Restored my confidence and took 10 years off my face

For most of my 30s, I felt very self conscious about my neck and jawline. I avoided wearing my hair up or any clothing that might draw attention to my neck. I tried threads, Morpheus 8, Evoke, and other non-invasive, costly treatments. I also tried losing weight to the point of being underweight, just to see if that was the problem. I'd only see a subtle improvement, at best. I felt like my neck and jawline did not reflect how old I felt, how well I took care of myself, or how old I really am.
Rather than continue to spend money trying additional non-invasive treatments, I decided a lower facelift and neck lift was my best option. I wanted a doctor who specializes in lower facelifts and neck lifts and found Dr. Lee through RealSelf. I liked that all of his patients had a very natural outcome.
My consultation was in August and I immediately booked my surgery for March. During my consultation, I really liked that Dr. Lee asked me to look in the mirror and point out to him what concerned me about my face. He did not jump in and point out my "flaws". We only discussed what I notice and dislike about my own face. (I only mention this because I have a few things I am very critical about now as a result of unsolicited comments from other doctors. I don't need anything else pointed out to me that I might not already be aware of!) And he did not push the surgery, he was very genuine in his assessment of my features. He even suggested that I might be satisfied with the results of profound RF given that I'm on the younger side for a facelift but I really just wanted to invest in the most dramatic and guaranteed outcome, with the understanding that there would be some scarring.
The recovery was relatively easy. There was a little pain but nothing the pain killers didn't resolve. The only rough parts for me were the side effects of the IV sedation and pain killers (I tend to get very nauseous) and having to take it easy for several weeks. But overall, given that my face was literally sliced open, I was surprised that I felt pretty normal after a few days. It's been a month and I still have some numbness and tightness, as well as some stinging from my nerve endings re-awakening. But nothing unmanageable. My scars are still healing so l feel it's still too early to assess those, but on one side they are already barely noticeable.
Was it worth it? Absolutely. I was hoping for my neck and jawline to reflect my actual age, but I feel like this surgery took 10 years off my face. I don't cringe when I catch my face in the mirror. I feel like wearing makeup and dressing up again. It's funny that my loved ones would tell me I was beautiful and didn't need the surgery whereas I felt such contempt for this part of my face that it tainted every day of my existence. While getting this surgery didn't fix all of my problems, now I have a pep in my step. I'm thrilled with my results. Dr. Lee is an artist. When I look at myself, nothing looks alien or unnatural, it's like seeing my best memory of myself looking back at me. I almost have to pinch myself.

Here are before and after pictures! I’m thrilled with my results. Please let me know if I can answer any questions!

You’ll be in wonderful hands if you choose Dr. Lee! Dr. Lee’s team is super caring and responsive. They call and email to make sure you remember appointments and complete all your pre-op requirements (labwork, ekg, Covid test), spend time with you during appointments to go over and questions you might have, etc. They are very reassuring on surgery day if you’re at all nervous. They are always happy to answer any questions you might have. And Dr. Lee is, of course, also very attentive and caring and takes the time to answer your questions and make sure you are well taken care of both before and after your surgery.