plastic surgery... help me think this through... sorry, a little long

because of my weight loss, i now have a turkey neck and the lines around my mouth. when i look in the mirror i see me, but a very tired me.

my life has changed, i'm much more active and happier than ever. i'm loving that i'll be 40 next month. i'm really looking forward to a lot!

sadly, my face doesn't reflect this. yes, i need other things: tummy tuck, boob lift, etc... but i'm going to take it in steps and work on my face first.

everyone i know tells me not to do it; that i don't need it. but i don't like what i see when i look in the mirror. i want to see ME. i don't want to look 15, 25, or even 35. i want to see me at 40, looking the best i can be... for example, i'm starting to see some gray. i'm ok with that. i'm not 15 anymore... but the face isn't because of age, it's because of the weight gain and weight loss.

i saw a plastic surgeon a few years ago, but still had weight to lose. now that i'm within 15lbs of my ULTIMATE lifetime goal, i decided to start talking to drs again.

i saw a dr on monday. i really liked him. i'm planning to interview at least two more. the dr i saw said that all the things i want would be "too much surgery" for me. i'm feeling lost and confused.

i'm happy that people feel i still look "youthful," but i don't see it in the mirror. i have a feeling if i don't do all i want, i'm still going to not like how i look.

also, i have heavy upper eye lids. if i'm going to go under, i thought i'd take care of those. this has been a life-long wish. so it would be three things: neck, cheeks (face lift) and eyes. i'm willing to remove the eyes from the equation because that would be changing ME and not just "repairing" the affects of the weight loss.

i would love to hear opinions to help me think this through. and please ask questions if you feel i've left something outl

Re: plastic surgery... help me think this through... sorry, a little long

What about the "Lifestyle Lift?"

plastic surgery... help me think this through... sorry, a little long

i hadn't heard of that. looks like i'll be doing a little research

plastic surgery... help me think this through... sorry, a little long

If this is something that will make you feel better about yourself, and you have the money for it, I say go for it! It sounds like you have a very healthy approach and aren't doing it for the wrong reasons (i.e. pleasing other people).

Re: plastic surgery... help me think this through... sorry, a little long

What about starting with a "liquid facelift"? It's a lot of injections all around your face and it plumps & lifts & fills etc. it might give you an idea of how much surgery you're comfortable with or you may be happy with the results and opt out of surgery. For me I'd try the non-surgical route with my face 1st & go for the boob/tummy surgery 1st.

Re: plastic surgery... help me think this through... sorry, a little long

plastic surgery... help me think this through... sorry, a little long

Like someone else mentioned, you should also ask about a "liquid facelift." The doctors should be going over both surgical and non-surgical procedures that are available to you for what you want to do.

In all honesty, you've achieved a lot with your weight loss and it's a major accomplishment. If this is going to make you feel better about yourself and you have the money to do it, then I think you should. Why not let your exterior match how you feel inside?

plastic surgery... help me think this through... sorry, a little long

the very first doctor mentioned injectables (sp?)
i just felt that the maintenance on that was not up my alley. yes, less invasive... but more expensive in the long run.

Re: plastic surgery... help me think this through... sorry, a little long

You have to do what makes you happy. From before I even had kids I knew one day I was going to get breast augmentation and now that I am finally done having my children I am ready for it. When I tell my close friends, like your friends and family, they tell me I am crazy. Things look great in a bra but once I take that bad boy off, it's depressing.

My only thing I would watch out for is your eyes. I feel like if too much is done, they can look bad. I was researching browlifts and it seems a lot can be done with lasers for that.

Re: plastic surgery... help me think this through... sorry, a little long

It if were me, I would try the injectibles first, just to see how you feel about the changes before doing multiple permanent things to your face. If I'm understanding correctly, you don't want to look like you've had a to of work done, only like a refreshed version of yourself. (FWIW, I wish I could scream from the rooftops how much I loved my little Botox - 20 units - and how I wish I would have started earlier. Sometimes a little goes a long way).

Re: plastic surgery... help me think this through... sorry, a little long

I feel like when you see people and can tell they have had too much plastic surgery it is b/c they had multiple things done on their face that they may not have needed.

I would agree at looking into fillers first.

Re: plastic surgery... help me think this through... sorry, a little long

If this is something you want, then I would do it. But I'd probably wait until about 6 months after I reached my goal.

plastic surgery... help me think this through... sorry, a little long

thank you for giving me you thoughts... and please, keep them coming.

you're all making very good and valid points and i'm taking them all under consideration.

Re: plastic surgery... help me think this through... sorry, a little long

Injectibles can last up to a year or more. I would consult with a dermatologist too.

Re: plastic surgery... help me think this through... sorry, a little long

The other thing I thought of that I didn't say before, was to listen to the doctors

If something will make you feel better, than do it regardless of what your friends say, but listen to the fact that this doctor said it is too much is a valid point. I would take to 1 or 2 more reputable doctors, but just don't go searching until someone will tell you what you want to hear. We all know those doctors are out there--we've seen the bad results of their work.

If the doctors say it is too much, ask which they think will have the biggest impact, while still looking natural.

Message edited 4/22/2013 11:42:40 AM.

plastic surgery... help me think this through... sorry, a little long

If it bothers you and you can afford it, go for it!

Re: plastic surgery... help me think this through... sorry, a little long

The only opinion that matters is yours - it's your face, your body, your life - and YOU have to be happy.

If it's going to make you happy, then go for it.