Necklace, Lower Face Lift and Co2 Laser Resurfacing - Beverly Hills, CA

I went to see Dr. Jason Diamond in Beverly Hills, but didn't feel nearly as comfortable with his recommendations. He recommended a ribbon (trampoline) neck lift and regular Radiesse injections in my face, which seemed liked a strategy that was short-term focused and required much more ongoing maintenance and cost.

did you have fat transfers?

No, didn't need them. I think it has to do with my age (39).

Surprisingly, not really! At my doctor's recommendation, I went to an aftercare facility the night of the surgery, which I would recommend. I was pretty out of it from the iv pain medication for the first day, so no pain whatsoever. The next three or four days I was on a prescription painkiller, which also dulled any pain. Beyond that, I experienced some discomfort with sleeping at night. I am a side sleeper and you have to lie flat on your back with a compression wrap on your head for about two weeks, which is uncomfortable but not necessarily painful. Your ears will be tender for a few weeks. As of today, I have no pain.

Thank you for your honest answer. Tell me does the $18000 fee you posted include the surgery center and anesthesia fee?

The $18k does include anesthesia, but does not include the aftercare costs. I believe that I paid $750 for one night at Serenity in Santa Monica. They were really great and I'm glad I didn't go home, which was an option. While pain was manageable, any facelift is a pretty big deal and I recommend going to aftercare.

Todd, what was done for you at Serenity for the day you spent there? How would it been different in comparison if you had gone home and had your wife watch over you? I am just wondering if what they do would merit the additional expense since I know the first day after surgery most people just spend the day sleeping the hours away.

Good question. While I was completely out of it the day of the surgery, my wife was concerned about a large bruise (possibly hematoma) on my neck that appeared immediately after my surgery. She says that she would have been uncomfortable taking me home and being responsible for my care given that she is not a medical professional. The aftercare staff monitored this closely while I was there and it didn't worsen, but nevertheless, the peace of mind that it provided for her was worth the cost. They also administered shots of painkiller, which I'm sure significantly dulled any pain I would have experienced. While I had a reasonably easy recovery, given the significance of a surgery such as this and the complications that could arise, I would play it safe. I wrestled with whether to use the aftercare or not in the months leading up to surgery given that it was optional and because of the additional cost, but I am happy that I did. You want your recovery to be as easy as possible on you and your loved ones. You'll put them through enough in the month after the surgery! :)

You're welcome. I will keep you posted on hair regrowth.

The $18k included anesthesia. Optional aftercare at Serenity in Santa Monica was an additional $750, but well worth it.

To be more specific, the $18k covered the neck lace procedure, lower facelift, co2 laser procedure, anesthesia, and operating room. The only additional cost was aftercare at $750.

Hello. I'm doing well, thanks. My hair has not regrown in the few small spots that fell out, but Dr. Moelleken said that no regrowth would happen for at least three months, which is consistent with what other surgeons say regarding similar situations on Realself. Today is exactly two months since the surgery, so I'm at least another month away from regrowth. I keep very short hair and have grown it out a little longer in the interim to compensate. If by chance my small bald spots do not regrow, I will definitely be getting hair micro grafting, but I'm confident that this won't be necessary at this point. I'm not sure if he used dissolvable stitches, although I do know that some stitches (and staples) were taken out about a week after surgery. My incisions run from my earlobe and in the crease behind my ear, about an inch into my hairline in the back and about two inches in front of my ear, and in the front within the ear. The scars in the ear are completely imperceptible, the scars in the crease behind my ear are minimal. The most (currently) noticeable scars are the ones running horizontally behind and in front of my ear. I believe that these are darker and more noticeable because they are the sites that "anchor" the lower face lift. You should strongly consider laser treatment after surgery, which Dr. Moelleken's office does. I had one laser treatment about 10 days ago and will have another every 30 days for 4-5 months. This is said to greatly reduce scarring. I will say that I would be generally less concerned with scarring if I were a woman who could hide scarring with her hair, however overall I am not very concerned about it, as I am seeing the scars fading and can tell that the incisions were done with great care. Regardless of the skill of the surgeon, there will be scarring and you will have to deal with it in some way for at least a few months. I didn't give it much thought prior to surgery, but it's best to know going in that you'll have to take steps to compensate for it, including makeup, laser treatments, and/or hiding with your hair. I understand your being "scared" about the surgery. It's a pretty significant procedure. The question you need to ultimately ask yourself is whether you can live with your face and neck the way they are now (and presumably not getting better as you age :-)), or whether you can sacrifice a few months of (potentially) feeling even more insecure about your looks to reap the longer-term benefits of the surgery. It's a definite trade-off. I've thought a lot about it and I'm happy with my decision, but it's definitely been a more difficult emotional recovery than I expected. I think it has a lot to do with going from being a male who's never used makeup or thought about his hair so much to feeling like a diva who needs his hair and makeup done at least once a day. I'm sure my wife will be very happy when these things aren't necessary any more! Setting that aside, however, I'm very happy with the way my neck looks! I hope my feedback is helpful to you! Todd

Absolutely your feedback helps me a lot and I am so grateful to you for sharing so much with us here on Real Self forum. Let me ask you, at your one month post op would you say that people noticed that you had something done to your face? I ask because on the day I am planning to have the surgery, it will be exactly one month from an event I have to attend and I dont know if I will still be bruised and swollen or looking odd as to the point that people will know right away I had a lower facelift done. were there people coming to you who right away noticed something different in your looks? what were the comments you got if any?

In my experience, at one month post op, nobody will notice anything. Bruising and swelling were fully dissipated for me at that point. The only thing people notice about me (that they've mentioned) is the beard that I grew out. I think you'll be fine. For the first month, the progress you'll make day to day will most likely be rather dramatic, and then level off. For the first week or so, you'll think there's no way possible you'll look presentable for your event. Don't stress too much or over think it.

Thank you so much for everything. You have been such a great help and I really appreciate your feedback.

My pleasure. Best wishes for your procedure and recovery. You're in good hands.