r/Facelift_Surgery

First photo: resting
Second photo: pulling my skin up which I feel greatly improves my nasolabial fold, lower cheek (jowls?) heaviness, corner of mouth heaviness, jawline definition, the malar, tear trough to cheek transition. To me that looks like a huge difference.

Full disclosure: I am 5’3, 152lbs, my usual weight is 120lbs, so i will be losing weight (not sure if that’ll help or make it worse)

Was considering buccal fat removal (I know, I know) as well as dermal filler to hide the shadowing,but now I’m not sure especially after I just had a bad experience with cheek filler yielding no results.

Is it possible to get this result in my second photo from a facelift, if so, what type? And am I a candidate?

Facelift, Necklift & Upper Blepharoplasty | 62 years young | 15 months post-op (post by SixSurgery clinic)

Notice the redefined jawline, the clean angle between the chin and neck, and the lift through the upper eyelids that opens up her eyes without changing their shape or character. There is no pulled look, no operated appearance. Just a quieter, more youthful version of the same woman.
A well-executed facelift and necklift is not about chasing a different face. It is about restoring the architecture that time and gravity have softened. When combined with an upper blepharoplasty, the eyes regain their brightness and the whole face comes back into balance.
If you are considering facial rejuvenation, look closely at long-term results like this one. Fifteen months out is when you see the true outcome, after the healing is complete and the tissues have settled into their new position.

📍 Toronto | Consultations available

#Facelift #Necklift #Blepharoplasty #TorontoPlasticSurgery #NaturalResults #FacialRejuvenation #SixSurgery #DrJugenburg

Disclaimer: Outcome or results shown are not guaranteed and may vary from patient to patient. Cosmetic procedures are associated with possible risks and complications, you should have a thorough discussion with your surgeon or their representatives. Images when posted are with patient consent.

I may be late to the game on sonic toothbrushes… because I’ve always loved the feeling of actually scrubbing my teeth.

BUT, after facial surgery, scrubbing is not your friend.

Forget your normal toothbrush.
Forget your rotating head toothbrush.

You can barely open your mouth. And I mean barely. The night of surgery and day one post-op, I don’t think I could’ve fit a quarter through the slot I was working with.

A sonic toothbrush is the answer.

It does the work for you with minimal effort, minimal jaw movement, and minimal mouth opening – which is exactly what you need in those early days.

Sometimes it’s the unglamorous details that make a big difference in recovery.

Fantastic interview with my Mac Daddy surgeon, Dr. T. Gerald O’Daniel, featured by TikTok’s RichAuntie59.

She’s built a following around breaking down cosmetic procedures in a real way, helping women understand what’s realistic, what’s not, and what to expect.

For those of you who keep asking about the surgical net Dr. T. Gerald O’Daniel used on me – he goes into the why behind it here and the benefits in detail.

If you’re thinking about a face or neck lift, don’t just scroll. Watch this clip, then go find her on TikTok (RichAuntie59) and watch the full interview. This is the kind of information people wish they had beforehand.

I’ve gotten quite a few comments, and even more DMs, about what I jokingly call my “Sally stitches,” those long stitches you see at my temples and under my chin.

So I’m sharing some of the information I learned during my research process, including techniques my surgeon uses (and teaches worldwide on) and why I specifically chose him. One of the biggest things that stood out to me was something called hemostatic surgical netting.

Before this journey, I didn’t even know what hematomas and seromas were. Now I do.

Hemostatic surgical netting is used instead of bulky compression face bras, incision tapes, or surgical drains. The idea is to provide broad, even support across the surgical area, stabilize tissue while it heals, and reduce fluid buildup and bleeding beneath the skin.

This technique has actually been used widely in other parts of the world for years and is only more recently gaining traction in the United States. One of the reasons I chose my surgeon is because he is considered a master of this particular technique and has extensive experience using it successfully.

My hemostatic netting was removed on post-op day three.

One of the reasons this approach appealed to me is that sleeping with tubes coming out of my neck attached to suction bulbs collecting fluid? Ugh. I find it disgusting. 🤢

More importantly, the things that really caught my attention were the potential impacts on scarring, post-operative bleeding, fluid accumulation, bruising, and infection risk. When tension is distributed more evenly and tissue is stabilized well during healing, it may contribute to smoother recovery and finer scars over time.

Prior to my plastic surgery, I had many questions about the process, and understanding why a surgeon operates the way they do became just as important to me as before-and-after photos or pricing.

I did an enormous amount of homework before making this decision, and I’m happy to share some of what I learned along the way.

First night in a recliner + lingering anesthesia = very little sleep. By morning, swelling and discomfort had increased, but pain stayed manageable. The whole day is a blur.

I hadn’t showered since surgery and looked exactly how you’d expect - ROUGH. I’m sharing these first photos because this is real, unfiltered recovery.

Around noon, Dr. O’Daniel’s concierge nurse came to my hotel. Decades of plastic surgery experience, now working exclusively with him, and she’s had a face and neck lift herself. She carefully walked me through my first post-op shower, incision care, and hair washing. That calm, expert support meant everything.

And that shower… truly the best of my life. Baby shampoo and all.

Clean, refreshed, and emotionally lighter, you can see it in the after photos.

I was also surrounded by incredible care: my cousin Kelley, my friend/esthetician Marissa, and my personal physician Dr. Deb. Meds on schedule, cold compresses, applesauce and pudding, ointment, constant check-ins with my surgeon and nurses. I couldn’t have done this without them.

You cannot go this alone.

Feeling WAY better than I look! After Surgery, feeling no pain, thanks to modern medicine.

This beautiful patient of mine is 1.5 months postop from a Deep Plane Face and Neck Lift and Semiablative CO2 Laser with me. She agreed to show her photos but wanted the eyes blocked for some anonymity. As part of the procedure, I also performed submental liposuction via a small submental incision. She is very happy with her results and has been getting compliments that she looks great though nobody knows she had "work done".

I am Cory Bovenzi, MD - double board-certified facial plastic surgeon who performed these procedures

Some details for those interested:

Surgical time:
-3hrs for Deep Plane Face and Neck Lift with Submental Liposuction
-20 minutes for the laser procedure, done at the end of the surgery while still under anesthesia

Anesthesia is with IV sedation (all done through an IV, no need for general anesthesia with intubation, etc). This means you are breathing on your own, but are not feeling anything or aware of what's going on- you can think of this as a bit deeper than what you have during a colonoscopy

Recovery Time:
2 weeks of social downtime to allow bruising and the initial swelling to resolve
3 weeks without exertional physical activity
At 1 month there is still some slight swelling (seen most in the submental area), this resolves over the next few months, but most patients agree at 1 month they're "photo ready" for events like family weddings, vacations, etc. The scar maturation, etc continues over an entire year.

For photography purposes, all photos were taken in the same room with the same camera but ambient light from windows can change the hues slightly from one day to another. (This is being addressed with a windowless photo room as my office renovations complete soon)

Also, the scar to the right side of the chin was from a prior injury, not from this surgery (it hides a bit in the before photo as it lies in a wrinkle)

Feel free to post any questions in the comments

I’m going to explain something most patients never think to ask about, but probably should.

Not all surgical research is created equal. There are journals that will publish almost anything with a fee attached. There are journals with minimal peer review. And then there are journals that function as the actual scientific backbone of a specialty where the editorial board actively gatekeeps quality, where citations from other researchers confirm the work is being used to advance clinical practice, and where being appointed to the board means your peers have vetted your scientific judgment, not just your surgical results.

The Aesthetic Surgery Journal is that last category for aesthetic plastic surgery.

I sit on the editorial board. I was one of the youngest surgeons ever appointed. I’m telling you this not to credential-drop but because I want you to understand what it actually means in practical terms for a patient choosing a surgeon.

It means I’m reading and evaluating research before it becomes standard of care. It means I know what the data actually says not what a marketing team summarized. It means when I tell you something works, or doesn’t work, I’m drawing from the primary source.

Oxford University Press presented 2024-2025 impact data for ASJ today. Articles published in the last two years are already showing strong early citation growth meaning other researchers and surgeons are actively referencing this work in their own studies and clinical decisions. That’s how science moves into operating rooms.

When you’re researching surgeons, here’s a quick framework:

Does the surgeon publish original research or just consume it? Do they publish in peer-reviewed journals with real editorial standards? Are they close enough to the science that they’re shaping it, not just following it?

A surgeon who sits on an editorial board of a major journal isn’t just credentialed. They’re embedded in the mechanism that determines what the field does next.
That’s who you want operating on your face.

okay so where do i even start because this whole situation is crazy and i would appreciate help and any advices.

please do your research and beware of Dermaclinic NYC!!!!!!especially spanish community cuz this is how they scammed my mom, she dont speak english and this is exactly what they are looking for and who are their targets. its absolutely insane scam machine. mom went there for lipo. before she paid, they were soooo nice. like her rep always gave her fast replies, friendly, and eveything was good. till moment she paid deposit and applied for financing

the rep basically stopped answering like before. while signing her for financing they asked for her SSN, but she never received clear paperwork or proof explaining exactly what financing she was put into. so now i am also trying to figure out what and who else can have this info. i have all screenshots proof between her and her rep on Whatsapp(this is how they do consults).

sooo her lipo was done at night. she never had a real conversation with the surgeon on the day of surgery. no proper or real explanation. surgeon info was basically sent through Whatsapp. and she was in big bad pain from day one and now her stomach looks worse than before. she had hard fibrosis basically from the beginning and they kept telling her “it will get better lol” but its not

she feels botched and i am feeling this whole situation as huge scam.

then i started googling and honestly it got even more confusing. i couldn’t find clear surgeon information listed the way you would expect from a place doing actual lipo. and from what i saw, the accreditation/licensing info looked more connected to hair removal type services and NOT lipo.

so who was actually responsible for her procedure? what exactly did she sign? what financing was opened under her SSN? and why is it so hard to get straight answers?

my mom is scared and doesn’t know what to do.

at this point we need attention on this because something feels very wrong. please share this, level it up pls or if anyone knows what legal steps we can take, please reach out in comments, i would really appreciate it

This young man is a patient of mine who wanted to look his best for his upcoming wedding. He was bothered by his lower eyelid bags, midfacial volume loss, weak chin, “double chin”, and jowls. Here he is 6 weeks after a Deep Plane Face and Neck Lift, Deep Structural Neck Lift, Lower Transconjunctival Blepharoplasty, Fat Transfer, and Chin Implant Placement. He has remained the same weight through this process.

This case is an example of how signs of aging can show up earlier in some folks and why typical “aging face” procedures really do not have a specific age limit for when you are or are not a candidate. It all comes down to your health and your anatomy. Additionally, procedures like the Deep Structural Neck Lift and Chin Implant Placement are often caused by anatomy that is present from a young age, but work well in tandem with a Deep Plane Facelift Procedure to optimize the entire lower face and neck area.

These results are, of course, not final as he continues to heal- some areas where we would expect changes would be his submental area which typically holds onto swelling for about 3 months, and the incisions which are pink now and will fade over the course of an entire year.

For photography purposes, all photos were taken in the same room with the same camera but ambient light from windows can change the hues slightly from one day to another. (This is being addressed with a windowless photo room as my office renovations complete soon)

My name is Cory Bovenzi, MD, I am the double board-certified facial plastic surgeon who performed these procedures. Feel free to ask questions in the comments