I'll take that as a compliment, although you present it as fraud or some misleading act on my part. What do I have to gain from going public and posting my story and pictures on this site or anywhere? Why don't you post your photos and real name in the issue of full disclosure. Respectully, you're an unformed idiot, if that isn't redundant. The 'after' photos were taken one month after my surgery in April of this year. If they look as it they were taken 20 years ago, again, thank you, but isn't that precisely the point of having a face lift? Actually, you're wrong again on another point. Dr. Placik does have photos of male facelifts. I believe he has one patient online and in his in-office books have, I think, a couple of male patients with before and after photos. The "before" pics of me were taken last year. No one is forcing or telling anyone to go to any particular doctor for any procedure. As I said at the outset, I chose Dr. P after a lot of research, going to meet three cosmetic surgeons in the city and reading hundreds of patient reviews. I'm a reporter by profession and I'm not going to make such a decision lightly. Dr. P's patient reviews are 100 percent favorable for a variety of procedures. Why can't one doctor do many things well? I was also impressed by the work Dr. P does on deformed children, to correct their ears and other facial disfigurements due to birth defects and other causes. I shouldn't go to him because he also works on children and correct deformities from birth and also does cosmetic procedures on men and women? Believe me, healthy skepticism is a good thing, and no one is forcing you to choose any particular doctor for any particular reason. This is a forum exchanging opinions and offering information from patients to prospective patients. I did not get paid to write a testimonial, much less "go public" and post my pictures. I offered to do this because I was so pleased at the results. Do with the info as you choose, and make whatever decision and choose whomever you want as your surgeon, if you choose to procede with a procedure or not. I have nothing invested in whether you choose Dr. P or any surgeon or not. Frankly, I couldn't care less. But when you accuse me, directly or suggesting, that I am duping anyone here by misrepresenting myself either in my own words or in photographs, there I take issue.

I agree with MGM1. The "after" photo looks like a real photo of how you looked 20 years ago, and the "before" photos look like present day photos. I hope that is not true, but they do look that way. Dr. Placik does not have one male facelift before and after in his "before and after" gallery. I was also not impressed with his female before and after gallery pictures. All the befores have not a stitch of make-up, and all the afters except one, have full make-up. Also, if you are going to have someone cut into your face, go to a surgeon that ONLY does faces. This doc does so many procedures, I would not be comfortable at all having him work on my face!

Thank you for the compliment! It wasn't inexpensive, but if you want the best, you pay for the best. I have never once felt I made a mistake in doing the surgery or have any regrets. My social life, my self confidence have skyrocketed. I feel like it's rolled back the clock 10 years or more...

you look amazing...HOLLLY MOLLY!!!!

Thank you! No jaw work at all. The cheek contour and the jaws not being so pronounced and having a sharper jawline/profile are the result of the lower face lift and I guess the procedure sort of shifting the face around while he also took out excess fat in doing the lower face tightening and neck tightening. It also removed the fat and jowls from under my neck without a seperate procedure. It was a wonderful 'bonus" of the surgery, especially when I compare my face to how it looked below, when it looked like had a wide jaw look, as if I were clenching my jaws. That's all been corrected, I'm happy to report!

sssteve, You are looking good! Did you have any micro-lipo done on your cheeks? Your jaw looks more chiseled!

Nice work, I am probably about 6 months away from having mine done. Finding a good PS for men is not easy.

I wonder if you can post color after photos. The black and white pictures are throwing my eyes off. It has a very "vintage" look to me.