POSTED UNDER Facelift Reviews
55 Years Old and Tired of Looking Like I'm Frowning - Asheville, NC
UPDATED FROM lionwoman
4 months post
Update to show healing of ear and chin scars
WORTH IT$7,300
Someone requested that I post some pictures of the four-month post surgery view of what the scars look like on my chin and around my ears. I have to say they are minimal. Initially there was a feeling of bunched skin, but the doctor said that would go away. That bunching has minimized quite a bit. There's a little bit of bunching around the ears still but it's not that big a deal and gets more flat as time goes on. Zoom in on the pictures and you'll see what the scarring looks like. It's certainly nothing that concerns me at all.
The only thing I'm concerned about is, as I said in my last update, I am just this last week experiencing a constant little twitching in one of my cheeks. The details of this are in my last post. I have a call out to the doctor to find out if this is just part of the healing process. I will keep you posted. Both on what he says and what actually happens.
The only thing I'm concerned about is, as I said in my last update, I am just this last week experiencing a constant little twitching in one of my cheeks. The details of this are in my last post. I have a call out to the doctor to find out if this is just part of the healing process. I will keep you posted. Both on what he says and what actually happens.
lionwoman's provider
UPDATED FROM lionwoman
4 months post
Muscle twitching / light spasms now
OK, so it's post surgery by a little over four months. On my last post just a week ago, I mentioned that my previously slightly lopsided smile (which was only minor) has finally righted itself. Although it had always felt a little more numb and thicker on that one side up to about a week ago, I have gotten a lot more feeling back in it of recent. It's still a little more numb but a lot more feeling in it now.
But now that there is so much more feeling back in that cheek, I am getting twitches in that cheek and muscle spasms which occur every second or two. It doesn't hurt, but it feels both irritating and disconcerting to me.
Whether it be part of the healing process because of the nerve irritation that I occurred during my facelift or possibly muscle damage, I don't know. In any case, I don't know what it is but I intend to call my doctor tomorrow to find out if this is temporary or permanent. Is it part of the healing process or something that I have to live with at this point?
Right now, it's not overly apparent that it's twitching when you look at me, but when I do look closely at myself I can see it twitching.
I can really feel it twitching when I'm laying back in bed and watching TV. It's there all the time during the day time too, but when I'm not focused on it, I notice it less (but it is still there). And in the few days since it started, it's certainly getting worse and more often. (It's been about 1 week now.)
It is just over 4 months post surgery. Beyond the lower facelift, I also had Botox and fillers put in my face at the time of the facelift (though the Botox was one week post the facelift). I'm wondering if it could be that the Botox has worn off, which it feels it has, and that this area was managed by the Botox possibly until now and now that that is gone, that's why I'm feeling and having the muscle twitches in my cheek. But I don't know if he even put Botox in my cheek. I have read on this forum that other people have had muscle spasms or twitches as part of their healing process. The doctors who responded also mentioned that Botox can help manage this. But I'm afraid if I get Botox put in there and this twitching is part of the healing process, will it paralyze the muscle and cause it not to heal?
My biggest questions are: what is causing this? Will it be temporary? If yes, how long can I expect this to go on? Will it get worse before it gets better? Is it recommended that I get Botox in there to paralyze the muscle or will this halt any healing process that may be going on?
In any case, I plan to call my doctor tomorrow and find out the answers to my questions. I will keep you all posted.
But now that there is so much more feeling back in that cheek, I am getting twitches in that cheek and muscle spasms which occur every second or two. It doesn't hurt, but it feels both irritating and disconcerting to me.
Whether it be part of the healing process because of the nerve irritation that I occurred during my facelift or possibly muscle damage, I don't know. In any case, I don't know what it is but I intend to call my doctor tomorrow to find out if this is temporary or permanent. Is it part of the healing process or something that I have to live with at this point?
Right now, it's not overly apparent that it's twitching when you look at me, but when I do look closely at myself I can see it twitching.
I can really feel it twitching when I'm laying back in bed and watching TV. It's there all the time during the day time too, but when I'm not focused on it, I notice it less (but it is still there). And in the few days since it started, it's certainly getting worse and more often. (It's been about 1 week now.)
It is just over 4 months post surgery. Beyond the lower facelift, I also had Botox and fillers put in my face at the time of the facelift (though the Botox was one week post the facelift). I'm wondering if it could be that the Botox has worn off, which it feels it has, and that this area was managed by the Botox possibly until now and now that that is gone, that's why I'm feeling and having the muscle twitches in my cheek. But I don't know if he even put Botox in my cheek. I have read on this forum that other people have had muscle spasms or twitches as part of their healing process. The doctors who responded also mentioned that Botox can help manage this. But I'm afraid if I get Botox put in there and this twitching is part of the healing process, will it paralyze the muscle and cause it not to heal?
My biggest questions are: what is causing this? Will it be temporary? If yes, how long can I expect this to go on? Will it get worse before it gets better? Is it recommended that I get Botox in there to paralyze the muscle or will this halt any healing process that may be going on?
In any case, I plan to call my doctor tomorrow and find out the answers to my questions. I will keep you all posted.
Replies (5)
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F
September 15, 2016
Hi =) we haven't chatted in a while so when I began reading your review I was so excited that you're regaining the sensation back on thst side. However, I can only imagine how annoying the twitching must be. I certainly hope it's just part of the recovery process with nerve regeneration! Thst does seem like the probable explanation... I did have the same type of issues after my BL/BA with my pec muscles and it did resolve itself over a few weeks. I certainly hope this is the case for you!!!!! Fingers crossed... keep us posted!!!! And take care!!! Xo
L
September 15, 2016
Thanks for letting me know about what you experienced. I had also a mommy makeover in Jan and my stomach is still pretty numb. I'm hoping I don't get any twitching in there once I regain sensation. So far, so good on that one. But the cheek twitch is so disconcerting. I do hope it's temporary AND doesn't get worse. It twitches every second. It's less noticeable when I stay busy and am moving about or talking, but it's always there now. Very noticeable laying in bed watching TV.
F
September 15, 2016
That would very annoying !! My heart goes out to you! .. a TT in Jan as well.... I'm not sure if you're incredibly strong willed or just a sucker for punishment =) ... only said to make you laugh... you certainly are made of strong stuff to endure so much is such a short time span!!! Hang in there!!!! It will improve.. hopefully sooner than later!! Xoxo
L
September 16, 2016
LOL. No I don't like punishment, but I had a lot of drama in my life in the last year. It actually started earlier but it was exceptionally bad the last year. As a way to gain back the feeling of being beautiful, I decided to have so much surgery done. And I'm glad I did it.
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L
September 15, 2016
I just spoke with Juanita who is The doctor's secretary at his office. Dr Harley is in surgery this afternoon but will call me with more details tomorrow. But Juanita told me that she checked with him and he said not to worry. He said that this is the nerves regenerating and sometimes the twitching does occur. It is in the healing process and that this should go away. So tomorrow when I talk to him I'm going to find out if there is any idea of how long it will go on for and if it will stay the same or possibly get worse. At least I'm relieved to think that it is part of the healing process and that it is supposed to go away at some point. I'll keep you all posted. When I talk directly to him I'll get all my questions answered, and then I will post what he said. I'll also keep everyone posted who's interested on how long the twitching goes on for and what it does from here. Of course I'm pleased with the visual results of my facelift. I just hope that the twitching settles down and goes away.
L
September 15, 2016
Latest update: I just got off the phone with Dr Harley. He was very quick to call me back and did so as soon as he got out of surgery.
I told him about the twitching in my cheek area that just started about less than a week ago. He said that this has to be the nerves re-generating as I get more feeling back in that side of my cheek. He said not to worry. This is part of the healing process for some people and that he would be surprised if it goes on any longer than about a month. Of course he reassured me to contact him should it go on any longer, and he would figure it out further if that was the case. But he said he feels very confident that it should be alleviated and gone by a month.
So this makes me feel much better. I'm certainly willing to wait for the continued healing process given that I have such a beautiful results from his Biltmore facelift.
Anyways, I'm very impressed with Dr Harley's concern and the way he gets back with a patient to let them know what's going on and to give them the confidence that all is going well.
And of course, I will keep everyone here updated and let you know how long the twitching lasts or where it goes from here and when it is completely done.
I want to just be very honest and transparent with everybody so that if anybody in the future has any issues or concerns, they won't freak out. They'll know that certain things may be part of their healing process. Of course everyone is different, I can only share my own experience.
UPDATED FROM lionwoman
4 months post
Feeling Good, and smile is back 100%
Just wanted to let you all know that at 4 months post surgery my smile is completely even. I had a bit more of a healing (unlike most patients) before in that my smile was slightly lopsided. As Dr. Harley reassured me, this would heal in time. It did. One side feels (inside) slightly thicker and more numb than the other side, but this continues to feel more normal all the time. My full smile is completely back. (Most people didn't notice my lopsided smile before unless I made a point to show them. It was minor.)
Replies (5)
K
September 10, 2016
Yess!! You fantastic!! Thanks so much for the update, it really does help those who are pre-op and those who are considering. I am scheduled for November, happy but nervous at the same time. I'll post my pre-ops next week to help others like yourself & so many others have done before. Again, I really convey just how much everyone who posted their journey has helped me! Thanks so much! PS Looking at your pictures I think I just may need some post op extensions to help complete the new me!
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Replies (5)