POSTED UNDER Facelift REVIEWS
Facelift, Dermabrasion and SMAS Lip Graft - Birmingham, AL
ORIGINAL POST
Motivated by the desire to look as young as I...
LHayes62February 16, 2013
WORTH IT$12,000
Motivated by the desire to look as young as I feel, I decided to have a facelift for my 50th birthday. I did not want to look like a windblown Barbie doll but wanted to reverse some of my youthful ignorance of the sun and the damage that it caused and the severe frown line between my eyes making me look stern and angry most of the time. Three and a half months post op and I am very happy with the result. I was happy and confident before the surgery but now I am more excited to look people in the eye and smile, knowing that my appearance reflects my feelings. The only thing that I truly wish I had been more prepared for was the length of time that I would not look like myself. I truly expected to be back to "normal" after about 2 weeks. It has taken the full 3 months to truly be able to see "myself" again when I look in the mirror. There is still a minor amount of redness around my mouth from the dermabrasion and some tingly numbness on my cheek area but nothing major and nothing that won't resolve in time. I would advise anyone seeking a facelift to be aware of the true amount of healing time.
UPDATED FROM LHayes62
Here are my most recent photos, 5 months post op. ...
LHayes62March 29, 2013
Here are my most recent photos, 5 months post op. I am so happy with the result! People who know I had it done are amazed at the result! Strangers think my daughter and I look exactly alike (she's 27) and sometimes I am mistaken for the mother of my granddaughter (what fun!). Yes the recovery was long but the end result is well worth it!
Replies (11)

April 3, 2013
You're stunning! I'm glad this was worth it for you. Thanks so much for sharing your experience.
April 6, 2013
Hi L,
Thanks for sharing. You look great! Are you still pleased? I am 46 and I am thinking about getting a facelift within the next 1-2 years. First, I have to get through my surgery next Thurs 4/11 which is fat grafting to the breasts. Did you have your eyes or brows done? I am wondering if 46-47 is too young for a facelift?
Amelia
April 6, 2013
Yes I am still very pleased, more so every day actually. I did not have my eyes done. The brow lift that I had was a bi-planor which is more thorough (for lack of a better word) than the endoscopic. Dr. Schaffer said that once he did that he wouldn't need to do an eye lift and he was right. My desire was not to look plastic or "done" and I certainly didn't want my eyebrows to be in a constantly surprised position. I don't think 46 or 47 is too young for a facelift, depending on your issues and your desires. I see that you already have a PS, what does he/she say about it? Good luck with your surgery next week!
April 6, 2013
Thanks. Glad to hear you are pleased. Where are the scars & how are they?
What is a bi-planor brow lift? So, you are saying it eliminates the need for a bleph. I have consulted with different docs and they have said different things about my eyes so I find it comical. They all say no to a facelift b/c I don't have jowls but I do have saggy/crepey mid face skin. I have had fillers and botox. That helps some. Although, the first doc was not great & after cheek fillers, I developed ugly 'malar mounds' (lines through the middle of my face). I have not discussed my face with my current ps as I found her through real self because I saw a review on her for the fat transfer to the breasts. I emailed the girl who wrote the review & ended up meeting her at a Starbucks, talked for 2 hours & she showed me her new breasts & the lipo marks. I signed up with the doc for that after one meeting so we have yet to discuss anything else. Although, I will say, that when I arrived a woman was sitting in the waiting room with me that I started to talk to. She was there for her 1 month follow up on a face lift and she looked great. So, that is a good sign.

April 8, 2013
Amelia. My young friends 35-50 are talking now the procedure Vampire facelift (see realself.com review for details on the procedure). Kim Kadashian has a full details of her Vampire facelift on youtube. It seems that the procedure can refresh the face without a facelift and no scars. A facelift leaves scars at the ears and under chin area, I had to put concealer to hide them. Some people says that a Vampire facelift and some fillers or maybe laser procedure can make the face look younger too. The beauty technology is moving fast . You may want to check it out.
April 8, 2013
A bi-planor brow lift is where they actually cut your scalp from one side to the other and pull it up, working those muscles from underneath. This as opposed to the endoscopic brow lift that requires 2 or 3 small incisions in the scalp, is less invasive however for the brow wrinkles that I had, would not have been as successful allowing me to receive the results that I wanted. My scar from that is right in my hairline and is not visible at all. My other scars are behind my ears and in my hairline at my temples. None of them are visible at all. I did also have lipo under my chin and had a mole removed between my eyes. Neither of these scars is visible at all. It's truly amazing! As mentioned by MiamiBeach390, the technology is moving rapidly and if no PS that you have consulted with thinks you need a full lift, ask what your other, better options are. A facelift is a great procedure if you need it but if you don't, I wouldn't recommend it. The recovery time is long and can be emotionally difficult. The end result for me has been grand but if I had not needed it I would happily have gone a less invasive route. Good Luck!
April 8, 2013
I will look into it. I vaguely remember hearing bad things about the Vampire Facelift. Right now, I am 2 days out from surgery for a Fat Transfer from my thighs & hips to my Breasts. So, I am very excited but need to get through this first! :-) Thanks for your comment. Happy Healing to you!!
April 8, 2013
Hi L,
Interesting. Thank you for explaining the bi-planor. I do not think I would need that as I have never even had botox in the forehead as I have NO wrinkles in my forehead b/c I do not frown. Mostly, it is just my mid-face...it is SO saggy & crepey. One facial plastic surgeon suggested an ebrium laser resurfacing. What do you think of that? It seems to have VERY bad reviews as a procedure. Can you pm me the 3 day pics that you are scared to post so that I know what I am getting into? I also have the chin starting to sag down a little, so maybe a little lipo there? I think I am "on the border" of needing anything done yet. POO! Enjoy your results..you deserve it after your long recovery!! I have my Fat Transfer to the Breasts on Thurs so 3 days to go! And, you are right, my husband always says how technology is improving everyday so wait & they will come up with even better techniques. After I am through recovery of this surgery, I will ask this doc what she thinks too.
September 13, 2016
How long for lips to go down you used fascia from facelift ? Did u look like a trout for awhile how long ?
December 10, 2023
I’m at 3 weeks and I love everything except the smas lip augmentation they are to big. How long did it take to see the final results of your lips. I’m appreciative about going back to work but it’s been three weeks.
Replies (26)