As a 63 Year Old, I Wanted to "Set the Clock Back" and Still Look Like Myself. I Didn't Want to Look Like a Famous Celebrity!-MA

Hi Angie,
I had some hyper-pigmentation as a result of the laser resurfacing, which is not part of the face lift. I had opted to have it done while I was under anesthesia! I needed to get some medicinal facial cream he recommended, which soothed the skin and helped eliminate the splotchy discoloration. Now at 3 months post-op, all is well!

It's from Dr. Zein Obagi who also has lots of Obagi products you can buy at stores and online. This product however was only on his website and when I bought it I had to buy all three items together for a total $99. It's a "special" post-op product line that he calls ZO Medical. The product Dr. Mao wanted me to get is called REGENACELL, epidermal repair cream. Obagi has other products similar in name, but Not the same. It came with a soothing ointment called Pomotrol, which is very good....definitely soothing to reduce the redness. The third item in the pack is called Surfatrol - an Astringent solution powder ---you mix it with water and apply multiply times a day with gauze. I only used it once because its to reduce oozing and scabbing, which I didn't have. But when I purchased, the only option was to get all three. The first two products I used at least 2-3 times a day for about 10 days and then just used the Regenacell morning and night. It does take time to work so stay with it if you decide to purchase. I was also using a prescription of Hydrocortisone ointment...Valerate at 2%. After cosmetic surgery Dr. Mao said it's essential to keep everything moist when healing. So I just followed instructions and used these different products. Seems to have worked for me. I'm almost at 90 days and the blotchiness is gone. Hope this is helpful. All the best!

I had a facelift--which included serious work on my eyes - upper and lower, along with the jawline, chin and then laser resurfacing, which is not standard with a face lift. I just decided to do it while under anesthesia! I live in DC, originally from Worcester. I first met Dr. Mao in 2012 when my mother (91 at the time) had melanoma lesions on her nose that had to be removed immediately! Her GP recommended Dr. Mao. He does both reconstruction surgery as well as cosmetic. I went with her for the in-office procedure. He had to cut from the inside corner of one eye down the side of her nose to remove it. I thought she'd be scarred for the rest of her life and in horrible pain after. Wrong on both counts. There was NO scarring -- not sure how he accomplishes that, and NO pain in her recovery. Seriously. All she took was Tylenol. Went home with a drain in her cheek that was removed the next day, and 7 days later the bandaid came off and her face healed with no scars. I tell you all of this because I was stunned at the process --his respect for an elderly woman and amazing results. I knew then, when I was ready, Dr. Mao would be my surgeon. I spoke with him in his office (free consults) several times in the years leading up to my decision. And when I could stand it no longer, I scheduled the procedure this past January. The fee I paid included the the face lift, the laser resurfacing procedure, the hospital costs for the surgery (Operating room, etc, anesthesiologist and the post-op hospital stay for a night.) Got a bit sick from the anesthesia in post-op. But I received a dose of medicine to stop it right away. I had little to no post-op pain. I took 2 nights of pain medicine after I was discharged and then went on to take Aleve! That's it. I'd be lying if I told you I was not nervous going in, but I honestly believed I was in the best hands. Since I live in DC, I stayed with my cousin for two weeks following surgery to make it easy for me to check in withDr. Mao twice at his office. But I could have gone home to DC after first check-in if I'd had someone to check in with and remove stitches. You'll need to figure out the logistics that work for you. He has been very accommodating. Dr. Mao is ALWAYS available by his cell phone. I took photos of my face and texted to him! He then called me back to discuss. If I leave a message, he is quick to call back. And he calls me periodically to check in. I have a last appointment in June for final assessment. His office assistant/nurse Crystal is an angel. Could not do enough! I am very very happy with my results. I opted to have laser resurfacing, which I think was the most annoying part to deal with in the 2-3 weeks after. The skin gets crusty and falls off naturally, and you really can't rush it. I had the time so it was what it was. I did however, have some hyper-pigmentation--splotches of red discoloration on my face and neck from the laser that now is gone. Dr. Mao told me what to use to take care of it, and it worked. In fact, I did whatever he suggested post-op and it all worked. I have a great admiration for his skill as a surgeon --(his artistry at stitching too!!) as well as being a wonderful person. These last comments may sound odd, but what he does is rather extreme and I had a lot of faith in him. I apologize for the long text, but wanted you to have my specifics on how I went about making my decisions. Dr. Mao also has an office near Westport/New Haven, CT area, which might be closer for you depending where you are in NY. My experience was all good, and I was very pleased I gave myself time to not rush the recovery process. If you can take the time, I recommend doing it. I hope this is helpful, and I'd be happy to answer any additional questions. This type of decision is not easy. All the best, Kathi!

Will he do a lower face lift in office under just twilight sedation not gen. Anasth.?