Exceptional Results, Easier Recovery

I'm 45, and over time I began to notice jowling and marionette lines. I've been very consistent with non-surgical treatments over the years, including various energy-based and laser treatments. Eventually, I reached a point where those options could no longer fully address my concerns, and surgery became the most effective solution for me. In my case, the surgical route ended up being more straightforward than expected, with less discomfort and downtime than some of the more aggressive non-surgical treatments I had previously tried.

I recently had a face and neck lift with Dr. Diamond, along with a chin implant replacement and a lip lift. At exactly one month post-op, my mom came to visit and genuinely could not tell I had anything done. She told me I looked great and asked if I had lost weight. That alone speaks volumes about how subtle and exceptional Dr. Diamond's work is.

What people don't talk about enough is how well you prepare before surgery and how seriously you take recovery afterward.

In the three months leading up to my surgery, I focused on getting to my ideal weight and stayed consistent with weight training, which gave me more than enough time to feel strong and prepared going in.

I followed Dr. Diamond's team's recommendation to stay at an aftercare center for the first three nights, which I highly recommend. After leaving the center, I no longer needed prescription pain medication and only took Tylenol briefly. Within a week, I didn't even need that. I had no real pain—just mild discomfort immediately upon waking from surgery, and Dr. Diamond's nursing team was incredibly attentive and supportive at that time.

I live out of state and was able to fly home eight days after surgery. At that point, I was wearing a compression wrap and scarf, which covered most of the visible swelling, and if anyone even noticed, they assumed I'd had dental work done. By day 25, the swelling had gone down enough that I felt completely comfortable socializing and being in photos.

Starting in week four, I began using a medical-grade red light for about 20 minutes a day and lymphatic drainage massage twice a week with someone who specializes in post-surgical care—both of which I felt helped with healing and lingering swelling.

The first week, you'll just want to rest a lot—listen to your body and let yourself do it. After that first week, you'll feel pretty normal, but remind yourself that you did just have surgery and it's okay to take it easy. Have a list of things you want to watch to pass the time. And be patient with the swelling. It took me exactly 25 days before I felt fully comfortable, and it goes down gradually—you don't wake up one morning and it's magically gone. It's a slow process, so give yourself grace.

I have thick hair and was worried about not being able to use a blow dryer for three weeks, but honestly it wasn't an issue at all. I also have a lot of white hair, and not being able to color for five weeks was completely fine—I just used a powder touch-up in week four when I was going out.
Overall, this experience exceeded my expectations. Dr. Diamond's results are natural, refined, and absolutely worth the investment—but preparation, patience, and proper aftercare are key to achieving the best outcome.