POSTED UNDER Facelift Reviews REVIEWS
57 Year Old with Scheduled Facelift - Should I Do Dermabrasion or Are Other Alternatives Better?
ORIGINAL POST
Hi, I'm scheduled for a facelift on 1/17 and am...
jdigjudyJanuary 6, 2018
$9,500
Hi,
I'm scheduled for a facelift on 1/17 and am not as nervous about that as I am the dermabrasion that my surgeon recommends (around the mouth area). I am in the sun a lot (runner), and am worried that the skin will not match the rest of my face, and that the gain will be small.
Those of you who've had dermabrasion, what do you think? It looks like lasers and chemical peels can do similar things. I just honestly don't know the differences (I do know the long-term message is stay out of the sun and use sunscreen - my runs are usually early in the morning, but...)... is dermabrasion old school? Will it really help all those dreadful lip lines and the indents in my chin area where the muscles are attached (fillers just won't do it, it would take a lot of it and - well, so far they haven't made any real dent in it)...
Would love feedback. I'm scared about all of the above, but my neck makes me crazy, people think I'm 10 years older than I am, and the neck, the neck, the neck. It's all I see when I look in the mirror!
Help!!! Thanks for any thoughts!
Judy
I'm scheduled for a facelift on 1/17 and am not as nervous about that as I am the dermabrasion that my surgeon recommends (around the mouth area). I am in the sun a lot (runner), and am worried that the skin will not match the rest of my face, and that the gain will be small.
Those of you who've had dermabrasion, what do you think? It looks like lasers and chemical peels can do similar things. I just honestly don't know the differences (I do know the long-term message is stay out of the sun and use sunscreen - my runs are usually early in the morning, but...)... is dermabrasion old school? Will it really help all those dreadful lip lines and the indents in my chin area where the muscles are attached (fillers just won't do it, it would take a lot of it and - well, so far they haven't made any real dent in it)...
Would love feedback. I'm scared about all of the above, but my neck makes me crazy, people think I'm 10 years older than I am, and the neck, the neck, the neck. It's all I see when I look in the mirror!
Help!!! Thanks for any thoughts!
Judy
UPDATED FROM jdigjudy
4 days pre
57 year old facelift + dermabrasion - next Wednesday (1/17/18)!!!! eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!
jdigjudyJanuary 12, 2018
Well, I had a consultation with another doctor about dermabrasion and laser options and decided that I'll let my doctor do the dermabrasion. He is conservative and trustworthy, even if I'm afraid, he has done this enough times to say that it will be worth the 5 days of pain/ugliness/yuckiness....
So here are my before pictures. Any recommendations? I am taking 1000mg Vitamin C, bromelin, and am going to go get some arnica today - pills I think and maybe some cream, too. Anything else? I have a wedge pillow and a bed with headboard so I can prop myself up. I'm expecting to be out of commission for 3 days, then re-entry for 7 more days - my boss wants me at work the 29th. She does not know about the procedure - she violated my trust when I had my eyelid lift done ("please keep it confidential") (followed by "Judy, tell the group what you're having done") - so there's NO WAY I could tell her - and she has a big deadline Feb 1st and doesn't like people to work from home, so I am pretty sure I'll be at work that following Monday.
So I'm hoping I can learn from you guys who've done this before - what would you do differently?
Thanks!!! This will be where I'll document the deed, day by day. Gulp.
So here are my before pictures. Any recommendations? I am taking 1000mg Vitamin C, bromelin, and am going to go get some arnica today - pills I think and maybe some cream, too. Anything else? I have a wedge pillow and a bed with headboard so I can prop myself up. I'm expecting to be out of commission for 3 days, then re-entry for 7 more days - my boss wants me at work the 29th. She does not know about the procedure - she violated my trust when I had my eyelid lift done ("please keep it confidential") (followed by "Judy, tell the group what you're having done") - so there's NO WAY I could tell her - and she has a big deadline Feb 1st and doesn't like people to work from home, so I am pretty sure I'll be at work that following Monday.
So I'm hoping I can learn from you guys who've done this before - what would you do differently?
Thanks!!! This will be where I'll document the deed, day by day. Gulp.
Replies (7)
January 13, 2018
Hi! Good luck on your upcoming surgery. I am one week post op from a neck / lower facelift. So far so good. I heard mixed things about arnica and bromelin so opted not to take. Thankfully I had very little brushing.
I had laser about 4 years ago and will do it again down the road. I didn't want to do laser at the same time of the FL. I want to be completely healed before doing another laser treatment, which I will do to address my vertical lip lines, and any new wrinkles from skin being redraped from FL. Personally I think laser is better option (there are Different laser types), as it allows the PS to adjust the pattern of laser and has a controlled depth.
Some things I was mindful about to help healing: zero alcohol, low salt and soft to eat foods (can't open mouth too wide at first), LOTS of water. It is tough to floss my teeth so the one use pick / flossers are great, baby wash clothes, fine baby tooth brush to help gently work shampoo into hair near incision ( I have so much Aquafophor stuck in my hair since I hair to keep incisions moist).
I only took Advil after my procedure and didn't need any pain meds after 48 hours. Good luck and hope you have a speedy recovery.
I had laser about 4 years ago and will do it again down the road. I didn't want to do laser at the same time of the FL. I want to be completely healed before doing another laser treatment, which I will do to address my vertical lip lines, and any new wrinkles from skin being redraped from FL. Personally I think laser is better option (there are Different laser types), as it allows the PS to adjust the pattern of laser and has a controlled depth.
Some things I was mindful about to help healing: zero alcohol, low salt and soft to eat foods (can't open mouth too wide at first), LOTS of water. It is tough to floss my teeth so the one use pick / flossers are great, baby wash clothes, fine baby tooth brush to help gently work shampoo into hair near incision ( I have so much Aquafophor stuck in my hair since I hair to keep incisions moist).
I only took Advil after my procedure and didn't need any pain meds after 48 hours. Good luck and hope you have a speedy recovery.
January 14, 2018
Thank you for all your helpful suggestions! I have an afternoon to get things together, so this is super helpful. After talking with my PS, I'm going to go ahead with the abrasion, as he says it will heal more quickly and be less pink than the laser option (it would be the strongest laser as I'm sure you can guess!). How are you looking now? Still swollen a lot? Bruised? Comfortable? I really don't have a feeling for how those first 10 days go...! Thanks again for your updates!
January 14, 2018
Let us know how it goes.Dermabrasion can only do so much but it does help. I was in the same situation questioning what was the best procedure. Your doctor will give you the best advice for your situation.
January 14, 2018
Thank you! Yes, I have to trust him - he's done it before and knows my fears. We'll see!
January 16, 2018
it's going to go great; I have complete confidence in Dr E! You'll look amazing and will be worth it in the long run. The derm, while it seems scary, does seem to be the best decision for your situation. so excited for you and can't wait to see the amazing results!
January 17, 2018
I’m very close to making the lift decision. I would love to hear about your recovery timeline (as you go) and final results.Good luck!
UPDATED FROM jdigjudy
1 day pre
Night before jitters
jdigjudyJanuary 17, 2018
I almost feel like the "Night before Christmas" - so many things done to prepare, and yet mentally am just feeling 100% insane for doing anything to my face. They offered to prescribe something for nerves, but really - that's not anything I'd do. I'm one for facing the music. But, I haven't been put under since wisdom teeth 40 years ago! I think just not knowing how all that goes is the scary part.
Replies (5)
January 17, 2018
The night before is stressful, hopefully you can get some sleep! Dr E will make you feel relaxed and confident when he does the markings, his calmness made me feel less anxious anyway. They do have an amazing surgical staff, where everything happens so seamlessly and fast once you walk into the surgical suite and lay down, iv started and everything done so smoothly and pretty much simultaneously—there won’t be any time to be anxious. The anesthesiologist will have you under so quickly and the doctor’s magic will be done before you know it!. So excited for you.
January 17, 2018
Good luck, you deserve this! I am going to when I no longer care for my mom...want to do it now, you will have to be patient and stay out the mirror unless caring for sutures. I have seen 5 days and 10 days post and they look great! 2 weeks should look great. Patience movies resting.
January 21, 2018
Awww, I miss my mom. I had cared for her to the end and it was very special. She was always telling me to take care of my looks, so she would probably be happy to see the facelift but not so much the dermabrasion at the moment!! Give your mom an extra hug and kiss just because....
January 18, 2018
Good luck and thank you for sharing your story. Looking forward to seeing your progress!
Replies (1)