Viewers of The Real Housewives of New Jersey are still getting to know newbie Jennifer Fessler, but she’s already firmly positioned as a fan favorite (largely for refusing to share her pizza while out to lunch #relatable.) The latest season just started, but expect to see Fessler looking a little different come reunion time; she underwent a deep plane facelift, neck lift, and rhinoplasty last month—and is already seeing incredible results. We spoke with Fessler to get all the details on her plastic surgery procedures, learn why she’s so thrilled with the outcome, and find out what her fellow RHONJ cast members have to say about how she looks now.
RealSelf: You just had a facelift, neck lift, and nose job. How long had you been contemplating getting these surgeries?
Jennifer Fessler: I’ve been considering a lower facelift for the last five years. I’m 54, so the turkey wattle in my neck and my jowls were getting to me. I wasn’t considering a nose job, but I’d started to notice, in photos specifically, that my nose had started to look wider and droopier. But my priority was the facelift. I did think about doing it before going on RHONJ, and there was one doctor I was close to using, but it was about a month before we started filming and it was too high-pressure a situation.
RS: How did you find your doctor, Dr. Sam Rizk [a board-certified facial plastic surgeon in New York City] ?
JF: I had been to countless doctors, including ones outside of the tristate area. Dr. Rizk was referred to me by Dolores Catania; she knows it all when it comes to plastic surgery. She was familiar with Dr. Rizk because her cosmetic dentist’s partner had gone to him and was amazed with his results. I know this dentist as well. He’s world renowned and could go to any plastic surgeon, so that gave me a sense that Dr. Rizk must be good. And then I did what everyone does: I went on his website and his Instagram and looked at all the before-and-afters. But it was my first appointment that really sold me. The moment I walked into his office, I was impressed with how high-quality everything was and the warmth from his staff. More importantly, I felt really good about him.
RS: Tell us more about your initial consultation with him.
JF: I sat with him for quite some time. With other doctors, I’ve had my face put up on screens and then adjusted through the magic of technology, but he didn’t do that. He just talked to me, and we looked in a mirror together as he adjusted things on my face. I wanted a crisp jawline and my jowls to go away, and he explained why a deep place facelift would be the best option for me. I had those cords in my neck, and he explained how a platysmaplasty would go hand in hand with the facelift. When I brought up my nose and told him it bothered me, he pointed out things I didn’t even realize, like showing me certain parts that had sunk in a little. Looking at it, I could see that that was exactly what was bothering me. I just wanted a youthful, more lifted nose, and he pointed out that having it be a drop narrower would better fit my face. I walked out of the office knowing I wanted him to do my surgery.
RS: Why did you decide to have all three procedures at once?
JF: I knew that it would be just one healing process I’d have to go through. Dr. Rizk also told me how the healing process is quicker because of the techniques he uses. For example, he doesn’t use any drains because they increase pain and swelling.
RS: What was your recovery like? Based on the before and after photos, it seems like you healed extremely quickly!
JF: I had the surgery on February 2 and spent two nights in a hotel with a nurse. Once I got home, I was in bed for a few days, but I was still going up and down stairs, eating, icing, and moving around. I’ve had other surgeries, like a tummy tuck, where the pain was brutal. This was just uncomfortable but nothing painful. Seven days after the surgery, I put some makeup on my bruising—it was minimal and mostly around my eyes—and was out and about, doing errands. I went to a Super Bowl party with some of the other housewives just 10 days later.
RS: How do you feel about your results now?
JF: Dr. Rizk saw me at my hotel the day after surgery, and when he took the wrap off my head and I looked in the mirror, I was beside myself. I couldn’t believe how good my face looked, even with swelling and only a day after surgery. My jawline and neck are so crisp and defined—I feel like I look 15 years younger.
RS: What about your nose? Do you like how it looks?
JF: They say the nose takes a year to fully settle in, but I’d be happy with it if it stayed the way it is now. I was nervous about my nose, and a lot of people told me not to do it, that it would make me look like a different person. And people’s bad nose jobs have obviously been a hot topic on the show. But I’m so glad I listened to my instincts and to Dr. Rizk. He told me it’s just going to look better, not different, and that no one would look at me and think, “Oh, you had a nose job.” And that’s absolutely true. It looks so natural.
RS: Have you seen any of your fellow RHONJ cast members since having the surgeries? What do they think of your new look?
JF: It’s sheer amazement. I haven’t seen all of the cast, but Margaret, Melissa, Rachel, Jackie, Dolores, they can’t believe it. I’m still using the makeup artists I used during filming, and they can’t believe how good I look either. My friends can’t get to Dr. Rizk’s office fast enough. I think how quickly I healed has been the big point of amazement.
RS: How have these procedures impacted your life?
JF: It’s so corny, but my self-esteem is better. Listen, I’m not insecure. I’m 54 years old and way past being insecure. Even before the surgery, I felt good about my age. But now I look in the mirror and it’s just such a fab feeling. This is exactly what I wanted. I couldn’t have gotten a better result.
