Success is 95% Surgeon, 5% Your Ability to Follow Instructions - CHOOSE WISELY - Palo Alto, CA

There is not a person on the planet who would describe me as anything but thin - and yet, I have been avoiding the camera because 9 times out of 10, I'd look like I had a double chin. Not much - but enough to age me and worse, make me feel extremely self conscious. I have been blessed with good genes, so though I'm in my 50s, wrinkles are only visible when I smile and if you look really close. But that dang chin....

I saw two plastic surgeons after intensive research on the Internet and here on realself (hence the review - it seems only fair). The first gave me a list of things I needed to do which included a browlift, a facelift, lipo, chin implant, eyelift, fillers, etc...nearly $50k worth of surgery. Wow! Did I feel old and unattractive!

The second one - Dr. Most - said no way was I ready for a facelift - I have at least 2-3 years before it makes sense to consider one. Maybe chin lipo - but that's it. And really, it's a small amount of fat. In fact, he gave me the opportunity to back out on the day of surgery.

I was placed under general anesthesia around 7:30ish or so - and I was out of there by 10ish or so. I can't really remember. I was told to wear the chin strap for 24 hours a day, 7 days - except when I shower, which I couldn't do for the first 24 hours. I was also told to sleep on three pillows on my back for those 7 days. That probably has been the hardest part for me - the three pillow directive. It made it difficult to sleep comfortably.

I was also told that some people swear by Arnica Mountain - so I used that on the bruised areas of the neck. But really, while my neck was tender for the first three days, any swelling was so minimal that it was hard for me to even tell if I had any. There has also been very little bruising - but then, I followed all the pre-op instructions, including no wine (or any alcohol for the two weeks prior). While not part of the instructions, I made it a point to eat 2 servings of greens daily so that I'd have plenty of vitamin K in my system for clotting. I also ate lots of other fruits and veggies.

This morning, when I removed the chin strap to shower, there was a teeny tiny bruise remaining - so small that I'm sure I can cover it with makeup. No visible swelling. Just the stitches under my chin - which he'll remove tomorrow.

And while I know the final results won't be visible for another 11 weeks or so, I can see the difference, and I'm happy.

My advice - do it. But only if you go to a surgeon who specializes in facial plastic surgery; board certification will either be in facial plastic surgery or otolaryngology. Do not let anyone touch your face unless they're certified to perform facial plastic surgery, even if it is only chin liposuction. The slightest damage to a facial nerve can leave you with facial paralysis that will make you look like a stroke victim. I've seen it in a friend - not pretty.

To verify your doctor's board certification: http://www.certificationmatters.org/ Make sure you check to see what they're certified in...you don't want someone certified in radiology, for example, performing liposuction if you don't want to be a statistic. Be smart. If you choose the right doctor, and you follow their pre and post-op instructions, you'll be happy with the results.