POSTED UNDER Facelift REVIEWS
Too conservative on lift - still fullness in lower face
ORIGINAL POST
I wanted a natural look, but I also excepted real...
4958392842July 13, 2015
$10
I wanted a natural look, but I also excepted real change for a face and neck lift. I still have fullness in my lower face, which a facelift should have addressed. I still have all chords showing in my neck. He did a good job, medially, surgically speaking, but it was not as through as I wanted/expected. In his effort to give a "natural" look, I think he was too conservative on the lift. If you want to look you age, only refreshed, he is probably for you. If you want to look younger, he may not be your Dr. Instead of the typical 8-10 years for a facelift, I will have to do something sooner. I tried to show him photos of when I was younger so he could see the shape of my face. He didn't really take that into account. The fullness in my lower face leaves me with an older look. A younger look has less fullness in the lower face and more in the check area. My smile is still off, but hopefully with time it continues to get better. I'm not 100% satisfied, but I would still recommend him to someone who wants a very very very conservative procedure. I wanted more and am not very pleased. However, he is a good surgeon and there were no complications and recovery was as expected. I simply think he could have done more, especially with the fullness in my lower face and he definitely could have pulled the neck more and still achieved a "natual" look. So if you want a natural look, he is for you. Great surgeon, just too conservative for me.
4958392842's provider
Replies (16)
July 15, 2015
Don't a lot of women, when they go into their consults emphasizing that they want to look natural by repeating how concerned they are about the "operated on" look, run the risk that the doctor will react by giving them a conservative lift? I am beginning to think hyper-emphasis on avoiding any hint that work was done make the PS error on the conservative side. Did you tell him what exactly you had in mind?
July 15, 2015
Forgot to ask if you have discussed a way to do a tuck up which, industry-wide, is required in about 3-5% of all face lifts. Process is not nearly as extensive and since Pontell does his mini lifts in office and under oral/local there shouldn't be any anesthesiologist needed nor operating facility.
July 23, 2015
I hope to hear that DR PONTELL honors this patients request since they paid for results and she seems less than satisfied.
August 18, 2015
Yes, he told me to come back in. He is a superior surgeon and does want to satisfy.
August 18, 2015
I think he is known for his "natural" look. Of course, everyone wants to look natural. I think you do have to go in for fillers to give a fuller look which lends to a more youthful look. There was certainly improvement!! I just expected the lower face area to be less full than it was. I still think he did a beautiful job, surgically.
July 21, 2015
Hello - Thanks for sharing. Did you have the mini-lift or the traditional lift with Dr. Pontell? I am considering a traditional with him so wanted to see which you had.
Best regards
Best regards
August 18, 2015
Sorry, I am just just now seeing this. Traditional. Again, he did a GREAT job surgically and the scaring is not evident at all. He did a beautiful job. I would recommend him. Since the surgery, I have had Perlane in my upper check area to balance out the lower fullness and help with the laxticity. He did tell me I would look "pulled" if he did too much. I do think he is a gifted surgeon, but a more youthful appearance comes from fullness in your upper face. At this point, with the Perlane, things are looking good! Again, I gave a 5 star and I would recommend him. I didn't have any complications and the scars on in my hairline and even those around the ears have faded to the point that you can't see them. I had surgery 10 years ago with a Dr. out of NYC and he did a beautiful job, however, the scarring was more evident than Dr. Pontell and I had a hematoma. There were NO complications at all and I do feel I was very well cared for at all stages. I also had Botox in the chords and that was amazing! He does give a VERY natural look and is a great surgeon.
UPDATED FROM 4958392842
2 years post
NOT WORTH IT - WISH I HAD GONE ELSEWHERE - TOTAL WASTE OF MONEY
4958392842March 25, 2017
I'm not sure what he did, but right after looked okay, but my smile wasn't right and still isn't. Within months I had MORE elasticity than BEFORE the operation. I'm not even sure how that happens. I looked HORRIBLE. If I had to do it over again, I would NEVER have gone to him. Initally good, but it fell, if that even makes sense and I looked WORSE than before. TOTAL WASTE OF MY MONEY.
Replies (9)
March 26, 2017
Hi, did you ever end up having it revised with another doctor?
April 13, 2017
Yes, and PAID for another FL!!! He pulled vertically and I'm glad he did, as he did fix the jowling that started. I'll post photos of before Pontell, right after Pontell, a year after AND after revision. I wish the new Doctor had also pulled by the ears as the right side is still not great. My smile will NEVER be the same. Pontell is awful and his FL DO NOT LAST. I do not know what he is doing, but is is bad. I need to figure out how to block my eyes, so you can't see my identity, but when I look at photos less than a year after a FL by Pontell, I want to sue him! I am furious that I wasted my money and my smile is ruined.
April 13, 2017
Yeah, too conservative if you want a Facelift to last more than a year!!!!!!!!!!!!! He is great for stitches--- NOT fOR A FACELIFT. Nope, no scars, just looked 10 years OLDER after a YEAR. DO NOT GO TO THE DOCTOR IF YOU A FACELIFT THAT LAST FOR 8-10 YEARS. I CAN'T WAIT TO POST PHOTOS SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT A TERRIBLE JOB HE DID. YES, AT FIRST IT LOOKED GOOD, BUT WHEN I COMPARE IT TO LESS THAN A LESS AFTER -OMG - HORRIFIED.
OLDER THAN WHEN I WENT IN. I'LL POST PHOTOS OF BEFORE PONTELL, RIGHT AFTER PONTELL, LESS THAN A YEAR AFTER PONTELL AND AFTER I PAID FOR REVISION. DO NOT GO TO HIM. I'M WARNING YOU.
OLDER THAN WHEN I WENT IN. I'LL POST PHOTOS OF BEFORE PONTELL, RIGHT AFTER PONTELL, LESS THAN A YEAR AFTER PONTELL AND AFTER I PAID FOR REVISION. DO NOT GO TO HIM. I'M WARNING YOU.
April 13, 2017
WHEN I SAY GOOD SURGEON, OKAY IF YOU NEED STITCHES, SURE, BUT NOT FOR A FACELIFT.
February 16, 2018
No one wanted to do "revision" in PA and many thought I needed one.... NO ONE could fix my smile. It's ruined.
February 16, 2018
I actually should have and could have sued him, but waited too long. Yes, he offered to do more - but why would I have him do work when what he did initially didn't last and he ruined my smile.
October 27, 2017
I had very similar experience with my lower facelift procedure which looked okay after all healing and swelling subsided. Then within months my left jowl sagged and I addressed it to the surgeon and the usual " wait a year until a re-do". Waited the year for a re-do "touch up"....no better results and total waste of my money...yes.
May I asked your revision doc name? Are you satisfied with the revision results?
May I asked your revision doc name? Are you satisfied with the revision results?
UPDATED FROM 4958392842
2 years post
Results after a year - jowling worse than when I went in and a smile that is forever compromised.
4958392842October 10, 2017
I would suggest you keep looking. I can't recommend this doctor.
Welcome to the community and thanks so much for offering your opinion of your doctor.
It would be great if you could give us a little more detail about your experience, like why you had the surgery, your tips for getting good results, pros/cons, and info on the recovery process.
Our community members especially love seeing photos from before, during, and after — a realistic look at what they can expect. Photos grab the attention of the community and encourage more support for you.
As a community manager, I get requests all the time from other members who want me to to keep encouraging people to share their experiences, which are so helpful for others considering these procedures. So please accept this as a well-intentioned request from thousands.