Facelift: Stories

Hey San Juan, I'll be 58 in a few weeks, so yes! It's great that I look even a couple years younger than I am. I'm HAPPY! O'course I feel like I'm in my 30s, and when my birthday rolls around, I tell myself I'm only 7. I refuse to grow up.

Hey Torontochick, sorry for my delay in posting! I just got back from a FABULOUS vacation - made even more so by the fact that I can now just dash out to enjoy the day's adventure with nothing more than foundation, sunblock & lipstick - thanks to all the face work done! LOVE IT! :-) About the facial fat: I would say that at least 60% or even more has been either resorbed OR it could be that the other facial fat cells continue to die out. While that may not sound ideal, I feel that I'm left with the right amount. I also know that if I lose say 20% more I'll definitely be BUMMED and looking for more fat injections. As for my hands, I am so far behind in posting pix. They are not transformed - but are definitely improved! Problem is, my hubs has to take the pix, and he is just too busy to take them. I have only retained about 20% of the fat injected into the backs of my hands BUT that is still enough to smooth them out a bit so the veins don't show as much as before. I would *definitely* look into some kind of permanent filler for my hands, tho, when they need to be done again. I will simply never have those scrawny, bony claws again.

Thanks for your reply, Bugjune. If you don't want to wait for your hubby to take a pic of your hands you can always take one yourself. Place one hand on your leg or the arm of a chair or table (you get the idea) and use your other hand to snap the shot with your camera or cell phone. I forgot to ask...was it painful to have fat injected into the back of your hands? I like the idea of hand rejuvenation using your own fat but I'm not thrilled at the idea of paying a lot of money for something that offers such temporary results. I had a feeling you would say that a lot of the fat injections in your face & hands have been reabsorbed or died off. Do you know what is involved if you need additional fat injections in your face down the road (ie., more surgery)? I'm trying to get an idea of whether or not this is worth doing myself.

Torontochick, Great idea about the pix! I don't have a cell phone camera ... just the handheld digital cam - a bit heavy, feh! YES! YES! YES! The recovery from fat injections into the backs of hands is painful and debilitating! I am not one to live on pain meds of any kind, so after 1.5 days of serious pain med, then 2 days of Tylenol, that's all I took. I could not even lift a teapot with water in it, my hands were so incapacitated. It's a good 3 weeks before you can even begin to have a normal life with the hands, even then, rings and gloves won't fit for a few months. If I was to have FAT injected in future, it'd be like surgery all over again. In fact, each hand is "prepared" for its own surgical procedure in the OR, so doing both hands plus face was like 3 surgeries. Due to the expense and hassle of lipo-ing the fat, I'd definitely opt for a manmade filler in the hands. NOT the face, tho! And in truth, you have to expect that not only 20-30% of the injected fat will not "take" after injection PLUS the cells there already continue to die at their normal (accelerated!) rate. In women, fat cells in the face, neck and hands goes FIRST. Our butts, thighs and GUT stay good and fat just to bug us further.

Thanks Lovelyboots! It's funny how very different I think I look now! But I was sick to death of that long, horsey face with the giant slab of tissue just dropping forward into jowls. Now I can wear shorter hair and tops that show off the neckline - LOVE IT! You are very lucky to get by with Botox & CO2 laser. I had a pretty disastrous outcome from MixTo CO2 done in 2010; also, Botox just gives me headaches and bags under the eyes from trapping the fluids. Naw. I had to go the WHOLE HOG with a complete lower facelift & fat injections. I know what you are saying about the surgeons being human. Ultimately, your outcome is influenced by that! But I have had two surgeries with entirely different surgeons and teams, and they were beyond stellar and stupendous! From the bedside manner clear through to the safety and hygiene of the whole process, I felt the surgical team worked like an orchestra! Probably a dash of luck involved in our outcomes, too.

Hi Bugjune. Thanks so much for all the info you are passing on, it really is so very helpful. I am considering Dr Martens and also Dr J William Little. Did you consult with him? Also wondered if your incisions were placed inside of the ear behind the tragus so are less visible? ......interesting to know you would now stick to filler in the hands.

Lovelyboots, I'm always glad to provide any info if it helps others make the right decision! Dr. Marten does an absolutely stupendous job of stitching - no kidding! Within a few weeks, my incisions were barely visible anywhere, only pinkish lines that are fading. He did an especially masterful job with the ear incisions. Yes, the stitches wrapped inside the ear just behind the tragus so they are completely and utterly invisible. He is really focused on that hairline/ear incision outcome, and has done some amazing "fixes" for other doc's patients where their line of scar was visible. Yup, I'm gonna have to look into filler other than fat for the hands. Too much expense involved in that lipo/xfer procedure. I really want the hands to look smooth forever.

Hi Bugjune. Just booked my consult with Dr Martens......November was the earliest date!! Wow....he is very busy!! Maybe a good thing though, gives me plenty of time to research and get my ducks in a row. In fact, if I go ahead with the surgery it could be another 6 month wait after the consult!!

ARGH! I have heard the same time-frame from others, Lovelyboots! Did you ask Meredith if they can fit you in if there's a cancellation? I ended up having my consult just TWO short weeks after my initial phone call, cuz I was flexible with travel and the opp'y opened up. :-)

Lucky you! Well....am in the UK so would need to do some planning! Will keep in touch with Meredith ......just in case! Thanks Bugjune

BarbyDoll, Thanks for the compliment! Nor do I feel 57! ;-) I guess that was also driving my surgery: attaining a vision of myself that reflected how I actually feel. I have to say, this is definitely *not* a quick recovery! The fat alone acts as an inflammatory when injected, which, for me, caused incredible bruising and swelling. The bruises faded in 3 weeks, but the swelling with fat can take up to 5 mos to really settle down to a more "normal" look. I don't know how you define "easy recovery" but I can tell you that I had ZERO nausea or any post-surgery complication. That is due to the superb team Dr. Marten has doing the whole procedure along with him. However, after being on Vicoden pain pills for just 2.5 days, I had a nearly hospital-ready case of constipation! I also sprouted a tiny patch of shingles on my chest within a week of surgery. So the body does take a beating! I am a very healthy, non-smoker, so I guess I chalk it all up to my age. Even so: SO GLAD I HAD IT DONE! :-)

I second how great you look! Your transformation is what I want for me. You still look like you, just very refreshed. Congrats! You also mostly answered my question about fat transfer. I am 12 days out of the whole nine yards, including fat transfer. I still don't look like me. I am swollen. So how long till you could go out without screaming "facelift?" I can't wait 5 months! Please tell me I will be presentable after 3 weeks :)

susan47045, not seeing your pix or knowing your overall health, age or how you heal, let me assure you: you WON'T look 100% normal in 3 weeks. You probably will be *presentable* enough with camouflage makeup, and may even resort to wearing false eyeglasses to detract from any odd swelling, but by no means is the road to recovery over for you. I entertained company at 2 weeks post, attended a family reunion at 3 weeks post, and looked like a sunfish with a super-wide lower face and nose bridge area for a good 4 months. That is the reality! At 57, I have no qualms telling anyone I had surgery and fat injections, plain and simple! The stress comes in trying to creep around and HIDE it, when it's plain as day: you had surgery!

Lol... yes I suppose you are right. I was going to try and pull a fast one on my adult children. Thanks for letting me know I can stop worrying that the pumpkin in the mirror is not my final metamorphis.

That pumpkin phase will definitely pass - and you will be amazed at how long it takes as well as how you'll change almost overnight about 5 mos post. I'd sure share your surgery with the adult kids. They can handle it! Heck, they may even pitch in and HELP with a few errands if you need things done during recovery. ;-)

Wow! Thanks for posting those. They really help tell the story. You must be thrilled to pieces with your results!

Yes, I really AM thrilled. When I look at the face lift and/or fat injections of other women in my age group (55-62 or so) as performed by other doctors I am even more impressed with Dr. Marten's skill. While other surgeons can definitely improve a person's looks with a facelift with or without fat injections, what's missing is the "total picture" of beauty. It's as if Dr. Marten sees a face as a blank canvas. He doesn't just address a person's trouble spots and call it a day. He makes suggestions to attain a "perfect picture" outcome. The patient is under NO pressure to accept his suggestions, but in my case, he suggested fat to the lips, nosebridge & eyelids. Yes, it takes several months for the fat to settle down, but now I have an overall more youthful and refreshed result. He also suggested doing my upper eyelids (it was my 2nd bleph, having had the first done at 49). Again, I hadn't thought I needed it, but if you look at my "before" shot, you can clearly see a dramatic change in the hooding of my upper eyelids. It's the sum total of all these suggestions and having faith in Dr. Marten that has given me an outcome I'm SO happy with! I don't think I look like myself at any younger age - so don't expect to look like the 25-yr-old you after his surgery. That's because he sees the face as a blank canvas and improves each area according to what his artistic eye detects.