BAZAAR
Diary of a Modern Facelift
The latest cosmetic-surgery techniques promise to lake off the years with remarkably natural-looking results. Former model turned writer (and Liv Tyler mother) Bebe Buell chronicles going under the knife.
I made up my mind when I was younger that I was never going to get major cosmetic surgery no matter how I looked when I got older. I hated that freakish pulled-too-right appearance that afflicts so many people who have had a facelift. I have always believed, and still do, that you should age with dignity, grace, and elegance, not as if you are trying so hard to look young that you no longer resemble yourself.
But like so many women my age (I’m 52), I started realizing that I didn't look as young as I felt. The lower half of my face seemed to have taken on a mind of its own, and I really didn’t want to end up having to carry around my face in a wheelbarrow. I had also developed a crevice between my eyebrows that made me look upset and angry even when I was happy. I decided I wanted to do something about it but was still apprehensive about experiencing the extreme approach I thought most plastic surgeons took. I had read about a New York City facial plastic surgeon, Thomas Romo III, M.D. (212-288-1500), in Bazaar, and I made an appointment. When I met him, I was convinced he was the surgeon for me. He and I shared the same aesthetics. I loved the examples of the work he had shown me—none of his patients looked “done”—and he came across as a remarkably intelligent and caring person.
After I told him what was bothering me about my face, he explained that instead of an old-fashioned facelift, he would do a series of extremely precise smaller procedures. I had full blood work done about a month before the surgery. I was told to stop taking aspirin and ibuprofen two weeks prior to the surgery and to avoid supplements of garlic, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, and Saint-Johns-wort, which can all increase bleeding. To reduce bruising and swelling, 1 was advised to take two herbal supplements (arnica montana and brom-olein) several times the day before and after the operation. I was nervous about the surgery, but I didn’t tell anyone except my husband that 1 was doing it. I was afraid people would try to talk me out of it.
The Total Cost
| Surgery | $25,000 |
||
| Operating room | $1400 |
||
| General anesthetic, 4 hours |
$2250 | ||
| Nurse, $50 per hour for 60 hours |
$3000 | ||
| Hotel for 10 nights $430 per night for 10 nights (Buell needed a hotel because she doesn’t live in New York) |
$4300 | ||
| Grand total | $35,950 |
The surgery itself rook place in the operating theater in Dr. Romo’s office. The entire thing was over in about four hours. MY husband and the plastic-surgery nurse 1 had hired took me to nearby Kimberly Hotel, where 1 could recover for a few days. 1 left the office with prescriptions for oral antibiotics, anti-inflammatory steroids, and painkillers.
I have to say, despite multiple consultations with the doctor, wasn't completely prepared for the surgery's aftereffects. People tel you that you will be in pain and i will take a while to recover. But had no idea it would be that much pain and that much time. 1 don't know whether it was the pain, the painkillers, or the anesthetic, but I felt anxious and emotional. Or perhaps it was the way I looked—like my head had gone through a windshield. My eyes were like slits, I was red from the chemical peel, and I was bruised and swollen. Dr. Romo told me not to be concerned, because it was normal to look like that and have those kinds of feelings.
The most painful part was the three days right after the operation. I felt rather helpless and needed the nurse for the first two nights because I couldn’t do anything on my own. I even had to have help getting to and from the bathroom and feeding myself. (All I was really interested in was sorbet and ginger ale.) The nurse also emptied the drains that were placed behind my ears to prevent fluid from collecting under the incisions, and she applied antibiotic ointment to all my incision sites, which you’re supposed to do for several weeks to prevent infection and minimize scarring.
The first full week I was exhausted and slept for 16 hours straight one night. I was also in a lot of pain and couldn't speak properly for two weeks, but I avoided taking the painkillers because of how they made me feel. Eating solid food was challenging because of the swelling in my jaw and the stitches in my mouth. I focused on religiously applying a combination of Creme de la Me, Kiehl’s Abyssine Cream, and ReVive Cellular Repair Cream to my face and behind my cars to help heal my scars. I had the first round of stitches taken out after five days, which helped ease the pain. My remaining stitches and staples were removed after two weeks. By that time the swelling had gone down enormously, the bruising was nearly gone, and I started to see results (I loved them!). But, honestly, I still didn't want to go out and be around people for several weeks.
When my friends saw me after about two months (I really didn’t go out much before then), they kept saying how refreshed and rested I looked. I was thrilled that no one suspected I’d had work done—they all just thought I looked great. Of course I ended up telling my family what I had done and all of them, including my daughter, Liv, told me how amazing I looked. The result is that I am happier now with my jaw and chin than I’ve ever been, my skin is baby smooth without any sunspots, and my cheekbones are more prominent. I can even wear my hair back in a tight ponytail without a single scar in sight! Will I go through more nips, tucks, and tweaks as I age and my face starts to fall? Hell, no—this is it for me. But would I go back and do this all over again now? Hell, yes!
DR. ROMO EXPLAINS
When Bebe came to see me, her brows had begun to fall, which made her upper eyelids droop, and the furrow between her brows was prominent. Her upper cheek pads were also starting to fall. Bebe’s genetically soft jawline was getting softer as she got older, and she also had some fine lines and sunspots around her eyes.
Like most women, Bebe was concerned about appearing natural. I explained that the reason so many “classic” facelifts give that “just gone through a wind tunnel” look is that in those procedures the skin is pulled up from the top and stapled into the hairline, causing the face to look unnaturally tight.
The trend in modern surgery, depending on the condition and needs of the patient, is to work in small sections of the face and endoscopically, whenever possible. [These techniques, called minimally invasive procedures, involve the use of an endoscope, a very small viewing instrument that allows the doctor to see the face or the body's internal structures through tiny incisions.] This “modern facelift” gives the most natural-looking results because the lifting is done delicately and precisely to balance every area of the face.
For Bebe’s procedure, we also decided to do selective cutting of the muscles in between her brows to eliminate that vertical furrow while preserving the movement of her eyes, forehead, and brows. And I gave her an endoscopic brow lift: I made several small incisions in the hairline and calibrated exactly how to raise the brow line so it would look refreshed yet natural.
To lift the checks and midface, I made two small incisions inside her mouth and worked endoscopically to trim the fat pads, then reposition and fix them with small dissolvable Endotine “tacks” to the temple region. To give her jawline a more contoured appearance, I made a small incision under her chin and inserted two thin Gore-Tex implants, then liposuctioned out the excess fat. Next, I made a small incision in the crease behind her ear to lift and tighten her jawline. Finally, I did a chemical peel around her eyes to soften fine lines, even out texture, and remove sunspots instantly.
Results and healing time vary depending on the person’s overall health and genetics and the severity of the condition. The average patient is able to wear makeup after one week and go back to work within two weeks. Keep in mind that drinking, smoking, and lying in the sun can all cause added trauma, redness, swelling, and irritation. Even though most patients see favorable changes a month after surgery, clinically it usually takes at least six months to fully heal. Because the face continues to age, results can last anywhere from 5 to 15 years; depending on genetics and lifestyle, the average is around 10.
As told to Cara Kagan