When Betty appears to be like within the mirror right this moment, she sees a face that lastly matches how she feels inside. Nevertheless it wasn’t all the time that method. After present process weight-loss surgical procedure in 2023 and shedding a big quantity of weight, she was confronted with a brand new problem: the seen indicators of facial growing older that had been hiding underneath the quantity she misplaced.
“I’ve always been good about my skin,” Betty says. “I’ve been on tretinoin since it was first approved in the late ’80s for wrinkle prevention. A facelift was always something I considered, but it wasn’t until I lost all the fat in my face that it became a priority. The sagging just exaggerated everything.”
She turned to Houston plastic surgeon Henry Mentz, MD, inspired by a detailed buddy who had additionally undergone a deep airplane facelift with him. “That really pushed me over the line,” she says. “A lot of my friends were getting facelifts. I thought, ‘Why not me?’”
Dr. Mentz carried out a complete facial rejuvenation that included a deep airplane facelift, necklift, decrease blepharoplasty, fractional CO2 laser on the face, neck and arms and a delicate contact, a half lip elevate, carried out solely on the left facet. “My left lip was always thinner and more droopy,” Betty explains. “It was one of the things that bothered me the most about my face after the weight loss. So I had just one side lifted to balance everything out.”
In line with Dr. Mentz, tailoring the strategy to every affected person is vital. “Most patients have a blend of aging concerns—skin laxity, soft tissue descent and volume loss,” he says. “Each of those has to be addressed in a different way, but all in unison to achieve balance and harmony. That’s what creates natural-looking results.”
Betty underwent a deep airplane facelift, necklift, decrease blepharoplasty, a half lip elevate and CO2 laser on her face, neck and arms—all in a single surgical procedure day. Of her transformation, she says, “I’ve come this far—I wanted to finish it.”
He provides that deep airplane facelifts, which re-position the descending tender tissue and tighten pores and skin, are particularly sturdy: “It’s not always the easiest recovery, but in my hands, it lasts the longest.”
The Restoration and Reveal
Regardless of the variety of procedures, Betty describes her restoration as surprisingly manageable. “There was very little pain,” she says. “I had some numbness and odd sensations, but I was out at a public event two weeks later with makeup on. People knew, but they were impressed.”
She additionally documented her progress on-line. “I was very open about my weight-loss surgery, and I’ve continued that with my facelift,” she says. “I feel like if I can help someone else by being honest, then why not?”
A Journey Accomplished
Earlier than her facelift, Betty had already undergone physique contouring procedures: a decrease physique elevate and brachioplasty for extra pores and skin. “After that, my face didn’t match the rest of me,” she says. “The facelift was the final cherry on top.”
At almost 71, Betty has no regrets. “Everything I did was for me. My husband didn’t care either way, but I did. I’ve come this far. I wanted to finish it.” Her recommendation for others contemplating a facelift later in life? “You’re never too old. Find a qualified surgeon, gather your data and get into a supportive community. There’s a lot of information out there, you just have to be willing to explore it.”
And maybe most significantly: “If it bothers you when you look in the mirror, it’s okay to do something about it.”
