I am only five days post op and so incredibly thrilled with my beautiful jawline and neck. I had a prior facelift about 10 years ago that was very conservative and did little to really address my aging face and neck. I now feel like my jawline and neck are better than when I was in my 20's! Really. Dr. Marten has the rare ability to perform dramatic surgical transformations that still look incredibly natural. He is a true grand master of the facelift. As someone who has had her fair share of surgical procedures, I am only too aware that very few surgeons possess his skill level, which is why I feel so lucky to have been able to have this surgery with him. I am just over the moon pleased with my results! Updated on 22 Jan 2023: I am home now after spending a week in San Francisco, so nice to be back in my own house! I've been up and about much more so I feel like the swelling and bruising has migrated to my lower face and neck much more than it was when I was laying flat on my back all day giving my jawline a fuller appearance. My lips are much more normal looking (I had fat grafts in the lips), though my speech is still somewhat affected from the tightness and swelling. My final incisions were removed 8 days post op and are looking fantastic. I think I should be able to wear my hair back again which is so exciting! I was in a considerable amount of pain for the first 5 or 6 days but now it's mostly just uncomfortable (stiff, tight, and partially numb). I am definitely not planning on doing anything super social for at least 6 weeks so lots of time to rest and relax without any pressure on looking normal :) I will update again in a few weeks! Updated on 2 Feb 2023: Everything continues to settle and heal. I am extremely happy with the changes to my neck, jaw, and mid face. I am guessing that my upper eyelids are still swollen and will continue to resolve over time. I know that hollow eyes are not considered beautiful but I've always had a large crease so a more hooded eye is hard to get used to. I am not in any pain but my face and neck still feel quite numb and uncomfortable. I keep getting sharp pins and needles sensations as the sensory nerves heal. Facial movement isn't 100% back to normal yet, but all of this is to be expected for only three weeks out. Today was the first day I actually put on makeup and it felt good to be a little more pulled together! Updated on 8 Feb 2023: As a (non practicing) health coach, I wanted to share my smoothie recipe for optimal post op healing. It's packed with antioxidants, anti inflammatory compounds, electrolytes, fiber, healthy fat, protein and collagen. Everything your body needs to heal and function at an optimal level in a liquid meal. I was drinking two of these a day during the first week before I could eat solid food, and at week four I am still drinking one every day as I find it's nearly impossible to get the same nutritional punch any other way. Enjoy! *Measurements do not need to be exact, they are an approximation. Use a food scale at first, then you can just eyeball the portions. Smoothie base 20 oz organic coconut water (electrolytes) Vegetables, leafy greens, herbs: 20 grams organic celery (reduces inflammation, boosts hydration) 25 grams organic spinach (high in antioxidants) 25 grams organic cucumber (boosts hydration, reduces inflammation) 5 grams organic parsley (aids digestion, reduces inflammation) 5 grams organic cilantro (high in quercetin, helps absorbtion, reduces inflammation) Small pinch of organic ginger (lowers inflammation, soothes stomach) 50 grams organic avocado (healthy fat, potassium, and vitamin k which helps with clotting) Fruits: 50 grams organic pineapple (fights swelling & inflammation, promotes tissue healing, aids digestion) 30 grams organic apple (high in pectin which feeds healthy gut bacteria) 25 grams organic banana (high in potassium and fiber) 25 grams organic blueberry (super antioxidant, vitamins C, K & fiber) 25 grams organic strawberry (vitamin C, folate, potassium, manganese) Protein, fat, & additional fiber: 1-2 scoops Designs for Health Pure Paleo bone broth protein powder (Vanilla flavor) 2 scoops Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides (Vanilla) 3 scoops Designs for health Paleo Fiber (helps with post op constipation, feeds healthy gut bacteria) 2 tbsp Bulletproof Brain Octane Oil( or extra virgin coconut, avocado, or olive oil )(healthy fat/helps with vitamin absorption) 6 capsules Ortho Spore IG soil based probiotic (anesthesia kills healthy gut bacteria which is the basis of your immune function). You do not want to get sick on the flight home! Updated on 9 Feb 2023: I'm still not feeling social, I think that I may have a bruised nerve which is causing issues with my facial movement. I had the same issue with my first facelift, though in a different part of my face. This is almost always temporary, but it does happen, and can prolong the recovery period. I am looking into botox on the active left side to temporarily freeze the muscle. I just contacted Dr. Marten's office so we'll see what he says. Last time the movement restored itself naturally in a couple of months. My sister says it's not noticeable but I am self conscious about it so if botox will help I'd like to give it a shot. I don't normally do botox or fillers so I will need to find someone locally that is able to help or fly back to SF for a follow up with Dr. Marten. Aside from that I am absolutely IN LOVE with my results. The week before surgery I took a bunch of photos of my face and today I tried to recreate the angles for a side by side comparison (this is what happens when you have too much time on your hands haha). Wow what an amazing change! It's crazy how fast you get used to your new face but when you do a side by side like this it's so dramatic. I was pulling at my jowls and neck in the mirror for years, unhappy with what I saw and it feels so good to actually like what I see in the mirror again. So worth it, even with a longer than expected recovery!
Dr. Marten performed an extended neck lift, blepharoplasty and fat transfer on me, almost 5 weeks ago. I absolutely could not be happier! Dr. Marten is an outstanding surgeon and artist! I look like myself but better and very natural. Additionally, Dr. Marten is kind, caring, thoughtful and treats you like you are his only patient throughout the entire process - the consultation, the procedure and recovery period. He has created a team of staff that treats you like you are special and takes such wonderful care of you throughout the process. His nurse Helen is attentive, caring and always available to respond to my questions. She took awesome care of me throughout the process. I am ecstatic with my results! I am a Dr. Marten fan and will 100% go back to him when I decide to have my next procedure.
I got a face lift, necklift, temporal brow lift and fat grafting. I made the absolute best choice in plastic surgeons. Dr. Marten is patient and highly responsive to questions and concerns. And most importantly he’s the best. I spent months researching and getting comfortable with the idea of surgery. I liked the work he did the best of all of the doctors that I researched. He’s listed as one of the top 3 surgeons in face lifts in News Week. I think he’s better than the #1 doctor. It takes a long time for the changes to soften and look more like yourself. One of the confusing side effects is that I now have young boys (teenagers and 20 somethings) flirt with me. I look like I’m in my 30’s so I wasn’t expecting that. I went from being invisible to people staring at me. People who weren’t always nice to me are much nicer. I didn’t realize what a premium there was in youth. I’m grateful that Dr. Marten gave me back my swagger. Here are my observations and recommendations. 1. Read all of the documentation. Read it again the week before you get your procedure. 2. If you don’t live in SF, get there a day ahead and take a small blender with you. Hit one of the close by grocery stores (Bush Market, Market Mayflower, Sutter Fine Foods, Le Beau Market.) I got spinach, ripple, pineapple juice, oat milk, bananas, carrots and salt free chicken broth. I only had broth the first day or so and then smoothies. I had some leftover chicken, rice and broccoli from Rooster & Rice and I microwaved it and blended it. 3. I sprang for a nurse to help me for about 4-5 days. She was worth every penny. Your family won’t know the right things to do. 4. Don’t touch your scabs if you get a brow lift, even if they itch. I think I caused hair loss on one side because I scratched. 5. My hearing was really bad after surgery. It was at its worst the first few weeks. It lasted for several months. It’ll get back to normal. Be careful in traffic. 6. My vision was affected. This lasted a while as well. Do the eyelid exercises early and often. 7. Avoid red wine even when you can drink. It causes swelling. 8. I got gerd from the anesthesia (I think.) It hurt my throat. I took Prilosec and it went away. 9. During the first week, I felt like I was choking and it was hard to swallow. I could only drink through straw. 10. I wish I had worn the compression suit longer to contour. It can leave unevenness or flattened areas without the suit. 11. My ears looked like donuts the first couple of weeks. People will know you had something done. You’ll be extremely swollen. 12. I looked fake for about 2 months. 13. It was hard to talk and laugh for about 6-8 weeks. 14. My sideburns have somewhat grown back. However, they are now too close to my ears so I have to use nair. 15. 6 months in, I started to look good. 16. 8 months in, I am starting to look really good. 17. The only thing that I’m not as happy with is the lateral brow lift. I’m half Asian but didn't really look particularly Asian. It made my eyes smaller and my friends comment that I look Asian. I was hoping to open up my eyes more. This is a tradeoff though, as my eyes look younger than before. Updated on 11 Aug 2023: I forgot to come back and update that my eye shape change was temporary. It was the result of the swelling and the fat grafting. Once the swelling went away, my eyes looked normal again. I have lost some of fat in the temple area, my eyelids and under my eyes. It still looks good, but I would love to get a little of the fat back. Also, I failed to mention how amazing Dr. Marten's nurses are. Kelly, Helen and the overnight nurse took excellent care of me.
I can’t even began to describe how lucky I am to have found Dr. Marten in San Francisco. I am 54 years old. I am from the Seattle area and there are many amazing surgeons in my immediate area. I had three consultations over the past many years with different providers (ones who have great reputations). After one of my good friends traveled toSan Francisco for a facelift, she let me in on her secret…..Dr. Timothy Marten. I immediately scheduled a Facetime virtual consultation with him and I was blown away with his honesty and kindness. He was very interested in keeping me looking like “me” and not changing how I looked. Shortly after, his office sent me a packet with many before and afters. They were so beautiful and natural that I scheduled the procedure for as soon as possible. Unfortunately, due to Covid restrictions, I had to put it off until April. I booked a hotel across the street from his office in downtown San Francisco and got my hubby to commit to hanging out with me there for 5 days. He was willing to do this as long as I made him promise I would still look like “me” but only better when this whole thing was over! The office said I would be there a week but would be fine on my own after he left. A couple of weeks before my procedure, I got a few calls from his office. One was from the anesthesiologist (Dr. King), one was from the night nurse (Linda) who stayed with me overnight after the procedure in Dr. Marten’s private post surgery suite, and one was from Dr. Marten’s nurse, Helen, who went over every detail of what to expect. I was nervous but SO READY! We flew in to San Francisco, and a driver hired by Dr. Marten’s office, picked us up and took me directly to my pre op appointment. I met Dr. Marten for the first time in person and he was a lovely human being. I felt totally comfortable and at ease. He had me bring in photos of me from 10 years prior, along with pictures of my daughter. I think this helped him to see that he was restoring me to an earlier time, rather than changing how I look. That night at the hotel, I had some flowers delivered to me from Dr. Marten’s office with a note telling me that they would take care of me as if I were “family”. What a beautiful touch! I think I was in surgery for about 5 hours! I went in the morning, they took pics, gave me some traquilizer and then I don’t remember anything until that evening. I woke up in the recovery room and remember them bringing me across the hall to the overnight suite where I met with Linda. She does this all of the time and knows exactly what to say and do to help ease anxiety after having such a procedure. She let my husband sneak in and say “hi” to me. This was during strict covid times so we were happy she let him see that I was okay! He was a bit freaked out to see how I looked but Linda was so reassuring about everything looking completely normal. Linda took care of me all night. I didn’t need any pain pills that night but took a low dose in the morning before my husband came and got me. I bundled up, put my covid mask on, and walked across the street to my hotel room. Dr. Marten’s office had recommended this hydramask thing that I rented for recovery. It is a machine that keeps water flowing through a mask thing and keeps your face cool without it being ice cold. Seeing myself in the mirror made me nervous because I didn’t really look like me. I was very swollen and could barely make out that I was the same person. That night, Helen, then nurse called me and made sure I was okay and see if I had questions. I was pretty nervous about how I looked, but she was so reassuring and didn’t seem annoyed at all. I think I repeated the same questions over and over again. “Is this normal?”, “ is THIS normal?”, The next day I got even more swollen! I sent her pictures and asked again if that normal. I felt so swollen that I was sure it wasn’t normal but she was completely sure it was. I didn’t really feel “pain” over the next few days. The worst thing was the pressure from the swelling. I made sure a took a low dose of pain pills for a couple of days. This was mostly just to take the edge off my anxiety from the pressure from swelling and worry about how this was all going to turn out. My husband and I even took walks outside and went out to lunch. The covid masks really came in handy! :) At five days, I went across the street for a follow up appointment with Helen. She proceded to take out the drains in my neck and some of my stitches. She said I was doing well and it was okay if my hubby went back to Seattle. The next couple of days I took naps, watched TV, took walks, went to Starbucks, etc….. The hardest part was sleeping on my back flat. Apparently this is important to your neck/chin area heals correctly. It was just hard to get comfortable but I was determined to do everything they said for the best result. A week later, I went in for my check up with Dr. Marten before flying back to Seattle. He was very pleased with my recovery! I had all sorts of “crazy” questions for him. Again, I had to go over my list if all of these things were “normal”. He again assured me they were. He was so nice and didn’t seem annoyed with me at all. I’m kind of an obsessive person and a worrier, so he handled me very well. Dr. Marten’s driver picked me up and took me to the airport. She was even amazing. She told me that she had picked up lots of famous people over the years who were flying in to see Dr Marten. She also told me that she had even picked up other plastic surgeons who were flying in to see Dr Marten. This made me feel like I , for sure, had made the correct choice. I was about to take off on the plane to come home and I received a text from Dr. Marten just thanking me for coming and choosing him! I texted back, “You and your staff made me feel like a movie star!” I am not going to lie….the next couple of months were hard for me emotionally and psychologically. I kept looking at my face and thinking it was the final result. I texted back and forth with Dr. Marten. He assured me I was still swollen. He said I was still healing. He said that I wouldn’t be able to see my final result until 9 months later. This was really hard for me to believe at the time, but I wish I would have had known that there was nothing to worry about. I was able to go out a week after and hide bruises but I still didn’t look normal. No one would have known anything happened but me, but I still didn’t feel right until after about 3 months. At this point, 6 months later, I am feeling great. I realize there probably is a bit more swelling but I am feeling fantastic. The procedure also inspired me to get into really good shape. Most people think I lost weight but no one suspects I had a facelift. My husband is SO HAPPY and thinks that Dr. Marten is a genius! I haven’t been back from my final check but am planning to go back after 9 months for a final follow up and pictures. I will update my review then! I hope this helps everyone make their decision.
I am 49 years old and did a lot of research prior to deciding on Dr Marten. Many doctors suggested that I could wait a few years since I look fairly good for my age, but I really want to address the early signs of sagging that I saw. Dr Marten- from the very first time meeting him -was very patient and thorough, but since I had scheduled to talk to other surgeons, I didn't decide right away even though I liked how professional and present he was with me. (One surgeon I met In Beverly Hills was checked out after the first 15 min, and we paid $900 for that consultation! ) Anyway, I subsequently heard fellow great surgeons say wonderful things about Dr Marten, and every time I asked questions, he was consistently thorough, kind, and patient. I am now on day 7- getting all my sutures removed today! I have to admit- the first 3-4 days I was pretty miserable. But I feel pretty fine now except my face is swollen like a balloon and I'm not sure how much improvement I can expect to see in another week. (They say you can go back to work in 1 weeks) As for Dr Marten- oh my god- one of the most kind and caring surgeons. He's been answering my questions promptly even through the holiday weekend, and is thorough, reassuring, and confident. Another surgeon I met described him as "The Godfather" of facelifts. I hope my results will be beautiful. Reading up on older reviews here seem to suggest it may take a while so l will be patient . I had a lot done- temple lift , upper eyelids, lip lift, and full facelift and neck lift, so I know it'll be a while. If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer and share my experience! Updated on 18 Jun 2021: Hi Just wanted to give an update . Sorry I didn’t post any updates earlier. My eyes are still swollen a bit, and I still feel like I look like a duck especially from the side , but I have faith it’ll all be fine . Just trying to be patient and let my body do the healing. I’ve gone to blow dry bars to get my hair washed, and they all said they couldn’t even see my scars around my ears. Dr Marten is simply amazing ! I still don’t feel comfortable without wearing a mask because of my lip lift scar. It’s red and hard to cover up because it’s not completely flat yet. Yesterday I went to see the massage therapist that Dr Marten recommends for lymphatic massage, and she assures me that all is good - i just need to be patient. I’m curious - for those of you who had already gone through the surgery - are you using any scar creams? If yes , what brand. Also, are you using any particular skincare product that you like ? My skin doesn’t feel like its normal self (again, I was told that this is all normal , since the skin was re-draped)…. Updated on 7 Jul 2021: Wow- isn’t it funny how in the beginning, recovery always seem so difficult and days go by so very slowly in the first 24-36 hours or even the first week post surgery? Then it starts speed up and before you know it, it’s already 6 weeks! I feel pretty good now- seems like most of my facial swelling have gone away - though I hope and believe that my face will get continue to get slimmer and smaller… I also have been going to lymphatic massage pretty diligently, —1-2x per week. I also started using my skincare products again- I love taking care of my skin, and this is something that I really missed during the first month of recovery , as I was advised to use very minimal products since the skin was just recovering from the surgery . I believe 6 weeks is also when Dr Marten said that one could do more vigorous exercises, so I have no more excuses now! Lol My scars from the facelift are barely even there. People are amazed at that when I point out where the scars are— (Well, after all, we ARE talking about one of the most well known surgeons for facelifts here, Dr Marten. ) the doctor’s skills and experience really determine how well the scars are healing . Overall I’m very happy that I did the surgery, and I know this is not near the final result yet but I have faith that I’ll look better and better everyday for the next coming 10 months! Updated on 23 Jul 2021: Hi All, Just wanted to drop in a quick update to let you know how im doing. I will be 2 months this coming week on the 26th!! I’ve had many many sessions of lymphatic massage. First of all, I highly recommend this, so don’t hesitate to take up on the complimentary session that Dr Marten sets you up with! It makes a noticeable difference every time! I can honestly say, almost no one can see the swelling anymore except myself. I had some Botox injected to my masseter muscles since I suffer from TMJ and teeth grinding at night (I got clearance from Dr Marten), and that has helped to slim my jaw a little bit since they were pretty worked up from grinding… As far as my scars go— Dr Marten’s work is just - how should I put this— IMPECCABLE. I mean, truly truly miraculous…. the scars are barely there, so I’m not worried at all about showing my ears. I go to a blowout salon periodically, and every single person has said they can’t even see the scars…. When I got the Botox done by a nurse close to where I live, their surgeon happened to stop by and asked about my facelift and who it was done by. He examined me and said he was a true fan of Dr Marten. He said, aside from this office, Dr Marten’s is the only one he would ever refer people to…. I’ve started to resume all my routines around skincare, exercise, etc. the only thing I’m still holding off on is getting facials….. he said to wait until after 3 months…. Any questions , pls feel free to IM me! Updated on 2 Aug 2021: Hello All, My healing has been going very well. I don’t even think I have much swelling left, but I’m sure my face will continue to change and improve since I’m only a bit more than 2 months post surgery. Dr Marten says it isn’t until a year post surgery that one achieves the final final result. These days I don’t even wear concealers or make up when I’m out running errands. I wear sunblock and most of the time, a mask. Two weeks ago I was carded by a young dude and I was ecstatic!! I said to him-oh wow- please don’t be shocked when I show you my ID. I was wearing a mask so I’m sure that helped a lot to conceal my real age of 49. :) Anyway- just wanted to give an update. I’ve been using Biocorneum for lip lift scar and that is about it for scar-care. All of my other scars are barely barely there (like the facelift and the neck lift scar) or are hidden (such as my chin implant scar). I learned that Dr Marten only has one patient per (surgery) day, so no matter how small your procedure is, he dedicates the entire day to you so he doesn’t rush. I found that to be sooo admirable. Many of you have asked me privately regarding my experience with Dr Marten— let me say this— on a scale of 1-10, if I could give him a score beyond 10, I absolutely would. I’m a breast cancer survivor and have done double mastectomy and breast reconstruction at Stanford, and I remember mentioning to the plastic surgeon at Stanford who specializes in breast reconstructions that I was about to ft a facelift done by Dr Marten, and both she and her resident/fellow doctor at the time told me I had nothing to worry about with Dr Marten cuz he is so active and well-known. I also had heard from another plastic surgeon in Palo Alto that Dr Marten is “The Godfather of facelifts”. Last, about two weeks ago, I went to a local plastic surgeon’s office to get some Botox for my TMJ, and their lead surgeon who does facelifts happened to come in when I was getting Botox from their nurse, he asked me who did my facelift, and I told him. He examined me and said “Im a real fan of Dr Marten…aside from doctors in my office, Dr Marten is the only other doctor I would refer people to.” I had gone to about 4-5 surgeons for consultations, including one in Beverly Hills who charges $900 for the consultation and quoted me $175K, and I am soooo glad I went with Dr Marten. Anyway- if you have any questions, please PM me and I’ll try to reply . I don’t log in daily but will get back to anyone who’s genuinely interested to know about my experience. I don’t feel comfortable posting pictures though on social media. Sorry about that ! I highly recommend getting lymphatic massage after the surgery once Dr Marten clears you for it. Follow his instructions post care and you’ll be happy.
He is a Master of facial rejuvenation. I had full works with fat grafting 14 years ago at the age of 44. Nobody knows I had a face lift! The recovery was what you expect but definitely worth it. Do your research and go to the best, Dr. Marten!
I had an early maintenance facelift with Dr Marten a year ago. I was 41. I looked fine but was starting to see laxity and aging creeping on. Dr Marten did an amazing job. I looked weird for about 2-3 months. Not bad but not good either. Although no one noticed! In about 6 months time people started complimenting me all the time. And they still do. I look very good, very natural, very young. The operation was expensive, I came to him from Europe, it took a lot of time and money, but oh god it was totally completely worth it! Dr Marten is a wonderful man and a true master.
Sometimes I what I would look like today if I had not had "the works" as it used to be called with Dr. Marten 15 years ago at age 47. At 47 I had bags and dark circles under my eyes. That condition has not come back and certainly would not have gone away on its own. My neck looks great. My jawline is more defined today than it was at age 47 and better even than at age 30. My upper eyelids are a little bit hollow. That's the one negative from the surgery I had to accept. I have since seen at least six other people who have had the same surgery with him. First for me the recovery was really easy. I healed quickly. I did not have any gauze or headwrap. I did not have to take antibiotics or sleep elevated. I felt safe. Afterwards I looked better and younger and still do to this day. My scars were virtually invisible except the one under my chin. My biggest complaint is that I still have a sharp jawline and no sagging under my chin. Its unnatural as you age not to have some slip sliding going on. I am getting some small jowls from increased skin laxity but nothing underneath is sagging. I look much younger than my three younger sisters which can be awkward. Dr. Marten's results are very long lasting. Dr. Marten does beautiful perfect work. He is a perfectionist which is his strength and his weakness too. I think its a better fit for younger patients than older ones. I have seen a couple of older women come out looking "perfect" and looking odd for that same reason. The eye gets confused when seeing something that does not seem plausible.
I was 49 years old when I decided to do a facelift with Dr. Timothy Marten. I looked a little bit younger than my age before the surgery, but now I look amazing and I look like I am in my late thirties. I did a facelift, neck lift and very conservative fat grafting. The post operation time was rather difficult - for about a week I was feeling miserable physically, but I had audio books and it took my mind away from pain. The result is amazing and was worth all the pain and I look better and better every day. Thank you, Dr. Marten!
My surgery went well and Dr. Marten was for the second time remarkable. I am grateful to that I took pictures the day after surgery without too much swelling as the way I look today is scary. The swelling which everyone of us that has had surgery with Dr. Marten knows is pretty tough. I look weird right now but I did the last time too. I had a FL. neck lift, upper lip lift, lower eye chemical peel, upper bleh, minimal fat grafting, and a lateral brow lift. Trying to be patient as I know the results will be astounding.... Dr. Marten was so kind to me as well as Helen, Lynda, Dr. King. They treated me like family. I wish I lived closer so i can see them more often. However, Long Island is a pretty long distance. I won't be posting pictures due to inappropriate, hostile , behavior of some others. However, I will be posting updates so those of you who go to Dr. Marten will have the patience to endure the recovery.... Updated on 1 Aug 2017: Feeling better today and I actually got a bunch of stuff done like laundry, unpacked from San Fransisco. I also wanted to share a story with you about the type of doctor , Dr. Marten is. A very very long story short , my husband of 20 years left our family , had a baby about 3 1/2 years ago. During that time period I felt like I aged a thousand years. Prior to one of my post op visits last week I passed a tall, handsome man who looked at me and said how beautiful I looked. That hasn't happened to me in many years and It felt good. I shared the story with Dr. Marten during the post op visit and he responded with such a calm , sweet demeanor that I was a beautiful woman before and now , as I , of course, got all teary eyed. He really loves what he does and really cares. I am so blessed that I was able to do this one more time with him. I wouldn't trust my face with anyone else. Another post op visit - Helen , the nurse came to my hotel room at 9 pm to tend to a small bump near one of my sutures. So kind. Today is day 13 - look a little less swollen.... looking forward to the next few weeks. Updated on 2 Aug 2017: Still very swollen and uncomfortable. Keep trying to remember what I went through the first time to remind myself of what I will look like without all this swelling. It was odd for my kids and with my patients who thought I looked different. I think it took about a good 8 weeks before I looked good . Today a little tired, trying to use cold compresses and drink lots of water. Not much I can do as activity makes the swelling worse and my neck is bothering me. This is all normal... I have to say I love my lip lift it looks beautiful right now and my smile is starting to show. The scars for the lip lift are virtually invisible... I am not kidding... Hopefully, the rest of the face cooperates as well. I am bored, want to start exercising and I am inpatient today. However, I am grateful for having had the surgery and hopeful for the future. Updated on 3 Aug 2017: Not sure If my eyes are seeing correctly but looking awfully weird today. I keep looking at the pictures of before the swelling really blossomed to remind myself that this is temporary . Today is just harder than any other day so far.... Updated on 9 Aug 2017: Well it certainly hasn't been an easy recovery but things are starting to look quite interesting. It is three weeks today and I am starting to see the " me " emerge. Still lots of swelling but Dr. Marten did an amazing job. Still can't truly smile yet but in the next week I am hoping that will change. I have had some difficulty healing with the lip lift as the internal sutures are quite irritated. However, Dr. Marten and Helen have been supportive and available throughout. The swelling has gone down significantly this week but still look very swollen..... getting there... excited :). Updated on 21 Aug 2017: Back to work, still tired, and still swollen but much better. I look soooo much better than prior to surgery. Starting to feel more like me. Very happy with my results.
