Been thinking about a lower facelift for some time. The person I saw in the mirror every day did not reflect how I felt inside. I feel no different than I did when I was. . . Well when I was younger! Was looking to match inside to outside. I had the procedure done in a surgery center, about 90 minutes from beginning to end. Very easy recovery. Was able to return to 12 hour nursing shift within a week without anyone the wiser!
First treatment on my face ever. Started with BBL on my hands and face. Didn't hurt at all. Then numb my face with a cream for about hour an a half. Oh they also had me take Norco and Valium before we started. Also so that I wouldn't swell I'm taking Medrol. Valtrex to prevent coldsore/herpies breakout. Once I was completely numb and relaxed she started the procedure. No pain but once done my skin was hot. Cooled down with a light fan and then a cooling mask. It hasn't been 24 hours yet and I'm doing well. I have a post opt appointment in 7 days. They will laser with a lite laser to remove all dry skin patches. They say this helps to not pick. I will update as I heal. Updated on 22 Jul 2016: I work up today with a bit more swelling and very tender around my eyes. Most of my face feels like sandpaper today. I believe these are called mends. This is good as they will fall off in a few days. Love my hand treatment which was done with the BBL light treatment. I'm not going anywhere today as I'm looking pretty bad. Not feeling all that great. Skin in very tender. Updated on 22 Jul 2016: Most difficult day so far. Swelling stayed with me most of the day. I iced but didn't really help with swelling. Skin has become very tight and rough. Feels just like sandpaper. Around eyes are still very tender but are a bit better. I have another 4 days before post opt laser and it going to be difficult waiting. I hear people wear makeup at this point but I can't imagine it for several days. Face is still very raw. Updated on 23 Jul 2016: All my skin dried up and came off today. Every time I washed my face it got clearer. I'm still very red but it felt great to shed that skin. Felt much better today. Updated on 24 Jul 2016: I'm returning to my old self. Still itchy and red but not as bad.
I've been going to Doctor Bonaldi's office for the last two years for Botox and Juvederm, my forehead and lips look amazing after every session. The staff is lovely with very sweet personalities and Doctor Bonaldi is extremely personable. I will continue to go since it's such a pleasing experience each time.
My upper eyelids were droopy and I had bags and dark circles under my eyes. People would ask me if I was tired when I was full of energy. I was scared to have cosmetic surgery because I never before had any surgeries. However, I did my due diligence and consulted with three plastic surgeons. I liked all of them but I end up selecting Dr, Bonaldi. I liked the fact that he didn't try to pursuade me into doing extra, unnecessary procedures and I liked the work he did on several other women. My confidence level in him was high, so after consulting with him several times, I took the plunge and scheduled the surgery. Yes, I am a big chicken when it comes to surgery and Dr, Bonaldi was very understanding and patient with me. The surgery went well with no pain afterwards. The stitches were uncomfortable but I only had them for five days before they were removed. I had minimal bruising and swelling, most of which was gone by two weeks. It has been three weeks now and the scars are barely visible. I believe in another week or so the scars will be not be visible at all. I still have a little swelling but nothing very noticeable. I have eye lids for the first time in many years and I no longer have bags under my eyes. I am told my eyes will only look better in the next weeks. Updated on 10 Jan 2016:
I have been working out incredibly hard to stay in shape for my age, and I just wanted my tummy back. I'm happily married, very athletic, with 6 grown kids and 6 grandchildren that I spend tons of time with out doors. I haven't felt confident in a two piece in years, so I felt it was my turn to do something about it. Updated on 5 Nov 2015: Went back to the PS for the second time this week to have seroma checked that was drained on Monday. I've been a good patient and the seroma is clearing up. The down side is I feel like a teenage child that's been grounded for the month. When I look at my pics I also feel I'm going in reserve regarding the my size and swelling. I need to just focus on the positive, realize that this takes time and all will be good. I also didn't realize just how much my daily exercise routine was helping my emotional status. If you look at these pics you can see what I'm talking about. Updated on 12 Nov 2015: I am now just a bit past three weeks PO and it feels so nice to feel good through out an entire day. The swelling keeps getting better with each passing day, and I love how the TT looks. Updated on 15 Nov 2015: Any good recommendations on control garments while flying. I'm four weeks out and healing really well, but I'm not looking forward to air-travel. i know to be getting up and walking every hour , however any sitting and my belly is not a happy camper. Please let me know if you have any suggestions for undergarments,or any tips for making the trek across country more bearable. Updated on 21 Nov 2015: Today I just finished my first workout after my TT after 5 long weeks of not being able to do anything. The only modification needed, I didn't do the crunch series until I'm at six weeks out. I can;'t even tell you how incredible it felt to work out and get a full sweat going. I was starting to question my decision on the surgery based on the down time. I now feel that the five weeks went by incredibly fast and the rest will be just getting back to my normal routine. For those of you that are in the first few weeks, you will get back to your normal self in no time. Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Updated on 8 Dec 2015: I have to say that the first ski run of the year was harder than I was anticipating. I could feel the incision with every bump and turn. Just the extra weight from the boots and skis seemed a little uncomfortable. I'm still having what appears to be a lot of swelling over pubic area after exercise or just by days end. When can I expect this to end? I'm so happy that I'm now back to 6 days a week working out. My mind seems the happiest. Every once in a while I ask myself why did I have a TT, why do we put ourselves through the horrific surgery, and then I go try on a bikini from my closet and I have the answer. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Updated on 8 Dec 2015: I have noticed that my belly button is getting smaller I believe because scar is tightening. Can I use a marble 7 weeks out? Updated on 7 Jan 2016: feeling great, 2 months and three weeks out. went shopping for a new bikini and i'm wearing a medium bottom, woo woo.. still swelling after i exercise but it's not a problem. for an old gal, 57 i feel pretty darn great. Updated on 13 Dec 2016: Day two of week one with smiledirect club Invisalign's. So far my experience has been great. I'm doing minor correction of bottom teeth and some adjustments to top. They are not as uncomfortable as I thought they would be.
Bilateral breast reconstruction with "gummy bear" inserts...absolutely flawless result..even at this early stage: (takes several mos for tissue to settle completely in what was a totally vacant chest cavity post mastectomy).. This procedure took his incomparable skill, his exquisite artistry and genuine concern plus his diligent follow up post mastectomy over a year ago, to get this amazing result. His work cannot be measured in simply dollars for the procedure; to measure what he gave by dollar amounts is not possible and crass besides..Dr B gave me the gift of beautiful breasts after I thought I would never even look "normal" again. This is the mark of a gifted surgeon. As a registered nurse I would recommend him to any woman facing breast reconstruction and it is my joy to do so. I am so humbly grateful for a surgeon of his caliber and the gift of his excellence that he so generously bestowed on me. Photos coming.....
Had lower face/neck lift with fat injections 2 days ago- cannot believe I feel up to posting already. I did a lot of research before surgery and it paid off. I'm a firm believer in "ABC" surgery prep: Arnica/Bromelain, Vitamin C beginning a week before. Also chose NOT to have General Anesthesia- opted for IV/local which is far easier on the body and recovery. (No nausea or post surgery vomiting!). My surgeon and his team were amazing, attentive, communicative and comforting. Highly recommend Dr. Louis Bonaldi, Reno NV
This doctor has been doing facial work for my mom and her friends for years and has been in the business for a long time. Im really reacting to the " no no no" review. This came up when I was looking for his phone number. Ive seen him twice and its very sad that the internet can mess with such a professional business. The people there are so nice and accommodating. He does beautiful work. Natural and aesthetic. I saw that he answered this woman to come in if she exists. I had a mini and fat transfer. Its been 10 days since I had the procedure and I cant believe the difference. I am about to turn 60 and wanted to do something about my jowls. I had no idea how great it would look. Hes a bit pricey but he can be as hes been doing this for a long time and caters to individual faces and needs. I can barely see my scars and he also did more work than I paid for as he pulled skin above my ears to make my face symmetrical. Very professional staff. First class
Hi everyone! I have been lurking on this board for a few weeks researching the Total FX procedure. After doing endless research, I decided to go for it! Day 1: I went to the office and brought my two pain meds and an anti-anxiety med as requested by laser technician, Lisa. I took the meds and she applied a thick application of numbing cream over my entire face (including eyelids). She darkened the room and put a blanket over me as I lay there for approximately 1.5 hrs (it went by fast as the meds relaxed me). After that time, Janet (office R.N) gave me a dental block inside of my mouth. Lisa removed the numbing cream and Janet returned and gave me dental blocks on the external portion of my face where I was having the Deep FX done (cheeks, frown lines, chin, and mouth area. I could barely feel any of the blocks. Yay! Lisa started with the Deep FX. I couldn't believe how pain free it was, I just felt a couple of spots of hotness on my cheeks where the dental block missed. Lisa then began the Active FX. She started on the forehead and eyes (I only had numbing cream there, no blocks). It was a little stingy but went by very fast. The she went over the Deep FX areas which I never felt since it was still numb. Plus she had cold air on my face the whole time which took the burning edge off. It was VERY bearable. I was surprised how pain-free the whole thing was as I had major anxiety beforehand. I had also read how many people said how bad it hurt which freaked me out. If you decided to do this. GET the dental blocks! When we were done I waited a few minutes while my husband came to pick me up. During this time I really felt my face burning. Lisa said it was best to wait at least an hour before applying the Aquaphor and cold compresses as it locks the heat in and makes it burn worse. I got home and waited an hour until it felt bearable. I applied the Aquaphor and just used a handheld fan for a few minutes. The burning went away after a couple of hours. NO pain. I think the anxiety beforehand is the worst. I slept on my back that night just fine. Day 2: This morning I woke up quite swollen (especially the eyes area). No pain. I washed with Neutrogena bar soap and applied the Aquaphor (I am supposed to do this 3x a day). My face scary looking but I mentally prepared for this by looking at several pics of other laser patients beforehand. I feel fine which is good since I have a 1 yr old to look after :). More updates coming soon. Thanks for those that have wrote about their journeys, It really helped me. Updated on 8 Apr 2014: I am 39 yrs old. Mild acne scarring on cheeks and nose. Sun damage mostly on sides of face. I mainly wanted to smooth surgical scars around my nostril area (from rhinoplasty) and scarring around lips from a lip advancement several years prior. Please feel free to ask me any questions! Updated on 9 Apr 2014: This morning I woke up a little more red, especially in the Active FX areas. A lot of the crusty Deep FX areas (mostly cheeks) have sloughed off. I have not started to peel yet. Face feels a little stingy when I wash it, but no pain otherwise. I have pics if anyone would like to see. I can email them privately. Updated on 10 Apr 2014: Skin is doing well. Feels warm and a little tight. Noticed the tip of my nose area is starting to peel. The Aquaphor is so greasy and it's in my hairline which is driving me crazy. I am continuing to wash and apply ointment 3x daily. Saturday or Sunday I switch to Aloe Cort cream and regular moisturizer from my Laser tech. No more Aquaphor! The weather is so nice outside, it's been hard to stay inside and hide out! I keep sending daily pics to my laser tech and she says I'm healing well. I will go see her on Monday for a check-up. Hope all is well out there for fellow laser recovery patients :) More to come... Updated on 17 Apr 2014: Well, I made it past the first week. Today is Day 11. I finished peeling around Day 6. My face is still very red but I can cover it well with mineral makeup. It's magical stuff! Since I'm so red it's hard to tell if the sun damage is gone. I have light acne scarring and cannot tell any difference with those yet. The surgical scars under my nostrils seem smoother. I've talked to my laser tech and we both agreed I would need those touched up in six months as they are deep scars. The fine lines under my eyes are gone and the ones between my brows are much smoother (as well as my forehead). I have to be patient as I know it can take a few months for the collagen to build up (at least I hope!). The Aquaphor really made me break out bad on my chin and lower cheek area. I stopped using it on Day 7. My laser tech (who's also an esthetician) gave me a great facial yesterday. She did some extractions, high frequency, and a mask. My skin looks much better today. I am using an Obagi cleansing gel 3x day, Aqua Cort (for redness), and then I layer with hyaluronic acid and emu oil. I also put on sunblock before going out and I purchased a big sun hat. It's hard to see much difference at this point. I'll update soon! Updated on 11 Dec 2014: I have been really happy with my progress. My skin is much smoother and even looking. The light acne scarring I had is pretty much gone and smaller pores. I get occasional comments about how nice my skin is :) I do have a couple of hyperpigmentation's on my cheeks from where the laser passed which are easily covered with makeup. I get a Deep F/X touch up on my cheeks, nose, chin, mouth area and frown lines in a few weeks. Since I've already been through it, I don't have the anxiety I did before. Updated on 26 Apr 2015: I just wanted to to do another update on my Total F/X progress. I had my touch up approximately three months ago. My face was treated with the Total F/X laser (a pass of Active F/X and Deep F/X combined) except under my eyes and forehead. The healing was much easier this time. I was completely peeled over in five days with residual redness for another month (which is easily covered with mineral makeup). The light acne scarring on my cheeks and nose are hardly noticable now. I had a different laser tech (Janet) perform my treatment and she was excellent. I'm very happy with the procedure and would highly recommend it!
During my consult, I was given reasonable expectations and I was very happy with the results. It's been ten years and I still like my face. I had a facelift, eyelift, laser resurfacing and nose job. Not cheap but absolutely worth it. I paid $13k for all procedures.
