POSTED UNDER SMAS Facelift REVIEWS
A Lot Harder Than You Would Think -Toledo, OH
ORIGINAL POST
I've had lots of work done in my life...nose,...
WORTH IT$8,000
I've had lots of work done in my life...nose, eyes, breasts (twice)...but this face lift (SMAS) and neck lift at age 58 (Feb. 20th, 2013) has been the hardest yet. My family didn't want me to do it, but I was influenced by those pesky Lifestyle Lift commercials. I went to a trusted plastic surgeon, but the recovery time has been so long. At 4 weeks out, I am still so swollen that I don't feel like I look like a normal person. The tightness and numbness around the outer edges of my face and ears is simply weird. I feel like I'm wearing a child's party hat with that tight elastic under my chin. When I wash my face, I feel like I'm washing hard plastic. At 3 weeks out, I was telling all my friends NOT to do this. I'm not sure how I'll feel once the swelling subsides and feeling returns to my face.
BarbyDoll's provider
Replies (25)
March 21, 2013
Hi Barbie. Your pictures actually give me hope as to how my face will look! I'm one week out from a lower facelift and lower blepharoplasty. All my swelling is in my lower jaw area and it just feels weird. My ears are still swollen, the right being worst than the left and I'm hoping this resolves sooner rather than later. I understand your feelings of how you perceive yourself, but I think it is looking great. I go back to work in about a week and a half and hope I'm where you were at three weeks out.
March 21, 2013
Thanks for posting this. I am also 58, soon to be 59 and I am having a lot of face work coming up. Neck, middle face, upper and lower eyes, brow lift and chin implant. My neck is especially bad and the doctor is recommending a Z-plasty incision because just a regular neck lift won't be enough. Did you have an incision under your chin? Hard to tell my looking at the pics. Maybe your face looks swollen to you because you know your face, but it looks really good to me. At least it isn't black and blue. Good luck with your healing. Did you take arnica?
March 21, 2013
Hi 5Dog! I do have a straight scar under my chin (I have Z scars on my thumbs from surgery for arthritis in the base of thumbs). I only took bromelain & vitamin C.
Just know that this surgery is a big deal...and recovery is very slow (especially for those of us nearing 60). I am counting on being really happy about doing it in approx. 6 months. When I see the before pix, I know I needed it!!!
March 21, 2013
You really look good! There is a noticeable improvement. Thanks for the forewarning about recovery time. (We are the same age.) Yesterday I asked staff if I could go on a week bike trip 4 weeks out of surgery. They said sure.....I think not! As many have said: the medical profession seems to underestimate the time of recovery. Here's to hoping we willl all be at the top of our roller coaster ride 6 weeks out!
March 21, 2013
Susan,
I went into my surgeon yesterday (4 weeks to the day) to get a couple of nylon stitches removed (the body "spits" them out). They told me "no strenuous exercise." I believe that would include a week bike trip!!!
March 21, 2013
Hi Barbie,
I think a month is too early to tell. My best friend just had a facelift done here in NYC by the prominent Dr. Imber. As an experienced practitioner of procedures myself, I was there with her every step of the way. At 3 months we determined that was the time to take a real first look. The plastic feeling around the ears and strange texture take realistically at least 6 months to start getting back to normal - seeing the result and looking like yourself. Everyone says in 2 weeks you are good to go but that is not at full result. I think you show great improvement from your before photos.
Dr. Imber did a beautiful completely natural job for her and now at 8 months- she couldn't be happier and no one can tell she's had anything done! Be patient with yourself.
UPDATED FROM BarbyDoll
1 month post
Ok, I admit it. It is pretty cool to look at my...
Ok, I admit it. It is pretty cool to look at my before and afters! I'm 5 weeks out and my face doesn't feel normal yet, but I must admit that I like the look much better than "before." I didn't like the process, but I will like the end results. Just a note to anyone considering doing this. It is a big deal, and allow lots of recovery time.
Replies (12)
March 27, 2013
Hi Babydoll. Yes it's normal to be swollen and not to feel your face for a while,but this is all very temporary. I had my SMAS about 6 weeks ago and I'm very pleased with the results,healing is very good,however I liked it more when I was slightly swollen because now the swelling has subsided the facelift has very slightly dropped which gives a very natural unpulled look. I live in London UK and the surgeons here are very careful not to pull the face too much. The feeling in my face is starting to come back now but I have to wait up to a year for the final look.. You look much fresher now and im sure you will get the very best result. Best wishes Ax
April 1, 2013
Hey Babydoll,
I finally had time to hop over here to see your pics. Looking great!! I'm just at 2.5 weeks and still lumpy, bumpy and swollen. The diminished sensitivity around my neck/jowls is SO weird feeling. Every day I wake up to the ridge on the left side of my chin slowly disappearing. The right side is good but the middle of the neck from the throat up is lumpy and bumpy. I hate to have a scarf or anything around my neck because of how weird it feels. I only have it on when I have to.
Thanks for the great pics!
April 3, 2013
Looking good! Are your lumps and bumps gone from under your chin/neck area?
April 6, 2013
i am on my 4th day post-op. my experiece has been like barbydoll's. this is hard!
i re-read some of the posts and realized i skimmed over the difficult parts and read the parts that confirmed what i hoped for: a fast and painless recovery.
the first 31/2 days i was basically in a self-induced vicodane coma. most disconcerting was that i could not see well at all. it was all blurry and shadowy. today is the first day i can see the keyboard! so excited! maybe, tv tomorrow!
I had a lateral brow, face, eye (upper and lower), neck lift and fat transfer. first, the most difficult thing to deal with was the migraine grade headache, which the nurse told me is associated with brow lift. after day two that went away. Second was the eyes and they are progessing. third is the itcheness! i have started benedryl (sp.) that has helped a lot!
i look pretty bad. i look really pulled in eyes and cheeks. lots of lumps, and bumps in my jawl line and temple area. good thing our marriage contract contains the through better or worse provision!
i'm sure when i look and feel better i will forget the misery. i wanted to post while it is still fresh in my mind. ii have always found that if your prepared fpr the worst it is not so bad. unfortunately i failed to heed my own advice and was suprised!
i feel very blessed to have this site. thank you! susan
April 6, 2013
Hang in there girlfriend. The first 2 weeks are the most challenge. After that things get much better. I went thru the similar experience. My eyes were blur for couple days, feeling pulled from cheeks and neck. My cheeks were swollen too and there were many bruises. But it is amazing that after couple weeks they're all gone. Imaging that you will have a beautiful younger face soon.
April 6, 2013
Don't worry sugar you will be fine. Everything you are describing is completely normal. It can take 6 to 10 months for everything to heal. Its very early days yet. xx
April 6, 2013
I hope everyone is taking Arnica Montana and eating pineapple! I had very little bruising, went back to work after 6 days. I was swollen, but really minimal bruising!
April 6, 2013
re: pineapple.... my understanding the bromelain in pineapple mainly is in the hard core, and that the fruit alone will not give u the benefit u need. on the other hand, Alice seems to have proved this wrong!
UPDATED FROM BarbyDoll
2 months post
At 7 weeks, I still have a slight ridge along my...
At 7 weeks, I still have a slight ridge along my left jaw...still a faint tint of green there too...so, guess it's still in the process of healing. At 6 weeks, I went out to dinner with a 10 year old (the kind who says things like, "Ewww...you have hair in your nose!"). She was staring at me and said, "Oh my gosh, there's a red line at your ear...did you cut your ear off???" She proceeded to move THE hair away from my ears and said, "Oh, oh, oh...what did you do?" My sweet husband saved the day by saying, "She had some fat removed. She had fat in the wrong places." LOL
Replies (37)
April 10, 2013
I covered my ear scars with make up concealer . With a concealer same or near color of your face skin, no one can see the scars. My girlfriend said that I should not eat seafood for 6 months after the facelift as she believed that there is something in seafood that makes the scars raised and scar tissue harden . So I did and my scars look small and not raised. Your face looks beautiful.
April 10, 2013
Thanks for the compliment! As far as concealing my scars, my haircut usually does the trick. You just don't expect people to lift up your hair and look for scars!!! Leave it to the kids. Since I'm always around kids, I'd better start using make-up. I'll be safe with the seafood as I don't eat it...but good advice for those who do.
April 20, 2013
You look great. What do your scars along the hairline feel like? Mine are kind of thick and bumpy. I usually wear my hair up in the summer but not this summer. I talked to my doc about it and he said they will thin out but it will probably take a year.
April 20, 2013
I had a mini facelift 12 years ago. After 1 year the scars around the ears became very thin, barely visible. My new facelift scars are now still red and visible after 4 months but I am sure they will be invisible in a year.
April 20, 2013
My dr said to use merderma nightly and mine were gone in a few weeks maybe start using that once at bedtime. Truth you can't see them with the naked eye. That stuff is great. I work at a pharmacy and see the results all the time keep me updated if you decide to us it
April 25, 2013
OhGirl, my scars along my hairline are flat but still pink-red. The ones behind my ears are plump (bumpy). I'm really liking brushing on mineral powder make-up for coverage. By the end of the day, it does settle into the scars though (my skin is pretty oily)...so, I just wash off with washcloth. I had a fatty lipoma removed at the same time as my facelift...that scar is just under my throat area. That scar is completely flat and nearly invisible on the right half of the incision...and then, bumpy and thick on the left half of the incision. It's almost unpredictable how these scars will turn out. I think it's more about our body's healing than about the surgeon's skill.
April 20, 2013
Hi, I am about 3 weeks 4 days after surgery. My PS said to wear my chin strap 24/7 for the first 6 weeks, just take it off to shower, eat, etc. I also have that terrible numb feeling around my ears and neck. I still have swelling and my neck is still discolored looking. Is the numbness getting better for you? I sure hope I'm not still feeling like this in 6 weeks. This has not been easy for me. Maybe it's my age I am 57. I've had cosmetic surgery before but I don't remember having this much discomfort. Jody in MS
April 20, 2013
On Tuesday I will be 6 weeks post op. The discoloration is long gone but the numbness is still there. Not so much around the ears but the ring around the neck, as I call it, is still there but not as pronounced. The lumpiness is mostly under my chin area but its getting better. I'm feeling much better and have a lot more range of motion turning my neck. I was hoping 6 weeks was the magic number where I would be feeling 100% normal but it is not. However I do feel so much better than I did five weeks ago. My doc is taking post op pics at three months, so that tells you something. I have had three other cosmetic surgeries and this one is by far the most difficult from which to recover. So thankful for this forum!
April 21, 2013
Yep, after 8 weeks, I'm still numb around my ears and still swollen under my chin. Certain positions really hurt my face when I lie on my stomach (which I do when I want to really sleep comfortably). But now, I'm seeing gradual improvement weekly. In the first few weeks, I would see daily improvement. It seems to slow down as I get further away from the surgery date.
April 22, 2013
Thanks for sharing. Keep me posted, I think I must be about 4 weeks behind your surgery. Good to have someone that is going through the same and sharing their story with me. It lets me know everything is normal and it is just going to take awhile to get that feeling back.
May 15, 2013
Hi OhGirl. I was wondering, was the $8900.00 for the procedure Dr. Leedys fee? or was the operating room and anesthesia separate? Having consult for same procedure with Dr. Leedy.Would you still highly recommend him? Debbie in Ohio
May 15, 2013
HIGHLY recommend Dr. Leedy. That is total. About $5600 to him and the rest for facility and anesthesia. You will like him and the girls at the office are nice. Tell him you read Diana's review on RealSelf. He'll get a kick out of it!
May 16, 2013
Thank you so much for answering my questions. That makes me much more comfortable going to see him. I'm rather new to computers, so I'm so glad you responded. Your detailed information is wonderful and so helpful. Thanks Again! Kusznir
May 16, 2013
Happy to respond. We are all here to help each other. Did you see that your consult is $50 when you mention RealSelf. Make sure to do that. His office is in the new atrium. Take the glass elevator up to his suite.
August 9, 2013
Hi Ohgirl. I was just wondering how you were doing with the results of your procedure. I saw where you had some concerns with the puckering under your chin. Was Dr. Leedy receptive to your concerns? Will he be able to fix it? I did go for a consultation with him. I did like him a lot. Just wondering if you are still happy and glad you chose him for this surgery? I have a few more consults with different doctors and that's why I'm asking. I want to be as informed as possible. And its so good to get the feedback from people who have gone through it. Thanks so much for all your candid answers.
April 20, 2013
My scars are barely visible at 15 weeks. I've been using New Gel twice a day.
April 20, 2013
Has anyone noticed or had a slight drop of their SMAS 3 months after the procedure and after swelling has gone down? Thanks La007
April 21, 2013
Can you explain what you mean? I don't understand your question. And what is an SMAS
April 21, 2013
Yes sure...SMAS is a type of facelift. After 3 months my facelift had slightly decended/relaxed. Im still happy with the results I wanted to know if this is normal.
April 21, 2013
Guess we learn something new everyday. I thought a facelift was just a facelift. What makes it different. Love learning all this stuff. Also any idea how much weight you can either loose or gain before it affects the facelift. Thanks
April 21, 2013
There are skin face lifts,MACS lift, SMAS lift and the one stitch or thread lift. I had the SMAS which address the underlying muscles as well as the skin. It's very affective if you are in your 40s to late 50s. If you are in your very early 30s and depending how you age the skin lift is good because usually the facial muscles are still in place. I'm very happy with my SMAS. I'm having a liplift on Wednesday im so excited about it. Have you had any surgery?
Regards Angie
April 21, 2013
If you loose a few pounds before surgery then put it back on your face looks fuller therefore younger.
August 4, 2013
I am now 7 months post surgery and find that in the morning my neck looks great, but as the day goes on I see vertical lines mid neck which I am unhappy about. My doctor spoke about doing something about this in the fall under a local. Has anyone else had this experience?
August 4, 2013
Hello Alice 1905....I am at 5 months now and already know that I need a slight revision on the neck area as well. Doc has already said we will make those arrangements at my next appointment in December. Will probably had the revision done after all the holidays, under a local. I'm nervous but he said it wouldn't be anything compared to the original. He won't charge any fee for the revision but I will have to pay around $800-$900 for the surgery center, as he doesn't do his surgeries in his office. I really dread it as I'm not totally healed yet, still have a lot of numbness in front of both ears, wondering if all the feeling ever comes back. Also, thinking that the extreme tight feeling ever subsides.....wierd, it feels so tight, but doesn't look that way. Can't imagine having to go through the original healing process again.
August 4, 2013
I had a very easy recovery and I think this would be even easier to go through. The numbness I am told usually takes over a year to go away completely. My doc does his surgery at his office, he's in Pearl River N.Y. We didn't discuss fees.
August 4, 2013
Yes, I have. My surgery was May 14th so not that long ago although it seems like much longer. I wear a chin strap at night and my neck looks good in the AM and as the day goes on it starts to swell or sag maybe. I'm still numb in front of my ears and my neck area is numb but tender. My neck area is discolored and kinda lumpy. I noticed even my cheeks are not as tight and I have a little jowl coming back. I'm really going to be disappointed if this face lift falls any more.
August 13, 2013
hi there, I had a smas april 24 2013 and mines is already looking like I did before I had it..im not happy and feel I wasted all that money!! oh and did I forget to mention ,, I have indents on one side ,,of my face still!! good luck to anyone wanting this procedure!!
March 10, 2014
hi there .. I had a smas april of 2013 ..and yes it had only been around 4 months and my one side of my face had already dropped a bit. concerned I seen the doctor, he said it was just relaxing a bit.. now its only been 11 months and the one side has went back to where it was when i fistr went to have it done,, the other side looks much better ,,im very upset with the results.. looks like he didn't do the one side tight enough and now its all sagging once again and 7,000 later!! im seeing him here soon to find out what happened,,thanks for the chat good luck ,,,
March 10, 2014
hi there i also had a face lift april 2014,, it was actually called a smas which is tighting the face muscles that had drooped due to me being in my 50s ,, any way i know yours was a while ago but i just found this site,, anyway i had only been about 5 mounts and i noticed sagging on my one side ..and the other in dents ,, well now its only been 11 mounths and its back to where it was when i first went to him to have it done.. im very unhappy and out 7.000 ,dollars!!! im going back to him to see what he will do to fix this!!! hope yours isn't as bad ,,, have a good day bye!!!
March 10, 2014
I haven't had it done yet but this doesn't seem right to me. After a fl you will continue to age but you should always look better than if you hadn't had it done.
March 10, 2014
I had the revision done on 3/5/14 by Dr. Giampapa. My original surgeon works with him and "assisted". I had local anesthesia, not the most comfortable, but not painful, and he explained everything he was doing which was my request. My original was a MACS lift, now Dr. G did a G string suture procedure. Bruising isn't bad. I'm still taking Arnica and eating pineapple, neck mobility is good. Supposedly this should last 20 years, I'm almost 65...good enough for me.
With good make up concealer under foundation, nobody can see the scars and the bruises. Brush darker shade foundation powder over swollen area on the face . I cover my ear scars with concealer when I go out. This make up tutorial may help . There are many tutorial videos of concealing bruises on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTb5vOIuzBE: <iframe width="480" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sTb5vOIuzBE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>. Your face is looking already very good . In 2 more months you will have an amazing beautiful and younger face that bring you a lot of joy and confidence. My surgeon gave me Latisse to grow my lashes few months ago and now I have beautiful long lashes to complete my new gorgeous eyes. I never have long lashes before. A little bit of Juvederm and my lips are now fuller, lustrous and sexy, Marilyn Monroe style pout. "60 is the new 40 " !!! It is amazing what a good plastic surgeon can do. The kids are worrying about their inheritance ;) :) Enjoy the birthday party and keep us updated .