67 Yr Old Widow Ready for 2nd Lift to Match Inside Enthusiasm for New Adventures in Life - Upland, CA

My first face/neck lift was in 1997 at age 46, and I was having a wonderful professional and personal life - just felt I needed to look like the vigorous youthful person I was married to - a wonderful professor and athlete 19 years my senior who looked like he was in his late 40's. Why do women seem to show their age sooner then men. It was a wonderful experience and my husband supported me (even though he had told me I looked better each year we were married) I felt I was aging faster on the outside than he. Fast forward 18 years - I have been widowed 13 years and most all our friends and family are out of state or country and even though I am still working and loving my profession - I am getting ready to slowdown and want to resume the adventures and travels we shared. Problem is I feel insecure and unattractive traveling alone - I probably have been hiding my loneliness by working and helping family when I can - But his oldest daughter has encouraged me to recapture that joi d' vivre we shared and start to do things for myself. So I am biting the bullet and doing this for myself - I should not let society and strangers make me feel inadequate - my husband always complimented me and encouraged me. But I often feel kind of on the outside fringe of life - modern society does not seem to have much use for 'old looking' people. It should not bother me but It does. I have been lurking on RealSelf.com and find a sense of community and understanding about enhancing or rejuvenating our physical appearance/ lives as we age. I also feel compassion and happiness for others who have the courage to take these steps to do something for themselves. I am 3 weeks out of my second face/neck lift, upper/lower blepharoplasty and CO2 fractional under laser treatment. I thought I wanted anonymity but decided to 'give back' by sharing my joyrney and hope it might help others. I am still resolving from some minor hiccups but will come back later this week and begin posting photos/narration of the various stages for my procedures. Time to sign off for tonight. BBS (be back soon) :-)

I chose Dr. Edward H. Park - a double Board Certified PS and partner of Dr. Sorosky who retired eight years previously. He listened carefully to my concerns and answered my kazillion questions about the safety and efficacy of a 2nd facelift. I also asked about a brow lift to balance my freakish eyelids left mismatched from a ptosis surgery on my left eye traumatized by detached retina surgeries 5 years previous. He made me feel confident by explaining I did not need a brow lift and it would be a waste of money. He then took almost an hour to explain how he would do a necklift for my loose platysmal bands - plication and imbication of my mid face and cheeks - and VERY minor upper lid revision with minor transconjunctival lower bag mod to make the eyes more youthful and less tired and dragged down with a Mixto ( fractional laser) underneath to rebuild collagen and minimize fine wrinkles. Despite my being fair and freckledI I have always felt like I had a long 'horsey' face with a soft baggy lumpy appearance. My Welsh Swedish roots seemed to condemn me to early aging and dragged out appearance. I really appreciated his customization to my particular facial shape - long and confidence in my thick healthy skin. I have never smoked and have used sunscreen for over 40 years. Dr. Park did not pressure me and was very confident that he could give me a result that would rejuvenate my appearance. He had guessed my age as mid fifties but upon learning I was 67 said he was sure I would get results to enhance my inner beauty to match my youthful energy. A week after my consult and reading all the reviews here - I called his assistant Laurie back to arrange for the procedures to be done on April 28.