Nothing gets us more excited than talking about a not-so-little tweakment or a nip-tuck procedure. In the spirit of transparency, Marie Claire’s aesthetics column, Life in Plastic, delivers a first-hand peek into what goes on behind the doctor’s door.

Lindsay Schiffman is a 29-year-old woman living in NYC. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2025 and underwent breast reconstruction in July 2026. This is her story, as told to Marie Claire, edited for length and clarity.

I got engaged in July 2025. We met out East, and he proposed in Amagansett, on the beach, three summers later. I had never been happier.

Just after Labor Day, I felt a lump in my armpit. To reason with myself, I repeated: the lump is so far from my boob. I’m 28. I’m strong and healthy. I’m planning a wedding. I’ve booked a band, a venue, and a photographer. My engagement party is in a few weeks. Maybe I was just coming down with something?

But I knew that the BRCA gene runs in my family. My grandfather was BRCA positive, as is my mom. I was telling my fiancé’s sister, who is an OBGYN in Chicago, about the lump I felt. From the keywords I was using (small, hard, unmoving, painless), she immediately urged me to get an MRI. Everything moved very quickly from there—scans, biopsies, doctors' offices all over the city. Three days before our engagement party, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

We still celebrated. I also asked how quickly I could schedule my double mastectomy.

My doctors told me, This is not a boob job. This is a life-saving surgery. That mindset switch was essential. I was no longer focused on aesthetics, but on surviving. I had spent so many years caring about appearances, but a diagnosis like this rearranges your priorities very, very quickly, and there’s some degree of detachment that happens subconsciously as a temporary coping mechanism more than anything.

Some women considering prophylactic double mastectomies discuss the procedure as a cosmetic one. In reality, it’s everything but—and I actually think it’s dangerous to speak about mastectomies in that way. Choosing a mastectomy is a sign of strength, courage, and self-preservation. It’s also a profound privilege, and one I don’t take for granted, to have access to a surgery capable of saving your life. That being said… did I want to go a little bigger? Of course. I’ll happily take my new 295 cc's as my present at the end of this very long, difficult road.

The Double Mastectomy

Finding the right team of doctors, ones I could wholeheartedly trust, was essential. During a DMX, the breast surgeon first performs the life-saving technique of removing all the breast tissue, and then the plastic surgeon focuses on the cosmetics of it all. Funny enough, I was referred to my plastic surgeon, Steven Sultan, MD, who I quickly learned was the son of Dr. Mark Sultan, who did my mom’s prophylactic double mastectomy 10 years ago. It runs in the family.

During my double mastectomy surgery, Dr. Sultan did the cosmetic stitching and placed my tissue expanders, which I had for eight months of treatment. “After a mastectomy, one of the main things we worry about is the blood flow to the skin—in a lot of cases, if we were to put in a full-size implant right away, it would threaten the skin by stretching it. A tissue expander is a temporary implant that’s only partially inflated, and that allows us to let the skin rest and recover,” explains Dr. Sultan.

Recovery from this surgery was intense—I felt like I was hit by a truck. I spent two nights in the hospital; I couldn’t lift my arms and had to take two weeks off of work. On top of recovery, I quickly began the process of two back-to-back rounds of egg freezing to preserve embryos before I began treatment.

Treatment

Because my tumor was so small, I was a candidate to undergo my DMX before treatment. Knowing that the tumor had been physically removed from my body brought a wave of relief. But that was just step one. In December, I began 16 round of treatment. I started with four, bi-weekly chemotherapy session. Once that was complete, I had 12, less-intense weekly infusions. Cold capping—which is a cooling treatment that’s worn on the scalp before, during and after treatments in an effort to minimize hair loss—made my treatment days eight hours long.

Because I had the tissue expanders in place from my DMX, we gradually filled them several times throughout treatment until I reached a size that felt right for me. “In the office, we actually put a needle into a port in the expander, right through the skin. We inject fluid over the course of a couple weeks, and it reinflates the implants, stretching the skin into a pretty shape,” adds Dr. Sultan.

Aesthetically, they looked like boobs. I have bikini photos in them. But physically, they feel much harder, although you wouldn’t realize that unless you hugged me. They were a little uncomfortable, but never painful.

Mindset throughout treatment was everything. Staying positive, doing Pilates, keeping movement in my body. I didn’t want to miss a day of work. My schedule was so important, and maintaining a sense of normalcy was what kept me going.

My bridesmaids group chat turned into a support group. They are the ones who truly carried me through. We called it The Climb, because for the first few months I couldn’t even say the word “cancer.” There was so much joy and love—we made a playlist for the last day of treatment, and when I walked out of the hospital, all of my friends were standing there, blasting it. I felt every emotion that one could feel. It was the most joyous, exciting, and empowering day. But finishing treatment is also incredibly scary. For months, I was in this cocoon of doctors and nurses watching over me. I went from having blood work every week to suddenly having nothing. I had heard that when the physical work ends, the emotional work begins.

Having my reconstruction to look forward to felt like a light at the end of the tunnel. In many ways, I knew it would really mark the end of this chapter and the beginning of the next, which is more about survivorship than active treatment.

The Reconstruction

Although your plastic surgeon is only one piece of the puzzle, Dr. Sultan has supported me since my double mastectomy. Weekly check-ins, occasional expander inflation—he even dropped in to say hi on one of my treatment days. Leading up to my reconstruction, we had a pre-op appointment where we reviewed what was to come and how it all goes down. My understanding was that in the grand scheme of things, reconstruction was a much more palatable surgery than my initial mastectomy.

One of the strangest parts of reconstruction is being presented with all of these implants and actually holding them in your hands. They don’t speak in terms of A-cups or B-cups - it’s all 225cc, 295cc, or whatever Kylie says. Even crazier, when you’re under, the surgeon may try several different sizes before determining what looks best. You do not really know what size you will wake up with, so you really have to trust your doctor. My final direction right before I went under was “tasteful oomph.” That was the vision.

At the beginning of this journey, I couldn’t even have blood drawn without lying down and recovering afterward with apple juice. So I never imagined there would come a day when I would say I was excited for surgery. But by then, I was ready. When I woke up, my mom said I couldn’t stop smiling. No drains this time around, nipple preservation, lollipop scars. Dr. Sultan was able to reopen the same incisions from my mastectomy. I carry other physical reminders of cancer—like the scar by my armpit from my axillary dissection where they removed some of my lymph nodes—but the scars on my breasts are nearly invisible.

The Recovery

Compared to my first surgery, recovery felt like a breeze. I woke up, and I was like, let’s go. I had surgery on a Monday, and by Tuesday I was shopping on the Upper East Side with my mom. I don’t want to say it was easy, because getting implants is still a major surgery. But after everything my body has endured, this recovery felt less like another mountain to climb. It was such a relief.

I am just so happy. For the first time in a long time, I feel like my body is mine again. I know I will never be the girl I was before this experience, but I’m beginning to live like a normal 29-year-old again. I’m traveling. I’m re-planning my wedding. I’m thinking about the future again. I could have cried every day in bed for the past eight months, or I could have gotten up and said, This sucks, but let’s move forward—one day at a time. I just caught my breath, looked up, and realized I’m living again.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

Meet the Expert

Nothing gets us more excited than talking about a not-so-little tweakment or a nip-tuck procedure. In the spirit of transparency, Marie Claire’s aesthetics column, Life in Plastic, delivers a first-hand peek into what goes on behind the doctor’s door.

Marie Claire Beauty Editor Siena Gagliano shares her story of undergoing earlobe repair surgery for a stretched piercing.

I have worn gold hoop earrings nearly every day for as long as I can remember, so the slow collapse of my right earlobe felt less like a minor cosmetic issue and more like a threat to my aesthetic. I got my ears pierced when I was two, but the real downfall began in college, when one of my hoops got caught on another girl’s leather jacket at a bar. It didn't rip through completely—apparently my earlobe had just enough strength left—but the piercing was never quite the same afterward. Over the years, the hole crept closer and closer to the bottom of my lobe. At 27, putting in an earring felt like testing my luck; I was convinced every hoop could be the one that finally finished the job.

Board-certified plastic surgeon Ira Savetsky, MD says the first signs of damage are often subtle for earlobe repair patients. “Initially, patients may notice the piercing sitting lower or the hole becoming more oval-shaped. As the tissue continues to stretch, the skin underneath becomes thinner and weaker until it can partially or completely split.” (I know, I know, an uncomfy thought.) Mine had reached the unmistakable danger zone: elongated, noticeably lower than the piercing on my left ear, and struggling to hold an earring in place—I mean, really, it was holding on by a thread.

I had already attempted the less-invasive fixes. Filler was placed under the piercing to provide the thinning tissue with more support, but my earlobe apparently wasn't interested in a temporary solution as it hardly helped. I also tried wearing a new stud earring in a slightly higher piercing I had done a few months before, but it sat too close to the original hole and never looked right. I needed a permanent option.

I had the damaged piercing surgically closed, gave it time to heal, and eventually had it pierced again in a better position. The procedure took about an hour, required only local anesthesia, and was so easy that I went straight to work afterward. Now, my hoops hang evenly, and putting them on no longer feels like a high-stakes decision. Ahead, my experience getting earlobe repair surgery for my stretched piercing.

Day of the Procedure

After years of anticipating the dramatic moment my earlobe might finally split, the actual repair was beyond uneventful. I arrived at Dr. Savetsky’s office, sat in the procedure chair, and walked back out roughly an hour later. My nail appointments are longer.

The numbing injection was the only part I felt. It was a quick pinch, and within moments, my entire earlobe was numb. There was no sedation or operating room; I remained awake, and my role in the procedure was limited to sitting still and chit-chatting while Dr. Savetsky worked.

“Earlobe repair is typically a straightforward in-office procedure performed under local anesthesia,” he says. Once I was numb, he addressed the damaged hole itself. “The elongated or torn piercing tract is carefully excised so that fresh tissue edges can be recreated. The lobe is then meticulously reshaped and closed with fine sutures to restore a smooth, natural contour while minimizing visible scarring,” he says. In simpler terms? He removed the stretched-out hole and sewed the healthy edges back together. Since my piercing had stretched but had not torn completely through, the bottom edge of my lobe was still intact.

A fully split lobe would have been repairable, too, though restoring its shape could have required a more involved technique. “Depending on the extent of the deformity, the repair may involve a simple linear closure or more advanced techniques to preserve the shape and prevent notching,” Dr. Savetsky says. Let's just say, I was happy to have intervened before my hoop completed the job.

An hour after sitting down, the stretched hole was gone, and my earlobe was whole again. The operation I had avoided for years was, without exaggeration, one of the easiest beauty procedures I have ever done.

The Healing Process

I left Dr. Savetsky’s office with a tiny Steri-Strip covering my repaired lobe and instructions to keep it in place for the next week. He sent me home with extras in case they fell off, but the aftercare was a breeze. I could shower normally and continue my usual routine.

I replaced the Steri-Strips only once, which was about as demanding as the recovery got. They were visible but small enough that no one seemed to notice unless I pointed them out. My main responsibility was leaving my ear alone for the healing process, which, as Dr. Savetsky says, occurs over approximately one week, when sutures are typically removed. “However, the scar continues to strengthen and mature over several months.”

The Follow-Up Appointment

One week later, I returned to Dr. Savetsky’s office so he could remove the Steri-Strips and examine the repair. My earlobe already looked totally normal, just without the piercing hole, and was replaced by a few bruises.

Its appearance, however, didn't reflect the actual healing process. Although the surface had closed, the tissue underneath still needed time to strengthen before it could safely support new jewelry. Dr. Savetsky generally recommends waiting at least six to eight weeks before re-piercing, although he sometimes prefers waiting two to three months to allow the tissue to fully heal and soften.

The location of the new piercing is equally important. “When patients do re-pierce, it is important that the new piercing is placed slightly away from the scar line and not too low on the lobe,” he says. This prevents the problem from happening all over again.

Getting Re-Pierced

Eight weeks after paying to close a hole in my ear, I went to my favorite piercing and jewelry store, Mejuri, to put one back in. This time, everything—from the placement to the thickness of the jewelry—would be far more intentional than when I had been pierced with a gun in a mall pop-up when I was two.

If you haven't been to Mejuri, let me tell you, it's as luxe as it gets. Everything is meticulously clean, and the pretty jewelry surrounding you is candy for the eyes. Before picking up a needle, my piercer, Lyght Ruiz, examined both the front and back of my right lobe, felt along the repaired area, and assessed how the incision had healed. He told me there was hardly any noticeable scar tissue and considered the lobe fully healed.

Rather than simply placing a dot directly above the old hole, he looked at the entire scar line and the natural shape of both ears. “A lot of people want that symmetric look. It’s not necessarily possible all the time—or the most flattering,” Ruiz explained. “The goal is to place each piercing where it looks best on the individual ear, rather than forcing both sides into identical positions." After all, no two earlobes are perfectly the same.

Ruiz marked the proposed spot and let me examine the tiny dot before moving forward. Once we agreed on the placement, he created the new piercing with a 16-gauge needle and inserted a seven-millimeter post. The gauge system runs backward: the lower the number, the thicker the jewelry. At approximately 1.2 millimeters, a 16-gauge post is slightly thicker than the 20-gauge posts commonly found on traditional earrings.

That extra width was deliberate. “We use the 16-gauge for healing and swelling, so that way we don’t have a cheese-cutter effect,” he says. A thinner post concentrates pressure on a smaller area, almost like a wire cutting through cheese. The thicker-gauge spreads that pressure across more tissue as the piercing heals—an especially important consideration for an earlobe that has already stretched once and undergone surgery.

The piercing itself took seconds, and I hardly felt it. When I looked in the mirror, the jewelry sat comfortably away from the incision and looked completely balanced with my left ear.

Eight weeks will not be the right timeline for every repaired lobe. Ruiz told me he will turn a client away if the tissue does not appear ready, regardless of the general window a surgeon may have provided. “Everybody heals very differently,” he says. He explained that overall health, lifestyle, scar formation, and a history of keloids can all affect the decision. Some people may need to wait six to nine months or even a year before being pierced again. Just make sure you go to a reputable piercer who has enough experience.

Before and After My Repaired Ear Piercing

The Takeaway

For years, I treated my stretched piercing like a problem I could outsmart. I tried filler. I had a new hole pierced above it and wore it for a few months. I switched to lighter earrings when I remembered. I used supportive earring backs. But none of it stopped the original piercing from creeping lower—or changed the fact that I was eventually going to have to deal with it.

The surgery itself was quick, the recovery barely interrupted my life, and the final result solved something filler and strategic re-piercing could not. That does not mean I am suddenly retiring my gold hoops, but I am more conscious of how I wear them. Dr. Savetsky says the most common mistakes after repair include re-piercing too soon and immediately returning to heavy jewelry. “In my opinion, prevention is key after repair—lighter jewelry, occasional breaks from earrings, and avoiding repetitive tension on the lobe can help maintain the result long term.”

What surprised me most was the relief that came from fixing something so small. No one else was studying the distance between my piercing and the bottom of my ear, but I was—and I had been for years. Now, my earrings sit evenly, the repaired lobe looks completely natural, and I no longer feel like every night out could end with my hoop finishing what that leather jacket started.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

Meet the Experts

Nothing gets us more excited than talking about a not-so-little tweakment or a nip-tuck procedure. In the spirit of transparency, Marie Claire’s aesthetics column, Life in Plastic, delivers a first-hand peak into what goes on behind the doctor’s door.

Alana is a 42-year-old woman living in NYC with two children. She had four sessions of Emsella in Spring 2026. This is her story, as told to Marie Claire, edited for length and clarity.

After having two children, my pelvic floor became very weak. Every time I work out, I pee my pants. Like, immensely, and it was honestly just so frustrating. I’ve been peeing my pants for the past five years; it’s terrible. “Damage to the pelvic floor happens during vaginal birth due to the stretching and tearing of the soft tissues and muscles that support the pelvic organs,” explains double board-certified OBGYN and Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgeon Patricia Wallace, MD. “Women have more risk factors that impact the pelvic floor than men, and therefore have more issues—loss of bladder control, often with activity, coughing, or laughing, called stress incontinence.”

Nothing would fix it, either. I went to the doctor and they told me to keep doing kegels. But nobody shows you how to do a kegel the right way, and it’s just a very frustrating process. I even went to a GP (my general doctor), and they told me to go to physical therapy to strengthen my pelvic floor. I tried it, but it was super intrusive. I had to go twice a week, and frankly, I’m too busy. I work, and I have two kids. It’s not happening.

Then I heard about Emsella, which was just four 30-minute sessions. “Emsella is high-frequency electromagnetic energy that causes contractions in all the pelvic floor muscles. Emsella 'body builds' the pelvic floor,” explains Dr. Wallace. “It is impossible to contract all these muscles voluntarily, and while pelvic floor physical therapy is always great for technique, breath and body mechanics, it doesn’t lead to an increase in muscle mass.” I heard great things, but you really don’t believe it works until you try it. I finished the treatments a few weeks ago, and I’m happy to report there is no more pee in my pants.

Session One of Emsella

I wasn’t anxious going into my appointment. Honestly, I was just nervous. All I was thinking was, Is this going to hurt? But at the same time, we do so many things and treatments that are painful to our bodies just to help us feel better. The second I got to the office—I went to BLT Body Boutique by Dr. Yael Halaas in Manhattan—I felt better. The space was gorgeous, clean, and beautiful. I filled out some typical paperwork and waited in the lobby until they called me back into a private room.

In the room there’s this flat chair, and that’s the Emsella device. The nurse practitioner told me how to sit on it—you basically lean forward and push your pelvic floor down. Then I just had to stay seated like that for 30 minutes. It went by pretty fast, which was great. It feels like this motion of electric shock waves or energy that are hitting the inside of your pelvic floor. Imagine you’re snapping rubber bands on your hands. It feels like that, but on your pelvic floor. It’s this electrical current that travels through your body and contracts your pelvic floor muscles.

There’s no pain or even discomfort after the session. I ran the next morning and felt like I wasn’t wetting myself as much. This is TMI, but I also get kind of damp when I sleep—like I try to hold my pee and wake up a little wet. It wasn’t as bad the next morning.

Emsella Sessions 2 through 4

The process for all the sessions is the same. It’s the same strength and the same amount of time. I did one a week. I probably started to notice the biggest difference after my third session. I didn’t even know if I was going to go back for a fourth session, but better to be safe than sorry. After that last one, I started waking up, and my pants were totally dry. I don’t have to change my underwear every time I come home from the gym. Like, it’s two in the afternoon, and I’m wearing the same clothes I wore to work out this morning.

“Some women feel impact after a few sessions; other women see results closer to the end of six treatments,” says Dr. Wallace. “I usually recommend repeating sessions three times per year or more as needed to stay strong. Just like any other muscle, if you don’t use it, you lose it.”

The Takeaway on Emsella

I have no regrets. It made such a big difference. It hits the spot, and I honestly don’t know why anyone would spend months in PT over doing Emsella. I’ve told all my friends to do it. Nothing is ever wet anymore. It’s great.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

Meet the Expert

Nothing gets us more excited than talking about a not-so-little tweakment or a nip-tuck procedure. In the spirit of transparency, Marie Claire’s aesthetics column, Life in Plastic, delivers a first-hand peek into what goes on behind the doctor’s door.

Allison, a 39-year-old mother of three and the founder of Poppi soda, lost 60 pounds with the help of a GLP-1. After undergoing a breast reduction and breast lift, she continued her makeover journey, most recently with a circumferential tummy tuck and skinny Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL). This is her story, edited and condensed for clarity.

I like to call myself a naturally, annoyingly confident person. All my life, I’ve always felt secure with my body. I was one of those people who had really big boobs at 12, anchored by a strong, normal body. I grew up as an athlete and danced in college. I never had an eating disorder or body dysmorphia.

Despite being happy with my body, at some point, genetics start to come into play. For example, my mom always had a gut. Even though I’m active, I have a little belly. It never stopped me from wearing cute crop tops and swimsuits. It never bothered me all that much until things changed, especially with pregnancy. I know because I’ve been through it three times. I gave birth to big babies. Naturally, I gained quite a bit of weight with each pregnancy.

I started losing weight naturally. Then, I tried Ozempic back when it felt almost like a black-market medication and no one was really talking about it, which I didn’t understand because it’s amazing. Overall, I lost 60 pounds on it. And that changed my life. But even though I lost all this weight, my breasts were still large, and I had back pain. Yes, I get Botox and a little laser here and there, but that’s pretty much the extent of what I do—or did. So, two years ago, I had a breast reduction and lift. Now I’m a double D. My breasts are still big, but they fit my body better.

That experience became a catalyst for change. After that surgery, I opened up to the idea of doing whatever makes me feel good. So, when it came to my stomach and the idea of a tummy tuck, I told my husband I’m either doing this surgery, or we are having another kid, which was the total opposite end of the spectrum. About one year after that conversation, he went away on a snowboarding trip. I was home alone with all three kids for one week. I told him I’m not having any more kids; I can’t do this again. He told me, “It’s your body; your choice."

How I Found My Surgeon

What really drew me down this path was the idea of doing something for me. I wasn’t searching for perfection with plastic surgery.

I knew I wanted Dr. Ryan Neinstein to do my surgery. I researched the procedure and plastic surgeons for about one year. During that time, I had already started talking to him. A couple of my friends had gone to him, and it was encouraging to watch them go through their journeys firsthand.

At the time I made the decision to do this, I had also just sold Poppi. So, I figured, why not go to one of the best surgeons? I had an online interview with him and liked him off the bat. That’s basically how I decided to use Dr. Neinstein.

My Tummy Tuck + BBL Consultation and Prep

Since I live in Austin, Texas, and Dr. Neinstein is based in New York City, I had two Zoom consultations with him. During each one, I had to get fully naked so he could see my body. He recommended a circumferential tummy tuck, which involves an incision that extends around the entire abdomen and back. “After the babies and weight loss, Allison had concerns of a ‘loosey goosey’ feeling in her tummy, waist, and lower back,” Dr. Neinstein says. “The only procedure that would harmonize all her concerns and create a look with the same vibe from the front, sides, and back was a circumferential tuck, which allows us to apply the same principles to all the areas. The benefit of the shape change with a longer scar outweighs the scar itself, which is hidden in the bikini line.”

I also wanted to add just a little bit of volume to my butt. I've never had a butt. “She told me that she felt like her tush had not just fallen but was also deflated and sad,” Dr. Neinstein adds. Dr. Neinstein explained how he would first liposuction my back to help contour the area and then put some of that fat into my butt.

During the calls, we discussed the procedures in detail, and I asked him several questions. Since losing another 20 pounds since my breast reduction and lift, I was curious if I could redo them at the same time as my tummy tuck and BBL. Dr. Neinstein explained that tacking on another surgery would put me under anesthesia for too long. “I break up these big procedures for safety,” he says. “I also find that patients like to see what their new body looks like before they choose what they want their breasts to look like.” I respected the fact that he didn’t just tell me yes and charge me more. I think that’s the answer you expect from a good surgeon.

We decided on an April surgery date, and I was advised to take about four weeks off from work.

I also had to start a prep protocol a few weeks before surgery. It entailed stopping my GLP-1 three weeks prior to surgery as a safety precaution. I also did all the typical pre-surgery blood work and physicals. One thing I wouldn’t do is drink Juven (a nutritional powder) for two weeks leading up to my surgery. It’s supposed to provide nutritional support, but they’re full of dyes and colors, so I tossed them in the garbage.

I took my prep one step further with longevity testing. I went to Fountain Life, a longevity clinic, for an MRI, a CT scan, and a full-body workup. I was shocked when the results came back. They told me I was really healthy, and that my heart was, too. I'm 39 with a biological age of 25. All I could think was, “This is so amazing because I don't take great care of myself!” I was excited to feel good going into all of this.

My Tummy Tuck + BBL Surgery

My husband and I flew from Austin to New York the night before my surgery. The afternoon I arrived, I went straight to Dr. Neinstein’s office to meet with him. I had never seen him in person since all my consults were over Zoom. Then I went back to my hotel (The Plaza, which Dr. Neinstein recommends for recovery because it’s steps from his office) to rest since I had to be at his surgery center the following day at 6:30 a.m.

The morning of my surgery, I walked to Dr. Neinstein’s office. I was a little nervous, but since I already did my breasts, I knew that amazing things were going to come out of this. The nervousness was just a temporary moment in my life.

After I was checked in, Dr. Neinstein marked me up. I documented everything that was happening, but I wasn’t sure whether to share it on social media. I wanted to have it all there for me, just in case. I even made a “Get Ready with Me to Get a Tummy Tuck” video in his office, with my surgical markings and all. I couldn’t believe how many people were commenting that most people don’t share their full surgical experience, so I decided to share everything.

The last thing I remember is lying down and the anesthesiologist slowly administering anesthesia. At that point, I was ready for everything that was about to happen. I remember someone in the room talking to me, and then I fell asleep. When I woke up, I thought I was still having that same conversation from before. I remember coming out of the anesthesia easily and being in post-op for about one hour or so. I felt pretty good.

My Tummy Tuck + BBL Recovery

Once I was cleared to leave Dr. Neinstein’s surgical center, one of his nurses helped me get dressed and wheeled me back to my hotel. I was back in bed two hours after surgery, and then a few hours later, slowly walking around. “After surgery, we want to move the body to help heal itself,” Dr. Neinstein says.

A few hours later, I opened my phone and started recording, sharing everything I just experienced in a semi-anesthesia drug-induced state. I remember somewhat dancing around my hotel room with my butt covered in dressings and a diaper. I was happy.

The next morning, Dr. Neinstein came by to check on me. He was very present throughout the recovery process and either texted or called me every day. Even on day 18, he called. It’s rare to have a surgeon who makes sure you're recovering and healing properly from start to finish.

I had my first lymphatic drainage massage on day one post-procedure. I used a masseuse who specializes in lymphatics and only works with post-op patients. I repeated it again on day three and every day after that for one week. I’m not going to lie; the massages were very painful and very intense. I had to take a six-hour nap after the first one because the massage left me exhausted. But when I woke up, I felt so good.

The second day after my surgery, I went to Georgia Louise for a hyperbaric oxygen therapy session. My husband joined me in the chamber, and we watched a Netflix show. It was wonderful. According to Dr. Neinstein, pumping more oxygen into the body helps it heal faster. I did one session every day while I was in New York.

To make my recovery easier, I hired a nurse from Radiant Recovery Wellness for 24-hour nursing care for the first four days. They handled all my medications and kept everything on a schedule because it’s very important to stay on top of the pain. I think a private nurse is a must if you can afford it.

On day three, I was allowed to take a shower. I was still on pain medications, and I was so happy to have a nurse with me. I couldn’t stand all the way up and had to crouch over. Since I had incisions on my back, I had to try to stand a little straighter than the average tummy tuck patient, but with a bit of a hunch so as not to put stress on any area. Remember, I was cut from hip to hip and all the way around the backside of my body, and fat was added to my butt. This was also the day I realized that I would soon be without a nurse. I didn’t think I would be able to get my garments on, bend over, or do anything. I had three more days of recovery in New York (I was there for one week), so I flew my mom in to help me.

By far the worst part of my recovery was the gas that I experienced. It was unreal. “Sometimes, gas is simply a result of the anesthesia, and sometimes the muscle repair slows down the body’s ability to clear gas for a few days,” Dr. Neinstein explains. Plus, I was wearing a special corset that was very tight. I've never taken Gas-X in my life, yet I was popping them left and right. There were points when the gas was so bad that I was crying. After three days, it was finally over.

The BBL made it hard to sit on my butt (actually, I couldn’t at all) and was equally as bad. It’s so uncomfortable sitting on a little pillow that goes under my legs. I tried sitting without it, but it just hurt too much. So, I kept with it.

I really took all the post-instructions to heart and followed everything my surgeon said. I think it helped with my recovery and swelling. I'll literally do anything I can to help my body heal quickly, because I’m not a girl who has time to sit still.

Around the 10-day mark, I could stand up straight, but everything felt stiff. I also tried to make sure that I moved around and was able to stop taking all the prescription medications around this time. 


Throughout my recovery, I shared every step on social media. I was showing my before-and- after pictures. I was showing my body. I even filmed changing my bandages and all my incision points. I was sharing it all.

My Tummy Tuck + BBL Results

If you looked at me, I don’t think you’d have any idea that I had a BBL. It looks like someone else’s normal butt. That’s Dr. Neinstein’s whole thing: mommy makeovers that look natural. Trust me, I wasn't trying to look like Cardi B. But adding some volume to my butt gave me an hourglass shape. Now, everything looks snatched.

One thing that surprised me, or maybe I was uninformed going in, is that my tummy tuck scar also has a little T scar below my belly button. I had heard about some surgeons doing this. It’s really a game-time decision made in the operating room. When I finally saw it, that was a very “oh” moment for me, and I was a little shocked. But it’s important for people to know that it may be necessary to get the result you want. Thankfully, it’s very light. And there are so many things to do, like lasers, microneedling, and skin brighteners, that can help with the scar later on, if necessary.

I’m only a few weeks out from the surgeries, so everything is still relatively fresh. My scars are healing well. I’m still doing one-hour lymphatic drainage massages three times per week now that I’m home. The woman doing them said my swelling is unreal—in a good way! I also added IV drips and the peptide glow stack into the mix.

I already see changes in my body. It’s crazy that when I look in the mirror, I see a difference. It's like night and day. I'm trying to be kind to my body because there’s still some swelling, and I want it to be better already and calm down.

At the end of the day, I feel very confident with how my body looks. My stomach is flat, and my scars are thin. There’s a euphoric feeling of putting on a pair of old pants and them not fitting—in a good way! And to go on a little shopping spree and get my clothes altered to fit my new body, that is gold.

But the best feeling is sharing my story and journey on social media and hearing so many women say they are doing what I did. I had quite a few messages where people said they were having a tummy tuck, and that gave me so much peace because it's scary.

I'm glad I did this now, especially since so many people wait until they are in their 50s or 60s to get plastic surgery. I’m 39, and I want to enjoy my new stomach and butt for the rest of my life. Why wait if you don’t need to?

Looking back, maybe the only thing I would have done differently is lose all the weight before my first breast surgery, because now I need a revision. Or, I could look at it like the last two years have been life-changing, and I could have never had that, right? I'm very much about making a decision and living with it, but I think getting to your ideal weight before surgery is important because you'll have better results, feel better, and be healthier. I think people think that plastic surgery is going to cure everything.

I’d also recommend documenting everything if you’re going to have a procedure. You don't have to share it with anyone, but it is fun to look back at the progress of it all. 


Meet the Expert

Nothing gets us more excited than talking about a not-so-little tweakment or a nip-tuck procedure. In the spirit of transparency, Marie Claire’s aesthetics column, Life in Plastic, delivers a first-hand peek into what goes on behind the doctor’s door.

Grayson is a 21-year-old creator and certified personal trainer who underwent gender affirming top surgery to remove his breast tissue with Dr. Keith Blechman, a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon. This is his experience, edited and condensed for clarity.

I wasn't the type of person that, since a young age, always knew I was trans. It was something that I suppressed for a lot of my life. I remember when I was a kid, I would put books and dictionaries on my chest hoping that it wouldn't grow. So it was always something in the back of my mind. I'd say 16 to 17 is when I started turning the gears. It wasn't necessarily like I woke up and realized I was trans. I went through a lot of phases that other trans guys that I've talked to also experienced. At first, I identified as a lesbian. Then I identified as non-binary, gender nonconforming. And then I realized when I started building muscle, building what is more of a masculine look, that I would identify as a transgender man. I started using he/him pronouns, changed my name to Grayson, and then started T. Top surgery for me is what felt like the next step, and really aligned with what I always envisioned.

How I Found My Surgeon

My best friend, someone I've worked with—I post a lot on social media with—actually got top surgery with Dr. [Keith Blechman]. I have the same date as him, a year apart. So I saw him do top surgery with Dr. B, he has some of the most incredible results I've ever seen in my entire life. And a lot of the internet seems to think the same way as well. And I honestly was like, "Hey, I'll weigh out my options and all that stuff." But the second I got on with Dr. B and had that consultation, it just felt super aligned. I think word of mouth is huge in our community to make sure you can have a surgeon you trust and feel safe with.

"We treat patients with gender dysphoria or who are looking for top surgery, the same as we would anybody else that came into the office," says Dr. Blechman. "You [take] some basic medical history. Obviously there are certain questions that are specific to them that you're not going to ask other people. I generally don't ask people if they're taking testosterone, a woman coming in for something that has nothing to do with gender. And you do a physical exam just like anybody else. The only thing that differs as far as preoperatively is that for gender-affirming surgeries, the standard of care is to have a referral letter from a qualified mental health professional."

"It's become half the practice at this point. We've gotten calls from 46 states. I just spoke with somebody from Lexington, Kentucky. Because it's getting harder to find this kind of care outside in certain places, people are willing to travel. We have a level of expertise they're willing to travel for regardless, but there's just not as many options in other places. I'm like an accidental tourist in this area because I never even met a trans person when I was training. I was doing breast cancer reconstruction when I went into practice. So somebody came into my office randomly and asked me to do a mastectomy, and I was so puzzled because they didn't have breast cancer. It took me a second to figure out what was going on, and then I was like, 'Okay, this is within my wheelhouse.' So I did the operation, and then instead of tears and Kleenex, it was like, 'Hey, I finally look great.' And that was fun."

My Top Surgery Consultation

I started the process around April [last year]. I got on a Zoom with Dr. B because I was in California, and then I wanted to go in person for a consultation. Because I had a relatively small chest pre-top surgery, there were a few different options. I ideally wanted to get a double incision, but didn't know if it would work best. So the next time I was in New Jersey, a few months after that, I had an in-person consultation, and then everything went well.

We decided on a double incision. [Dr. Blechman talked me through the options, explained what it was going to look like, and then, based on my convenience (again, when I'd be back on the East Coast), we ended up scheduling for November 12th. I had this huge limiting belief that top surgery was going to be this massive waitlist and this long, dredged-out process because it is for so many others. So I remember when my buddy Ali called me and he's like, "Yeah, I just got on the phone with a top surgeon. I'm getting it in six weeks." It was unheard of for me at that point. That was actually another big reason I went with Dr. B. I was like, his results not only were phenomenal, but the turnaround time was so incredible as well. I work a lot with the community, so I hear a lot of people being on waitlists for years, consultations, pushback, surgeries, all that stuff.

"Generally speaking, when you talk about chest masculinization in general, there's really two main options," says Dr. Blechman. "Those options are going to be dependent upon whether, when you remove the breast tissue, if there's extra skin, meaning that if your breasts are small enough, if your skin is tight enough, you might be able to take the breast tissue out and the skin will just shrink wrap back to your chest. If that's the case, we do the periareolar approach—peri meaning the perimeter of the areola. We make it just a scar around the areola. We basically pry open the tissue, pull the breast tissue out, sew it back up, and it sticks back to your chest. If we think that if we did that, we'd be leaving someone with hanging skin pancakes or a ruffled appearance, then we want to cut that skin off.

"That's where the double incision comes into play. And the double incision gets its name because one incision goes under the breast and the other goes over, but it really should be called the quadruple incision because you do it on both sides. That allows us to take the tissue off with the extra skin, and then we sew it up, and that's what gives those two hockey stick-shaped scars at the base of the pec muscle, the bench press muscle."

My Surgery Preparation

I can attest to Dr. B's incredible team. It was very easy for me—one click of a button and I had an Amazon link of everything I needed, [and] I was able to order straight to my parents' house. When I got there, it was already there. The [surgical team] were in constant communication with me. I got a meditation or breath work [link] sent to me the night before. I was just hydrating like they told me to. Electrolytes. Stool softeners. Whatever they said I needed to do prior to the procedure, I was doing that, trying to just be as relaxed as I possibly could be.

The Day of My Top Surgery

I woke up at four in the morning. My mom and my girlfriend came with me and we got to the medical center where we were actually doing the surgery. It was a pretty seamless process, honestly. [There] wasn't a lot of waiting. They did the pre-op stuff, the anesthesiologist came in and talked to me. I had a bunch of nurses come in. Dr. B came in. And I was able to have family and friends be there for that part of the experience to an extent as well, which I thought was really, really cool.

I think Dr. B was the last person that I spoke with before I had a nurse take me up into the OR. I felt very comfortable throughout the whole process. I'm not typically the type of person to get super anxious about surgeries or anything along those lines, but I haven't had many. I was actually very surprised at how calm I was about the whole thing. And I really do think it was just because of how much communication I got with Dr. B and his team leading up to the surgery and just how comfortable I felt in the decision and the team that was going to be conducting the surgery. The surgery took a couple hours and then I woke up not in the operating room with family and friends.

Recovery From My Top Surgery

I've heard so many different experiences about top surgery because it obviously varies surgeon to surgeon. Some people are in excruciating pain for multiple weeks; some people have drains. I know Dr. B doesn't practice with drains, so right off the bat, I was grateful for that because I have heard that has been one of the worst experiences for people. That being said, my recovery was genuinely very, very easy. I wouldn't even say I experienced pain. I would say discomfort would be the absolute max. All I took was Advil post-op.

The biggest issue for me was just discomfort sleeping because I had to sleep on my back, and not being able to shower. So champagne problems when it comes to recovery. For 72 hours I was a little sleepy, a little out of it, but I work online, so I was back working, talking to my team, doing everything virtually and remote, pretty much a week and a half after. And from there, I never had any pain. Even when I started getting it to the gym, I never had any weird sensations. I even have feeling on my scars and my nipples. My buddy that's had top surgery for three years still can't feel his nipples. So I feel like I had an amazing experience overall with the recovery.

My Post-Op Visits

We did a four or five week post-op visit because I was still in the area, and we just communicated clear boundaries in terms of easing our way back into [training and working out], really just focusing on how you feel and not diving headfirst back into things. And at the 12-week mark, I looked exactly how I did before surgery. I was able to maintain the majority, if not all, of my muscle mass through diet advice that I myself knew and Dr. B talked about with me as well. So it was very easy for me to not feel anxious that I'd lose all that progress. And obviously muscle memory was a very real thing that came into play.

A snapshot of what we do is we aim to utilize fitness as a tool of gender-affirming care for individuals who maybe don't have access to T, top surgery, things along those lines. Fitness was a huge role in me feeling confident and affirmed in my identity when I was still in the closet, couldn't even think about T, top surgery, all that stuff. So it's always been a really big thing for our clients.

Final Thoughts on Top Surgery

It's funny, I don't remember what my life looked like before top surgery, and I've heard that a lot with friends as well. It feels very natural, and I never doubted the decision, but once it happened and once I took my binder off for the first time and was able to see that, it was an indescribable feeling.

I had a relatively small chest pre-op, so I was thinking there's [not] going to be much of a difference. Parts of me thought this might just be a box that I want to check to feel more aligned, but it definitely did not feel like that when it came down to seeing it for the first time. Also just being able to express myself in a way. I have always been the type of person, with my content and stuff, to preach confidence. Even when I was taping and binding, I'd take my shirt off in the gym and lift to show people that they can do that regardless of what step they're on in their transition. So to be able to see that from every single phase and now have, what seems like for me personally, at least right now, the final box in my medical transition checked, it feels like it's a memento to my younger self.

I was in this waiting game for years [where] I didn't want to come out. I didn't know who I was. I was like, Okay, maybe I'm a lesbian, maybe I'm this, maybe I'm not. I'm going to stop confusing everybody around me. So many limiting beliefs. And to be able to fully feel like myself and have everyone around me see that as well. I look in the mirror, I see me, and [for] people to look at me and see me in a way that I actually want them to perceive me is a feeling that is hard to put into words.

Meet the Expert

Nothing gets us more excited than talking about a not-so-little tweakment or a nip-tuck procedure. In the spirit of transparency, Marie Claire’s aesthetics column, Life in Plastic, delivers a first-hand peek into what goes on behind the doctor’s door.

Erin Lichy is one of the stars of Bravo’s Real Housewives of New York City. She underwent a breast augmentation and lift surgery in January 2026. This is her story, as told to Marie Claire, edited for length and clarity.

I’ve had four kids. For me, getting my boobs done was not a matter of if, it was a matter of when. Originally, I didn’t think I was going to even get an implant—maybe just a lift. But after I met with my doctor, Dr. Ira Savetsky, I realized that it was the right decision for me because I wouldn’t get the results that I wanted without one. I mean, I really had no breast tissue left. He made a joke that I could do the lift now, but I’d be back in six months and say, "You were right.”

It’s funny—I had double D’s in high school, so I always thought I would get a reduction. But then I had kids and lost everything. It’s so crazy how that happens. I literally lost all of my breast tissue. Truly, all of it. I did a lot of research on the type of implants. I wanted a really, really natural look. Dr. Ira said Natrelle was the only choice, so that’s what we went with. Honestly, I’m so happy with the decision I made. “One of the reasons I use Natrelle implants in my practice is the ability to truly customize results. There are over 300 implant options, which allow me to tailor the choice based on each patient’s anatomy, goals, and lifestyle,” says Dr. Ira. “The implants are designed with 100 percent smooth shell technology and a cohesive gel that helps maintain shape while still feeling natural.”

The main thing for me is de-stigmatizing this whole experience for moms and, you know, not making it such a gate-kept, taboo thing. I feel like I see so many influencers who are moms who just like never say anything about it. And there's nothing to be ashamed of. It changes your life in such a positive way. I also think it's unfair for people to think that these women just have naturally perfect bodies. There’s nothing wrong with saying that you want to feel more confident. That's why I'm really happy to share it, and I'm proud to share it, and I hope it encourages people to do whatever they need to do to feel good.

The Consultation

My consultation was in November. My biggest concern going into it was that the implants would look like implants. He was very confident that that’s not always the case; it really matters what you choose and how you implant them. “After having four children, Erin experienced volume loss along with skin laxity and mild sagging, which is incredibly common,” explains Dr. Ira. “Her goal was to restore both the volume and shape to what they were prior to pregnancy. In her case, the most effective way to achieve a natural, balanced result was to combine an implant with a lift, restoring volume while also repositioning the breast for a more youthful, refined contour.”

I didn’t realize there were so many nuances to the actual procedure; I really had no idea. A lot of my friends are starting to do implants, and I feel like a lot of them look almost like they were just placed on the chest. I didn’t want that [look], so we discussed that. Otherwise, there weren’t a ton of changes I needed to make leading up to surgery, but I didn’t drink alcohol the week before. It was honestly pretty seamless.

Day of Surgery

I was definitely a little nervous. It’s the biggest surgery I’ve ever had. I didn’t have any C-sections with my kids, although it was my second time under anesthesia. Abe, my husband, took the kids to the Hamptons, so I Ubered to Dr. Ira’s office and went into surgery. “We chose Natrelle INSPIRA SoftTouch Low Plus Projection 190cc implants to restore volume, along with a lift to restore the shape and position of the breast. The implant was placed using a dual plane technique, which means the upper portion of the implant sits beneath the pectoralis muscle, while the lower portion is positioned beneath the breast tissue,” explains Dr. Ira. “This approach allows for a softer, more natural upper pole contour, while still giving the implant the ability to expand the lower pole and shape the breast appropriately. It’s particularly useful in post-pregnancy patients with volume loss, as it helps the implant blend more seamlessly with the native tissue.”

My sister picked me up when I came out of surgery. She said I was the funniest person coming out of anesthesia. She should have recorded me. I was apparently bringing up things from when we were, like, 12 that I didn’t even think I remembered. I had on a surgical bra and was also taped all the way around. Dr. Ira had me keep that wrap on for a while. I was in a little discomfort, but honestly, that was it.

My sister brought me home and stayed with me at my place. Honestly, it was so much fun. We ordered in food and watched The Housemaid. We had to figure out a way to watch it bootlegged because it wasn’t out yet. We finished the night with Pinkberry. It was just such a fun, girly time.

The Recovery

The first week, my boobs were very high. I remember calling Dr. Ira and just being very confused, asking, “Are my boobs going to be this big? They look so big.” He was like, “No, no, no, just relax.” Then they finally fell, and I was obsessed with them, but I wasn’t expecting that.

The hardest part was waiting a while to work out again. I’m bad though—I was really careful the first two to three weeks, and I didn’t pick up my kids, but by week five I was on the ski slopes. At six weeks, I could do a bit more, and by seven weeks, I was back to pilates and everything.

One really funny thing: I was at dinner with my family, my siblings, my sister, and my husband. And I'm like, there's this weird smell, and I feel like it’s coming from one of my scars. My sister Kelly is like, "Why would there be a smell?” So she’s smelling one side of my boob and saying it smells like a belly button. So I run to Dr. Ira—apparently it’s totally normal; one of my stitches just didn’t fall out. It was funny.

I have a lollipop scar (down the center and underneath), but Dr. Ira gave me scar cream. And I also did my own research because I’m crazy, and I read that castor oil is really good for scarring, so I’ve been doing that, too. Sometimes I’ll still feel a little stitch, but overall I healed really easily.

The Takeaway

I didn’t even realize how much more confident I would feel. My chest feels the way I want it to feel. I used to have to wear tape to pull up my boobs all the time, and now it’s like my clothes just fit differently. It’s really a whole new experience. I tell everyone it was probably one of the best decisions in my entire life. I can just get up and go. I don’t have to think about what I’m going to do with my boobs if I’m wearing a backless dress. In a bikini, I always had weird skin that was just there. Now it’s not. “I always tell patients we’re not choosing a number, we’re designing a result. The goal is something that looks effortless and proportionate, both in and out of clothing,” says Dr. Ira.

What’s really so crazy to me is that they feel so natural. They feel like me. That was definitely important to me, so I know we made the right choice. It was just the best surgery. I tell everyone to do it.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

Meet the Expert

Nothing gets us more excited than talking about a not-so-little tweakment or a nip-tuck procedure. In the spirit of transparency, Marie Claire’s aesthetics column, Life in Plastic, delivers a first-hand peak into what goes on behind the doctor’s door.

After Doja Cat shared openly about undergoing liposuction to correct potential lipedema symptoms, more women are coming clean, too. Rachael is a 51-year-old woman living outside of Philadelphia. Over a two-year period, she had six liposuction surgeries performed on her arms, abdomen, waist, hips, thighs, and ankles to free her body from the symptoms associated with lipedema. This is her story, edited and condensed for clarity.

Content warning: The below article includes reference to disordered eating.

My whole life, I knew I was a little bit different. For as long as I can remember, the bottom half of my body never matched the top half. I had a small waist and thin arms, but my lower body was giant. I remember being about eight years old, wearing ridiculously short polyester gym shorts, when a boy in class looked at me and said, “Are you mad?” “Mad about what?” I asked. “That your legs are so big and don't match the rest of your body?” I still remember it as if it were yesterday.

I've had lipedema, a chronic condition involving an abnormal buildup of fat, since puberty. I didn’t know I had it until four years ago. Lipedema is genetic, and it runs in my family. My mom and aunt had it, yet none of us were aware. All we knew was that we had these big, column-like, tree-trunk legs and large cankles that prevented us from wearing skirts and showing our knees.

For most of my life, I could never lose the extra weight or make my legs look small enough. I constantly worked out and dieted. I even went down the eating disorder route. Now I know it was lipedema.

“Lipedema is a distinct disease process that affects how fat is stored and distributed in the body. It is often associated with pain, tenderness, and easy bruising,” explains Dr. [Thomas] Su [MD, a cosmetic surgeon and the owner of Tampa-based ArtLipo]. “Lipedema fat behaves differently from normal fat. It is more fibrotic, more inflamed, and more resistant to the body’s normal metabolic processes. This is why patients often develop disproportionate volume, a nodular texture underneath the skin, and a column-like shape to the limbs.” Fast forward to my mid-30s. I went on the Atkins diet and was working out profusely—two to three times a day. I was constantly weighing myself because I was so obsessed with slimming down. While I lost some weight, I never got rid of my tree trunk legs, which bothered me so much. I couldn’t achieve defined-looking calves.

Then, my arms started to become affected. After seeing photos of myself, I noticed pockets of fat on both elbows that I never had before. The lipedema had spread to my arms. It grew into this very dense, very heavy, very sore fat pocket. Lipedema is strongly influenced by hormones, which is why Dr. Su says it often develops or worsens during puberty, pregnancy, or menopause. “These hormonal shifts can increase fat accumulation and make symptoms such as swelling and discomfort worse,” he adds.

How I Found My Doctor

Three years ago, while doom-scrolling Instagram, I came across a photo of a woman whose legs looked identical to mine. I started reading her story, and she mentioned she had lipedema. At the time, I had no idea what it was and that it plagued me. So, I immediately Googled it and went down a rabbit hole. I was checking off all the boxes and saying, “yes, yes, yes! This is me!”

I discovered a Facebook group dedicated solely to Dr. Su and some of his patients. Once I entered that group, I felt seen and heard, as if I belonged, because there were other women who had experienced everything I had.

I didn't know surgery, specifically liposuction, was an option. A few women in the group had posted about their multiple surgeries to address lipedema, and I immediately knew I wanted to do it too. Lipedema is a disease, and I wanted to get as much of this diseased tissue out of my body. But I struggled with the idea of resorting to liposuction to get me to where I wanted to be. As an online fitness coach for 10 years, I felt like surgery meant that I was cheating, even though I knew liposuction was medically necessary for me. According to Dr. Su, currently, liposuction is the most effective surgical option for treating lipedema. “It removes diseased fat directly, helping reduce volume, improve mobility, and often relieves pain,” he says. “When done properly, liposuction can make a major difference in both function and appearance.”

After receiving my official lipedema diagnosis at age 47, I traveled to Arizona to see board-certified endocrinologist and lipedema expert Karen Herbst, MD, for a second opinion. She confirmed a far more detailed diagnosis: stage 2, types 3 and 4, which meant I had lipedema in my arms, legs, and torso. I left feeling seen, understood, and, for the first time, hopeful about what was ahead for me. I realized I was advocating for myself after decades of being told to eat less and exercise more.

I started my journey to find the right surgeon. I had researched a few but kept circling back to Dr. Su. No results, at least in my opinion, come close to his, which are phenomenal. I also like that he has been doing lipedema liposuction surgeries for at least 10 years and has an artistic background. The other surgeons I was looking into seemed to show before-and-after images with smaller legs, but they weren't sculpted, which was something I really wanted. Plus, with Dr. Su’s technique, he can remove about 85 to 90 percent of the tissue; other surgeons who can only get 50 to maybe 80 percent. That's another reason why I wanted him to do my surgery.

My Liposuction Consultation

Before my consultation, which was done over Zoom, I was asked to take several photos in different poses, wearing a bathing suit or bra and underwear. During my virtual consult, he literally drew on my pictures with a marker, shading in areas where he would remove fat. I could envision what I would look like with beautifully sculpted knees, more defined calves, and tiny ankles. I told him I also wanted to do my arms, waist, and legs.

Together, we decided he would perform six separate liposuction surgeries, all done while I was awake. According to Dr. Su, awake liposuction allows the patient to remain conscious and actively tighten and hold their muscles in different positions for better control while sculpting and removing the fat. “This allows for smoother, more natural results and also avoids the risks of general anesthesia.”

Under Florida law (where Dr. Su practices), a maximum of four liters of fat can be removed per procedure. I’m a larger-framed woman, so I knew he would have to break this down into several smaller procedures for both safety and the best possible results. There’s also only so much lidocaine (a local anesthetic) that the body can tolerate.

After my consultation, I decided to do my best to get the surgeries covered by my insurance, which I knew would be an uphill battle because insurance companies do not recognize lipedema. Only recently has it been as widely recognized as it is now. Plus, liposuction is almost always considered a cosmetic procedure.

My first go around, I was denied coverage. But with an accurate diagnosis and research that shows that surgery helps eliminate the diseased tissue from the body, finally, after almost one year, I was approved for all six of my surgeries.

My Six Liposuction Surgeries

I flew solo from Philadelphia to Tampa, Florida, for every one of my surgeries. I was a nervous wreck on surgery day and with each subsequent one thereafter. One nurse in particular, Tara, could tell how nervous I was and gently led me through a short meditation while I was lying on the table, which calmed me. I learned how to meet my nerves with intention, turning to deep breathing, meditation, and prayer to steady myself.

The first liposuction surgery that Dr. Su performed was on my abdomen. I was given some pre-op medication to help with any pain and nausea, and to prevent an infection. At the start of the procedure, I felt small “bee sting” injections as the numbing agent was administered. After that, there was some more anesthesia, but I was fully aware.

Then, a few months later, I went back to Tampa for liposuction on my knees and cankles. I wanted to get this one out of the way since it was supposed to be the most painful recovery. Since I was awake during the procedure, I remember lying on the table flexing my leg muscles and holding them in different positions while my [practitioner] was liposuctioning out the fat and literally sculpting around my muscles. There were moments of discomfort, but for the most part, liposuction felt more like pressure and movement rather than sharp pain.

After one leg was done, he did a reveal. I sat up and started bawling my eyes out because, for the first time, my leg had a sculpted knee and a small ankle. It was one of the most moving moments of my life. Then, Dr. Su stood me up in front of a mirror so I could see the liposuctioned leg compared to the other. I can’t even describe the feeling of seeing my new, defined legs. He also had me raise my leg, which felt as light as a feather compared to the other one. Then, I hopped back on the table, and he started to liposuction my other leg.

Because I was awake, Dr. Su would talk me through what he was doing, keeping things light and reassuring. At a certain point, I would close my eyes, focus on my breathing, and let the voice in the operating room fade into the background. It became almost meditative in its own way. Going through each surgery awake wasn’t easy, but it was manageable.

In December 2022, I did it again. This time, Dr. Su liposuctioned my waist, hips, and flanks. But, because at the time, I weighed 215 pounds, he had to break the surgery into two operations due to the maximum fat removal rules, otherwise I wouldn’t get the results I wanted. I’m glad we did it this way because Dr. Su was able to remove more fat, and the results are stunning.

Around this time, I also nailed down a surgery routine. I’d arrive in Tampa a few days before my surgery to prepare both mentally and physically and always stay at the same hotel. The day before surgery, I’d take a long walk along the water or sit quietly by the pool to ground myself. I was always nervous leading up to surgery, no matter how many procedures I’d had. Then, the night before my procedure, I’d set up my room with everything I needed, making sure everything was within reach. This became part of my process, and in a way, it helped me feel more in control. Even though I was physically alone, I never felt alone. My family checked in on me constantly, and I had a community of women on Facebook that were my lifeline throughout the entire journey.

A few months later, Dr. Su [treated] my upper arms, which entailed the same steps as what was done during the surgeries for my legs. I was awake and tensing and flexing my arms, holding them in different positions as he sculpted them. Then, just like with my legs, I sat up and looked in the mirror, noticing an immediate difference in muscle definition between the treated arm and the non-treated one. For the first time ever, I saw my triceps and defined shoulders.

In the four months between my lower leg liposuction and my thigh procedure, each thigh had grown by two inches. The lipedema on the sides of my thighs was dreadfully painful. So, next, I went in for liposuction on my thighs with Dr. Su’s special procedure, 360 Thighs, which creates a smooth contour.

I thought my thighs would be my last surgery. It wasn’t.

Finally, I decided to do my forearms. They were the only untreated part of my body, and my lipedema had progressed badly there, so much so that it was affecting my grip strength. I couldn't even hold a coffee cup. I was seeing a physical therapist for manual lymphatic drainage massages, and when she measured my pre-surgery and post-surgery grip strength, it went from 30 pounds to almost 70 pounds in one week! Besides giving me more sculpted arms, the surgery improved my grip strength tremendously.

My Liposuction Surgery Recovery

With each surgery—which ranged from 90 minutes to two hours, plus prep time—the recovery process was pretty much the same. I won’t say it was easy. A lot of people think liposuction is no big deal. It’s major surgery that causes trauma to the body.

Following each procedure, I always had a post-op appointment the day after surgery so Dr. Su could check everything, and his nurses could get me into fresh compression. I would fly home the following day. I wanted to recover in my own space and be home when swelling would peak, since flying can make it so much worse.

With each procedure, I took off plenty of time to give my body the proper rest it needed. When I had my legs and arms done, I stayed home and recovered for a good two weeks. I spent most of my time relaxing while wearing compression garments, which are mandatory for two weeks. I wore them a little longer because they help the skin retract more, so everything is smoother. I find it more comfortable to wear compression, even though I have a love-hate relationship with it, because it’s comforting and soothing in a weird way.

I also made sure to focus on eating anti-inflammatory foods, plenty of protein, and staying hydrated (I also followed this same routine leading up to each surgery).

“Swell hell” happened after each surgery, somewhere between days four and six. For one week, my body would be at its peak level of swelling. Every day, I’d think my body couldn’t possibly swell anymore, but it did. I would cry in the shower thinking, “What have I done to myself?” At this point, I didn’t look like myself; I was so swollen. I looked worse than before. I’m lucky I had my support groups and women telling me to hang in there and that all this is normal.

I would rest and walk as much as possible, but at first, it was tough. A walk entailed either a shuffle out to the mailbox or a slow, careful walk up and down the stairs. I would also get on my stationary bike and try to move my legs just a little bit, even though my body didn't really want to.

The recovery process left me tired—almost exhausted. I just kept remembering that I had to let my body heal.

Around day 11 post-op, I would start to feel more like myself. At this point, the swelling would begin to ease, and I could see the results peeking through. I had manual lymphatic drainage about two weeks post-op. I found it incredibly helpful for swelling. I also incorporated hyperbaric oxygen treatments, cryotherapy, and red-light therapy to support healing. More than anything, I listened to my body.

My Liposuction Results

Now that everything has settled, I’m extremely happy with my results. I feel they are even better than the drawings my doctor made during my consultation. That's how amazing his work is.

One area where I saw the biggest change was my arms. Here I was, working out my arms so hard for years, but I could never see my muscles because they were hidden by so much dense, heavy, diseased lipedema tissue. Once all that was removed, I could see my arms.

Most people can't believe I did this surgery six times. And sometimes I couldn’t believe I was doing what I was doing. But it’s only because my results are so phenomenal. And I’m not just speaking from an aesthetic sense. Being able to walk without pain and not feeling heavy and weighed down—I literally felt like I had sandbags strapped to my ankles—is a game-changer. For years, I normalized all this pain. I just thought it was the way my legs were. So, to go from that to feeling no pain at all is huge.

I just went on a vacation, and it was the first time since my surgeries that I wore a bikini. Having this newfound confidence is more than I ever dreamed of, because I spent so much of my life hiding behind pants. All of this has been a dream come true, and I still pinch myself. Every time I pass a mirror, I want to pull up my pants and look at my legs.

Of course, some days, I wake up and wonder if my lipedema will return, so that's a constant fear. Some people say it can return, so I do everything I can to keep it at bay. I'm three years out, and my lipedema has not regrown because I'm basically a living experiment. I didn't go through six surgeries and recovery hell just to blow my diet. I also take a GLP-1, which research shows helps keep lipedema at low levels and reduces inflammation. I do everything I can to prevent it from returning: lymphatic drainage massage, vibration plates, and red light therapy—it’s a lifestyle change.

If there's one thing I could say to anybody who has lipedema or thinks they have it, know that you're not alone, and it’s not your fault. It’s important to seek a diagnosis from someone well-versed in lipedema. So many doctors don't know about this condition, so you must be your own advocate and not give up. But once you have an answer, it can provide a path forward, whether with or without surgery. I chose surgery, but not everyone can or wants to. I would go through every single surgery again for the physical, mental, and emotional transformation it gave me. Being in a new body is something I can’t explain. I still pinch myself. It’s like a dream.

Meet the Expert

Nothing gets us more excited than talking about a not-so-little tweakment or a nip-tuck procedure. In the spirit of transparency, Marie Claire’s aesthetics column, Life in Plastic, delivers a first-hand peak into what goes on behind the doctor’s door.

I always joke that I was Ozempic’s patient zero. In 2020, my endocrinologist, Dr. Anna Kausel, wrote me a prescription for the GLP-1 medication, which at that point, I had never heard of. But my Columbia-trained physician believed it was the smartest option for my medical history, weight, and bloodwork. I got it approved through insurance and started weekly injections. One year later, I had lost 65 pounds on the lowest dose. It changed my life. It changed my health. And, perhaps most unexpectedly, it changed my body image for the better.

I’m not going to pretend that Ozempic—and the way our culture has co-opted it—is without fault. It’s often misused, sometimes prescribed without proper oversight, and, in many ways, has ushered back in the waifish beauty standards of the late ’90s. But what I can offer is my own experience: that of someone who was an appropriate candidate for the medication and who, today, has the most peaceful relationship with food and her body that she’s ever experienced.

What no one really tells you about significant weight loss is how disorienting it can be to settle into your “after.” The physical transformation happened for me in just 12 months, but my psychological recalibration lagged way behind. For years, I reached for clothes that no longer fit, as if muscle memory hadn’t gotten the memo. And just as my mind began to catch up, I found myself almost resentful of the stretch marks and loose skin that remained.

Here’s my truth: two opposing feelings can coexist. I am proud of what I’ve accomplished. I feel stronger, healthier, and more at home in myself than ever before. And yet, I don’t want to wear the proof of that transformation so visibly.

My arms were my biggest pain point. No matter how often I did Pilates, lifted weights, or followed along with Gabby George’s arm workouts, they didn’t change. They looked, to me, like “Ozempic arms”—looser skin, a small pocket that wouldn’t tighten—despite everything I was doing. I would avoid tank tops and constantly throw a sweater over my shoulders, even in the middle of summer. I just wanted my arms to look like arms.

I finally decided to book a consultation with an aesthetics professional—though I wasn’t entirely sure for what. A laser? A brachioplasty? Liposuction? I went in with an open-mind. Here’s how I ended up addressing my "Ozempic arms" and the treatments that were ultimately right for me.

The Consultation

Going into my consultation this past May, I thought I was going to need a braichioplasty—a Big Deal surgery that removes excess skin and essentially leaves you with a scar from your elbow to armpit. My issue was more skin laxity than excess fat, so I genuinely didn’t think liposuction would be sufficient; I’d just be left with flabby skin, right? Dr. David Shafer, my incredible (!!) plastic surgeon and founder of Shafer Clinic in New York City, quickly debunked that.

He said that there was a new laser that recently hit the market called Renuvion, and when used in tandem with traditional liposuction, can be incredibly effective at snapping the skin up and contouring existing muscle. It’s a form of “lean lipo” that’s more focused on sculpting than fat reduction. “The Renuvion plasma skin tightening allows us to remove more fat while maintaining and enhancing tighter skin, while lowering the risk of resulting in loose skin,” Dr. Shafer explains. “The best example is the helium ball in a science museum. When you place your hands on the glass ball, you see light reaching from the center to your hand. The same effect occurs with Renuvion.” In short, medical-grade helium and plasma energy tighten the skin with thermal and mechanical power, while also stimulating collagen through medical-grade helium infusion and the application of plasma energy. He also wanted to tack a Genius Radiofrequency laser onto the skin to help improve the dimpled texture and stretch marks. The three-prong approach would leave me with four little scars: two on my inner arm and two on my outer elbow.

But the part of the consultation I appreciated most was Dr. Shafer being super honest with me about what kind of results I could expect. Plastic surgery is not a miracle worker, so we're chasing an improvement from my baseline, not manufactured perfection. He explained that while a brachioplasty would tighten all my skin and remove the upper arm bulge I wanted gone, the recovery is much more intense, and the scar would be pretty huge. Our plan of attack was a bit more conservative, and I might still have a bit of loose skin, but recovery and scars would be minimal. You can always go back and do more, he said, but you can’t go back and do less.

Without further ado, I booked my appointment for October 23. I wanted to wait until summer was over so that I could give my arms time to heal during long-sleeve season.

My Pre-Op

I went in for my pre-op about a month before surgery. It’s pretty straightforward: I signed some papers, we went over instructions for the weeks leading up to surgery (stop semiglutide, don’t use Tylenol, start arnica, order compression garments), and instructions for the immediate days leading up to surgery (wash my body with the provided anti-bacterial soap, pick up my pain meds and antibiotics). It’s a little bit of information overload, but my nurse (hi, Amy) typed everything up for me to reference.

Day Before Surgery

I’m a queen of compartmentalization, so I honestly didn’t give too much thought to anything until it was time to start prepping. I reread my instructions and made sure to shower twice that day using antibacterial soap. I also took one dose of preemptive pain medication, as that’s Dr. Shafer’s protocol, but always listen to your physician.

Morning of Surgery

When I woke up, the first thing I did was jump in the shower and wash with anti-bacterial soap (again!) and then take a Zofran to prevent nausea from anesthesia. My parents came to pick me up and brought me to Dr. Shafer’s office. I changed into my surgical gown, compression socks, and put my hair in a cap (don’t forget a hair tie as I did!). Then, Dr. Shafer took a purple Sharpie to mark the areas on my arm that he wanted to focus on. He actually has a surgery center in his office, so I literally just walked right in and climbed onto the operating table. It was a very laidback, calm environment, and I felt incredibly taken care of. The anesthesiologist had me knocked out within seconds, and I woke up in the recovery room—groggy, but with it.

Day One of Recovery

Honestly, I think I forgot that liposuction was actually surgery. Maybe it’s because I work in an industry where I’m talking about procedures and facelifts and tummy tucks constantly, but liposuction seemed like it would be easy. And don’t get me wrong, recovery wasn’t horrible, but at the end of the day, it’s still surgery.

I was wrapped in so much gauze on day one that my sister had to feed me and hold water with a straw up to my mouth. The rest of that day is honestly a blur. I was pretty out of it and slept probably 16 hours. PSA: If your feet are bothering you, take off your compression socks before bed. I left mine on for too long and woke up in the middle of the night with crazy foot pain.

Day Two Recovery

When I woke up on day two, it was time to take off the 19,000 layers of gauze and switch into my compression garment. “The compression helps reduce swelling and also keeps the skin smooth and pressed up against the underlying muscle and remaining fat,” explains Dr. Shafer. “Good adherence is important for the final result.”

I had my sister help me unwrap everything and pull the gauze off the incisions, which were held together by small stitches. It was relatively easy, but we accidentally pulled out one of the stitches, and fluid shot onto the floor. I naturally freaked out, but a quick text to my medical team assured me everything was ok. I was able to hop in the shower, apply my prescription antibacterial cream to the incisions, and get into my compression garment.

I wasn’t really in any pain—discomfort, if anything. My body was pumped with so much fluid during the liposuction, so I felt incredibly bloated and distended, not just in my arms, but my stomach as well. I slept on and off; I had to be on my back with my arms elevated on pillows took small walks around the house.

Day two is when I started to notice one of the most bizarre side effects. I would move ever so slightly and think that my incisions were gushing fluid. Any movement made me feel like Niagara Falls was inside my arm. Rushing waves of cold fluid would brush against my skin, and I was constantly patting down to see if my arms leaked. They didn’t—it’s a normal post-lipo side effect that I just hadn’t heard about or expected.

Day Three and Four

By day three, it was time for me to get my first surgical lymphatic drainage massage. I was so ready to get the fluid moving; my arms felt like two hot-air balloons. My nurse, Amy, connected me with the amazing Zulema (she’s strictly word of mouth bookings, but if you’re in the Tri-State area and interested, send me a DM and I’ll connect you). She came to my apartment with all her tools and got to work, using gentle massage movements to push the fluid toward my lymphatic sites. It’s not necessarily a pleasant experience, but I felt less like a sumo wrestler when we were done. She also showed me three stretches I should do on myself twice a day: pulling my arm across my body, massaging it up and down while it's raised, and pulling it behind my back. They were a little painful to execute, but they definitely gave me more mobility.

One big thing that shocked me: I was barely bruised. My arms were red for sure from the laser, but I didn’t have the intense and dark bruising I experienced when I had my bra roll liposuction during my breast reduction. “The tumescent solution and anesthesia have advanced greatly over the last several years,” explains Dr. Shafer. “We also add a special medicine to the tumescent called TXA, and we have seen significant decreases in bruising after incorporating TXA into our protocol.”

Day Five to Seven

Ok, here’s where things started to take a turn. Candidly, I thought I would be fully back in action by Tuesday (surgery was the prior Thursday), but I was sorely mistaken. Don’t get me wrong, I was able to function without help. But walking a few blocks to the pharmacy left me super swollen and exhausted. I was never in any pain, but too much action or periods without elevation left me very uncomfortable. In retrospect, I should have taken off a week of work and canceled my plans.

I also panicked when I looked at my arms. I noticed that my armpit looked huge and chunky, and that I had cyst-like balls covering the underbelly of my upper arm. All of that is totally normal—it’s a reaction to the fluid in my body and the lipo—but it’s definitely something I wish I knew about beforehand. “It’s little pockets of swelling. The compression, massage, and time lead to the resolution of these areas. They may even shift or change in size throughout the day for the first several weeks,” says Dr. Shafer. (It does go down; four months out, my armpits are back to normal, and I only have two granules left.)

Days 8 to 14

I had a one-week check-in with Dr. Shafer, and he confirmed that everything was looking great. He gave me permission to spend a few hours a day without my compression garment, although I honestly felt better when I was wearing it, so I did that pretty consistently through the end of week two. I had another session with Zulema during this period—she wrapped my whole body in Saran to help with the post-surgery bloating. I was also able to restart my GLP-1.

The big turning point for me came around day 10—I went out to dinner with friends for the first time (I was very ready to go home afterward) and took a few strolls around my neighborhood. But overall, I started to feel more capable and back to myself. Was I walking more than 4,000 steps a day? Absolutely not. But by and large I was able to get through a day of work.

One Month Post-Surgery

By the time I was four weeks out, I started to notice a huge difference. The pocket of fat that hung around my upper arm was completely gone. My expectations going into the surgery were very realistic, so I was overwhelmed by how significant a difference the three-pronged approach made. Not only did the swelling start to go down, and I began to see just how different my arms were going to look, but I also started wearing my compression garment only at night, switching from a size medium to extra small as the swelling went down. (While the garment is comfortable, it does lie kind of funky under clothing.)

By my four-week check-in, my stitches had all dissolved or fallen out, and I stopped using the antibiotic ointment. My bruising had also entirely dissipated. After Dr. Shafer checked everything out, I had an appointment with. Lucia Miranda, LE, CCMA, a licensed aesthetician and certified clinical medical assistant in his practice, to start the first of roughly six laser treatments on my incisions. She used a Pulse Dye Laser, and the treatment took all of five minutes. It just feels like a rubber band snapping against my skin, but it has made a huge difference in both the color and texture of my scars.

Two Months Post-Surgery

It’s around the six- or seven-week mark when I started to feel totally back to my norm. I was working out again—everything still felt tight (almost like a tension band was permanently sewn into my upper arm), but I could move around without having my arms blow up and swell. I stopped sleeping with the compression garment and could sleep on my side or stomach again. The whoosh of cold fluid inside my arms totally went away. And, most importantly, I started to see a massive difference.

My arms were probably half the size they were pre-lipo, which was crazy, and a lot of the swelling had subsided. That being said, I still wasn’t comfortable wearing a tank top—the underbelly of my arm still had the telltale signs of bands and granules.

Three Months Post-Surgery

By the time I hit the three-month mark, I found myself staring at my before-and-after photos in disbelief. The difference is not only in the size of my arms, but also in the shape. Dr. Shafer was able to contour my arms in a way that emphasized the muscles and created the appearance of toned, shapely definition.

I do have a little loose skin at the top of my right arm that didn’t snap up completely, so we’re talking about doing one more Genius RF treatment to help with the laxity. But frankly, I’m so over the moon with my results that I barely notice it. My sleeves are so much looser across the board, and I’m constantly reaching for workout sets or tops that used to leave me feeling self-conscious. The best part: the results will only become more pronounced as I near the six-month mark.

The Takeaway

My arms look like normal arms, not weight loss arms, which is exactly what I wanted out of this procedure. I’m the first to admit that all the talk of “Ozempic Body” has gotten out of hand (do we really need GLP-1 skincare?), and it’s being pushed in “fix it” ways that feel like a money grab. But it’s not all snake oil. There’s something really powerful about putting the chapter of my life where I felt trapped in a body that wasn’t mine officially behind me and not having to stare that storyline in the mirror every single day.

Getting my arms done was easily the best thing I've ever done for myself. Healing might not have been as speedy as anticipated, but I’d go through it all over again for these results.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

Meet the Expert

Nothing gets us more excited than talking about a not-so-little tweakment or a nip-tuck procedure. In the spirit of transparency, Marie Claire’s aesthetics column, Life in Plastic, delivers a first-hand peek into what goes on behind the doctor’s door.

Diana is a 36-year-old woman living in New York City. In February 2025, she underwent the FaceTite procedure. This is her story, as told to Marie Claire, edited for length and clarity.

I’ve had two babies, and after having my second, I really wanted to do something about my saddlebags. I booked a consultation with board-certified plastic surgeon Ira Savetsky, MD, whom I trust with my life. But as I’m sitting in the waiting room, I see this woman with the most incredible jawline—and I'm pretty perceptive; I didn’t remember her having that jawline [before].

I stopped her and said, "What's different? What is happening? What did you do? She told me it was this amazing procedure called FaceTite. And so by the time Dr. Ira came into my consultation, I was like, I'm here for the saddle bags, but now can we talk about FaceTite? It was a quick pivot.

“FaceTite removes fat [like traditional liposuction] and uses radiofrequency-assisted energy to stimulate dermal tightening,” says Dr. Ira. “It’s a powerful contouring tool and when properly selected and performed well, it can produce impressive tightening with significantly less downtime than a traditional lower facelift." But the most important thing he emphasized to me is that FaceTite is not a facelift. It is best viewed as a preventive or early-intervention treatment, like a bridge procedure that still delivers the effect of a surgical lift.

It’s funny—if you look through my photo library over the years, it’s a bunch of random photos taken of my side profile when I’m sitting on the couch or in the car. My jawline totally wasn’t why I went to him in the first place, but I think that’s really a reflection of the fact that I didn’t know what my options were—I thought it was just a chin implant or filler, or Kybella, and frankly, I didn’t want any.

Once I started talking to Dr. Ira and learned that FaceTite takes 20-30 minutes start to finish, no anesthesia, and is just generally a super easy experience, I had him sign me up. I think it’s also important to point out, though, that I had already vetted him as a provider. “Technique is critical. FaceTite involves controlled thermal energy delivery, precise depth management, avoiding nerve injury, and even contouring. Over-treatment risks burns or nerve injury, while under-treatment yields minimal tightening,” says Dr. Ira.

I trust his aesthetic so much, and his version of beautiful and appropriate is also my version. I frankly had zero reservations.

The Procedure

It’s crazy how easy it was. There’s no pre-op appointment. I didn’t have to take any special medications. There’s no anesthesia. I literally just showed up. It sounds fake. Dr. Ira had recommended taking a Valium beforehand, so I did, and then they took me to the back of the office to a procedure room.

It’s a sterile room, so you can’t have AirPods or anything like that. He basically makes small incisions behind the ears and inserts a cannula. It felt like my jaw was being cleaned by a Dyson or like he took a chopstick and decided to poke around in there and suction. It’s not like I was in acute pain; it’s just pressure and a little heat. It’s like I was in a Dexter simulation where I’m wide awake and just knowing something is inside me.

It took about 20 minutes, and I’m just sitting there staring at a wall. He put dissolvable stitches behind my ears and one under my chin. The craziest is that I literally walked out of his office right after and went to work.

Recovery

You know when Skims launched that Jaw Bra? I basically had to wear something like that 24/7. Compression helps reduce post-operative swelling, minimize fluid accumulation, improve skin redraping, and support contour during early healing, according to Dr. Ira.

I’m not going to lie, that part is annoying. At the time, I felt like those two weeks would never end. Every time I left the house, I would wear a baseball cap to cover up the top part, and if I didn’t want people to be able to see the bottom part, I would just wear a face mask. But overall, I lived my life. I went to the office. I did Zoom meetings. I had lunch at The Mark.

By the second week, I was able to take the wrap off for a few hours here and there. My absolute favorite thing to do was to take my finger and just run it by my jaw. It used to be a soft ramp and after FaceTite, I felt actual bone. “You were the ideal candidate—mild skin laxity in the neck, good baseline elasticity, and minimal sun damage,” says Dr. Ira.

I had an incredibly easy experience. I was never in any pain. I could eat and chew normally. There was no swelling, which I was shocked about because that’s a pretty common side effect for many people. I had a little bruising on my neck, but nothing hurt. I never took any painkillers. The worst side effect was that the wrap did make my face pretty itchy.

The Takeaway

I was immediately obsessed with my results. “Early tightening is visible at four to six weeks, with final results appearing between three to six months post-procedure,” says Dr. Ira. But honestly, I noticed the difference pretty immediately because of the fat removal.

I never went through a period where I had skin that needed to shrink up; I was pretty thrilled with my results out of the gate. Now I’m a year out, and I couldn’t be happier. My jawline is so strong and still looks natural. The craziest part is that I never knew the treatment existed, and the best part? It delayed my need for a facelift by 10 years.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

Meet the Expert

Nothing gets us more excited than talking about a not-so-little tweakment or a nip-tuck procedure. In the spirit of transparency, Marie Claire’s aesthetics column, Life in Plastic, delivers a first-hand peek into what goes on behind the doctor’s door.

For a beauty editor, I’m objectively pretty tame when it comes to facial cosmetic procedures. I haven’t done Botox or filler or tried super intense lasers like Fraxel or CO2. I’m certainly not opposed—just give me a decade. I’m 28 (but according to VISIA, my skin age is 24, for what it’s worth), don’t have any static lines or wrinkles, and I'm overall content with my skin texture. I take care of my skin for sure (I’m not in this industry for nothing), but I thank my mom’s and grandmother's genes for my Good Skin.

What I don’t thank them for? Our multi-generational round face—and complete lack of a jawline.

I mean this with no shade or offense, but after seeing how a weak jawline evolved on my mom (56) and grandmother (84), I’m intent on doing everything in my power to preventatively sculpt my jawline and avoid what my family (lovingly) refers to as “frog neck.” I do my gua sha and facial yoga. I use my microcurrent devices religiously. But I also recently decided to do my first Big Girl laser treatment: Sofwave.

Sofwave has been around since 2016 and has become a very valued tool for skin tightening. “It uses ultrasound technology to deliver controlled heat at a precise depth in the mid-dermis,” explains Sarah Bonner, the CEO and founder of TREAT Medspa in New York City. “This thermal effect stimulates the body’s natural wound-healing response, which in turn triggers new collagen and elastin production.” Sofwave, which costs roughly $2,000 to $4,000 depending on location and provider, is designed to bypass the skin’s surface and target only the layers responsible for firmness and elasticity, which makes it effective for lifting the brows, tightening the jawline, and improving skin laxity.

I’ve heard (and seen) great things—my aunt (53) has gotten Sofwave on her jaw several times over the past few years and it’s genuinely transformed her face. It’s also pretty low lift for a facial laser (the downtime is non-existent, so all I needed was to set aside two hours of my life), and frankly, it doesn’t take much convincing for me to test something out that promises a stronger, more lifted jawline. I was hopeful for sure, but I was not expecting the results to be nearly as dramatic as they are. My face is slimmed (basically in half) and not only do I have a jawline for the first time in my life, but my face actually looks angular.

For the full breakdown on my Sofwave experience, read ahead.

The Prep

Because Sofwave is pretty low-lift and works for almost everyone (I’d avoid it if you have heat-triggered skin conditions like melasma), I didn’t need to have a consultation. That being said, if you’re concerned it’s not the best option for you or are interested in exploring other options, always set aside time to discuss alternatives with your provider.

I’ve heard that Sofwave can be a little spicy on the pain scale, so I took two extra strength Tylenol about 30 minutes before my appointment to help with not only discomfort, but also to prevent me from clenching my jaw too intensely. I washed off all my makeup (you’re told to come with clean skin) and then made my way over to TREAT Medspa.

The Intake

Once I arrived, the first thing the team had me do was take “before” photos on their Aura Skin Scanner. It’s much more advanced than a typically camera shot—it captures a 3D image of my face and neck, analyses facial structure, skin condition, skin volume, and is able to detect the direction skin is being lifted—or sagging.

Then they brought me into a treatment room, where they cleansed my face once again with some micellar water and applied numbing cream all over my face and neck. It’s a white cream that gets applied with a popsicle stick onto all areas that will be targeted with the laser. It doesn’t feel tingly—just a little cold. It does however take forever and a half (roughly 45 minutes to an hour) to kick in, so I recommend bringing your computer and getting some work done or downloading a show to pass the time.

The Treatment

Once it was time for the treatment to begin, the numbing cream had fully kicked in. It wasn’t so much that I couldn’t feel my face, but any sensation was dulled and making facial expressions felt like my muscles were working in slo-mo.

I decided to really focus my Sofwave on my “submental region,” which is the neck, jawline, and bottom half of my face, so my technician told me to expect the whole shebang to last roughly 45 minutes (if we didn’t take any pain breaks). She applied a conductive gel over the area that was going to be treated—it allows the heat of the device to penetrate the deeper layers of the skin it needs to.

Then, she powered the machine on. I have a pretty high pain tolerance (I find laser hair removal to be a breeze and PRP, where my own blood was injected into my scalp to stimulate hair growth, really didn’t bother me), so I assumed this would be an easy treatment and asked for the highest setting. Plus: the Sofwave machine is equipped with a cooling plate that prevents the surface of your skin from getting too hot.

I couldn’t have been more wrong. I personally found this laser to be pretty uncomfortable. For context, the tip of the device is shaped like a square and each section needs to receive a stamp. It gets held on every spot for roughly five seconds—the first two seconds are a breeze, but the final three had me feeling like fireworks were going off underneath my skin. It’s almost like you put your hand on a hot stove and instead of whipping your hand back when you feel the heat register, you let it linger there for three more seconds than you know you should.

But once the device is lifted from the section and moves onto the next, the pain completely dissipates—there’s no lingering (thank god). The catch: each little square of skin needs to be treated with two to three passes. By the end, my internal body temperature was so high (it felt like a hot flash) and every part of my body was sweating. But! It wasn’t so bad that I needed to take a break or stop altogether and in less than an hour, I was totally done.

The Recovery

The best part about Sofwave: it’s a lunchtime treatment. I left my session with maybe a hint of redness (which dissipated by the time I got home) and some risidual numbness from the numbing cream that wore off in an hour or two. That being said, there’s no immediate gratification with Sofwave; my face looked the same when I left as when I came in. “Because Sofwave is stimulating your own natural collagen remodeling process, results aren’t instant. It taes time for the body to lay down new collagen fibers and for those fibers to organize and strengthen,” explains Bonner. “This process unfolds gradually, so improvements typically become noticeable around eight to 12 weeks after treatment, with continued enhancement for up to six months.”

Four Weeks Post-Treatment

Because I’m on the younger side for a Sofwave patient (it’s primarily for people in their late 20s through 60s), Bonner warned me that I would likely start to see results sooner rather than later. She was right.

By the two week mark, I found myself looking in the mirror thinking that something was different. Was my face just maturing? Was the Sofwave working? Honestly, I felt like I was loosing my mind a bit—could I really notice such intense results so quickly?

But! Then other people started commenting. Saying that I looking different. Not good or bad per se, but pointing out that something had changed. I dyed my hair a little blonder at the time, so I thought it could potentially be that, but the second I saw the results from my second Aura Skin Analysis, I knew I A.) wasn’t delusional, and B.) my different appearance was fully due to the Sofwave.

I stared at my before-and afters for a good 30 minutes in utter disbelief, and proceeded to send them in our Beauty Team slack, my family group chat, and to every friend in my contact book. See it to believe it, right?

Eight Weeks Post-Treatment

The wild results that I saw in just four weeks aren’t always going to be the case. Everyone reacts differently and in a varying timeline with factors like age, skin quality, and collagen playing a role. That being said, I wasn’t too shocked when my progression seemed to stall a little bit between four and eight weeks.

I still saw a little bit of improvement in terms of lifting, but it wasn’t nearly as dramatic as what I saw at the four week mark. But looking at the progression of where I started to my end result, had my jaw literally on the floor. The full results won’t be visible for another month or so, but I’m genuinely thrilled with my current before and after.

My Takeaway

Sofwave is easily my favorite aesthetic treatment I’ve ever tried. I still look at my before and after photos once a day just to remind myself how dramatic they are. It’s not a pain-free experience, but for me personally, it was so incredibly worth it.

I highly recommend getting before-and-after photos on a machine that has the ability to measure the slimming and lifting effect, too. I found it so nice to have tangible proof that what I saw in the mirror was reflected in measurements.

As always, your provider is everything. Sofwave results are generally very consistent, but it’s still important to make sure you’re going to a licensed aesthetician, nurse practitioner, or physician. If you’re in the New York City area, I can’t recommend TREAT Medspa enough—the office was beautiful, the staff was friendly (and knowledgeable), and I felt like I was in the best hands from start to finish.

The only downside? The results are not permanent, so I’ll have to do Sofwave roughly every year and a half in order to maintain results. But I have a sneaky suspicion that my mom and grandmother will be coming with me next time. Who says jawlines have to be genetic?

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

Meet the Expert

Nothing gets us more excited than talking about a not-so-little tweakment or a nip-tuck procedure. In the spirit of transparency, Marie Claire’s aesthetics column, Life in Plastic, delivers a first-hand peek into what goes on behind the doctor’s door.

Jennifer is a 52-year-old woman living in Connecticut. In May 2025, she underwent a lower blepharoplasty and facelift with a CO2 laser. This is her story, as told to Marie Claire, edited for length and clarity.

When I turned 50, things definitely started to change—in my head and in my body. The things that I was doing in my 40s, like Botox and filler, went right out the window, and even though I never thought I would consider it, I started to open up about the idea of doing something more invasive.

I started talking to Robert Schwarcz, MD FACS, who did my upper blepharoplasty maybe 10 or 15 years ago. I started asking him all these questions I had about getting a facelift and doing something to my eyes, which have gotten hollow. As I've gotten older, I've been able to literally grab the skin, and it would stay pinched. I was so insecure in pictures that I would stop smiling because it would make my skin look crepey and wrinkly.

I had so many questions for Dr. Schwarcz: Do you think I’m a candidate for a facelift? Bleph? How old are people when they get this done? “There’s no universal age, but from my perspective, earlier intervention when changes are moderate—rather than waiting until they’re severe—usually provides the smoothest, most natural-looking results,” says Dr. Schwarcz.

Still, I was really, really scared. You can tell when people go overboard—all you have to do is walk around Palm Beach, or Greenwich Avenue, or Beverly Hills. I never wanted to look like somebody else; I just wanted to be a better version of myself. But god, I was so nervous to go through with it. Sure, I could keep doing lasers and this and that, but I started to feel like it wasn’t going to make the big difference I wanted.

The Facelift Consultation

Well first of all, I didn’t just have one consultation—I had three. I wasn’t particularly set on getting anything. Dr. Schwarcz has historically always been very realistic with me, and he really loves the natural look. So I was just kind of like poking around: What do you think? What's the process? What's the procedure? What do you recommend? Do you fat graft? Do you recommend this laser versus that laser? How do you tighten? Should I just do Botox and filler for now? Can I go a little longer without needing it? At this point, I thought I was meeting him to discuss something two years from now.

But then, I started to look in the mirror and pull my face back a little. I’m like, Wow, that looks kind of good, you know? I started to talk to people. I started to join a couple of Facebook groups where people are very vocal about good and bad [plastic surgery]. There are Reddit communities. I felt like the consensus was: If I’m going to do it, I should just do it now.

Then I went back to his office and got more serious. We reviewed the renderings, put everything on paper, and examined where the stitches would be placed for the facelift. We discussed doing a lower blepharoplasty, which, to me, seemed like the easier part. Fat grafting during blepharoplasty concerned me a bit because it involves pulling fat from another part of my body. I was thinking: where do you pull it from? Is it going to look bumpy? Will it settle funny? But he really calmed all my fears.

Sure, I lost a ton of sleep over worrying, but I did finally sign the paperwork to go into surgery in early June for a deep plane facelift and neck lift, a lower blepharoplasty with fat grafting, and a CO2 laser. “Surgery repositions and removes tissues; it addresses contours and descent, but it doesn’t improve the skin’s surface quality. An ablative laser complements a facelift or blepharoplasty by treating fine lines, sun damage, and skin texture,” explains Dr. Schwarcz. “The laser goes deep and requires downtime, so I love to do both together so the patient can maximize the downtime and get optimal results on the skin.”

The Pre-Op Visit

I had a pre-op visit a few weeks before my surgery. It’s a little scary because you have to be so buttoned-up before. I had to go and get a full physical, urine tests, an EKG, and make sure my bloodwork and my heart [were] right. It’s all to make sure your body is healthy enough to handle a surgery like this.

I also made sure to work with a nutritionist—her name is Kylie Bensley. She specializes in surgical nutrition and essentially explains how a balanced diet can aid in faster healing. I had a lot of protein, fruit, and protein shakes.

What I didn’t realize was how many different medications they’d call in for me. There’s Oxy and Vicodin, and something for anxiety. There are antibiotic ointments, and nasal medications. There are antibacterial drugs to help prevent infections. It’s a lot of precautions and it can feel very overwhelming.

The Surgery Day

I took the train from Connecticut to the city without any makeup. No lotions. No creams. Nothing, just raw skin. I was literally on the train, wearing a baseball hat and a hoodie, because I didn’t want to be recognized. I [went] right into Dr. Schwarcz’s office, and they [got] me ushered right in. I don’t think I realized, ok, this is happening, until I was in his office and he was drawing on my face with a purple marker. Then the anesthesiologist was talking to me and calming me down. They got me to the operating room, and within five minutes, I was out cold.

Five hours later, I was awake.

I felt like I had a really great sleep—then I realized I was bandaged like a mummy, literally. However, Dr. Schwarcz said everything went well and that I would look great. The one thing I didn't think I would need, but I'm so glad I did, was a private nurse. Dr. Schwarcz actually required me to spend at least one night with her. It's really funny, actually; there are three locations in the city where people go to heal with nurses. The people who really want to spend will go to The Plaza or The Mark.

I spent two nights with three different nurses at a more low-key hotel. They became my best friends; all they do is care for people after plastics procedures. The suite has a separate bedroom for the nurse, who can prepare food for you in the kitchen, change your gauze and drains, and closely monitor your condition.

The Recovery

I was on email 20 minutes after I gave birth to all three of my children. With this? I couldn't look at my phone for two days. I was icing constantly. My dressings had to be changed regularly. I was covered in Aquaphor from the CO2. It’s a lot of upkeep. I wouldn't say I was in pain ever. I was just very uncomfortable. Having the nurse really does make a huge difference.

48 hours after surgery, the drains come out. The nurse actually took them out for me, and then Dr. Schwarcz ran over and made sure everything looked good and was healing correctly. I didn’t have to be wrapped like a mummy after that. I transitioned to this compression sleeve that has pockets for ice packs. I had to wear that for a total of seven days.

The turning point for me was really day eight or nine. I started to feel human again. I could go out—I even went to two graduation parties (in a hat and sunglasses). I was so incredibly swollen from the CO2 laser, though. The blepharoplasty healing was really a piece of cake. “The swelling and bruising from a blepheroplasty improves between week two and three, with final results evolving over four to six,” says Dr. Schwarcz. I was still a little swollen for around a month, but now I think my eyes look really great, and you can barely see the stitches.

The Facelift and Blepharoplasty Results

I’m so happy I did it. Honestly, though, I don’t think I look much different. But for Dr. Schwarcz that’s always the goal: “To me, a facelift isn’t about changing someone’s appearance—it’s about resetting, helping them look like a refreshed version of themselves," he says.

That’s exactly how I feel. Most people don’t even realize I’ve had a facelift; it’s that subtle. You can’t see my stitches—you would really need a magnifying glass to see them behind my ear. I’m now three months out and still very much in the healing process, but I know it’s only going to get better. All I have to say is it’s really crazy what you can do in a matter of five hours.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

Meet the Expert

Nothing gets us more excited than talking about a not-so-little tweakment or a nip-tuck procedure. In the spirit of transparency, Marie Claire’s aesthetics column, Life in Plastic, delivers a first-hand peak into what goes on behind the doctor’s door.

My eyes have always been the defining feature of my face. They’re Mediterranean Sea-blue, almond shaped, and always the first thing people comment on when they meet me. They’re kind of my claim to fame, if you will. So in the last few years—basically after I turned 30—I felt dismayed to see that they looked more and more hooded. Pretty much everyone on my mom’s side of the family has heavy brows and hooded eyes, so I was expecting to follow in her hereditary footsteps, but it was still jarring to see pictures of myself where my eyelids looked increasingly droopy.

My immediate thought was that I needed an upper blepharoplasty, a minor plastic surgery wherein excess skin on your eyelids is removed. It’s a favorite among celebrities and influencers—2025 was even dubbed “the year of the upper bleph” by the Beauty Filter Podcast hosts.

Then, I ran into Daniel Gould, MD, Ph.D, a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, at a beauty event in Los Angeles and asked him if he thought I was a good candidate for an upper bleph. Within five seconds of looking at my face he explained that what I was seeing as excess skin on my eyelids was actually a symptom of a larger issue: my sagging brows. In fact, he said that a temporal brow lift—where the skin around the brows and upper cheek area is pulled slightly back and up from the temples—would help fix my issues. Interestingly, he said that around 90 percent of the patients he sees in his practice think they need an upper bleph when a brow lift is actually what they end up getting.

After a proper in-office consultation with Dr. Gould (where I wasn’t cornering him at a party), I decided to take my first plunge into the world of plastic surgery. Keep reading to get a full picture of why I concluded that surgery was my best option, along with a play-by-play of the entire brow lift process from consultation to healing.

My Brow Lift Consultation

I've never had plastic surgery before, so I came into my consultation with Dr. Gould pretty hot. I also contacted two other surgeons who I trust to give me some extra insights: Lara Devgan, MD, MPH, FACS, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City, and Jason Diamond, MD, FACS, a double-board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills. I chose Dr. Gould to perform my surgery after spending a lot of time looking at his results via Instagram; his technique is particularly subtle, which is exactly what I wanted. My biggest fear around plastic surgery is looking unnatural and, let’s face it, slightly ghoulish, but Dr. Gould reassured me that I would still feel like myself post-surgery.

So why get a brow lift instead of an upper bleph? “Many patients assume that heaviness on the upper eyelids means they need a blepharoplasty, when in fact the issue may originate from brow descent,” explains Dr. Devgan. “The brow and upper eyelid are part of a shared anatomical unit, so when the brow falls with age, it compresses the upper eyelid space, creating hooding. A brow lift repositions the brows to their youthful height, often restoring the upper eyelid platform without removing skin.” Dr. Diamond adds that he advises his patients to put a towel wrap on their hair after taking a shower, and if they like the position of their brows and appearance of their upper eyelids and eyes, the solution for them is often a brow lift.

All three surgeons note that they often perform a brow lift in tandem with an upper bleph. “The brow lift will address the skin of the brow bone and forehead, which then alleviates heaviness from the upper eyelids,” says Dr. Diamond. “We then go in to remove any excess skin of the upper eyelids with an upper blepharoplasty, as needed. This gives a much more beautiful, aesthetically pleasing result, than trying to achieve too much with solely an upper blepharoplasty.”

After chatting with Dr. Gould, I decided not to get an upper bleph as well as the brow lift, mostly because I was slightly nervous to start my plastic surgery journey with two procedures with different healing protocols. I also looked at photos of Dr. Gould’s results on women with similar anatomy who had made the same decision not to get the bleph and I loved their results. I instead opted to get CO2 laser treatment around my eyes, which helps tighten and renew the skin.

Beyond the aesthetic results a brow lift would give me, the major reason I wanted to get the surgery was to help alleviate the tension headaches I was getting along my left brow. Basically, over the last few years, I’ve noticed my left brow especially started to ride really high and constantly pull up without me actually thinking about it. This constant tension in my muscle was causing serious fatigue at the end of the day as well as some new wrinkles on top of my brow. Dr. Gould explained what was happening: “Your brain is sensing that heaviness in the upper eyelid and it's recruiting the forehead muscle, which we call the frontalis, to lift the brow in compensation. This makes the brow look high, but it's an overactive muscle response, not the actual brow position. After surgery, the compensation will relax so the brow may settle into a more natural position."

After spending some time going over prep and recovery (which I’ll get into next), Dr. Gould and I chatted a lot about the benefits of getting small plastic surgery adjustments while you’re younger (I’m 35). Beyond the fact that younger bodies have an easier time healing and less excess skin to maneuver around, Dr. Gould’s point of view was that patients want something that looks untouched, which is easier to achieve when you’re younger before many of the effects of aging have set in.

“They don’t want to get to a point where they have to look back,” he says. “Techniques have evolved that are more precise, less invasive, and more natural. And it's increasingly often that I see patients who are trying to address this early descent in their 30s. Because people look at your eyes, and if you look sad and tired, people think you're sad and tired, and then they act sad and tired. This is the hidden thing that we really don't stress enough, that the way you look affects people's emotions around you, and that affects you. And when we brighten you up, people around you are brighter, and it changes your entire perception.”

What Does a Brow Lift Entail?

In terms of technique and what’s actually happening during a brow lift surgery, it depends on the type of brow lift you’re getting. Dr. Devgan broke down the four types of brow lifts: Temporal (Lateral) Brow Lift, which focuses on lifting the outer brow only (this is what I got); Endoscopic Brow Lift, where small incisions behind the hairline with a camera-assisted elevation (Dr. Gould also used this technique for my surgery); Coronal Brow Lift, which involves a longer incision across the scalp, and effective in severe cases or those with high foreheads; and Pretrichial Brow Lift, where incisions are made along the hairline, and is ideal for patients with high foreheads who don’t want further vertical elongation.

For my surgery, Dr. Gould took a hybrid endoscopic approach. Two small incisions were placed behind the hairline at the temple, addressing lateral brow descent. The procedure involves elevating soft tissue, repositioning deeper structures, and anchoring them using sutures or bone tunneling. A permanent “horn stitch” is applied to secure the scalp skin to the bone to prevent internal accumulation. Overall, the lateral portion—meaning, the sides of my eyes and brows rather than the top arch—is lifted more than the central portion to rebalance facial tension and address heaviness at the corners of the eyes.

Prep For My Brow Lift Surgery

• Two months before surgery: Starting two months before surgery, my main priority was skincare. “Healthier skin before surgery means you’ll get better laser results, less downtime, and a way stronger barrier to protect the healing tissues,” says Dr. Gould. My specific routine focused on incorporating exosomes via the Plated Intense Serum. Dr. Gould explains that Plated is formulated with exosomes derived from human platelets, which boost natural healing factors and support tissue repair. I also used a prescription compounded tretinoin cream that Dr. Gould formulated; I incorporated it every fifth evening since I have sensitive, rosacea-prone skin and didn’t want to trigger a flare-up. On other nights I used Dr. Diamond’s Metacine Instafacial Collection Trio of serums and moisturizer. Honestly, my skin has never looked better after this two-month regimen.
• Two weeks before surgery: I wanted to start with a clean slate ahead of my surgery, so I went to my favorite injector, Grace Jensen, FNP-BC at JECT in Los Angeles to dissolve some old under-eye filler that had migrated a bit. I also made sure to stop taking any of my supplements, including my Seed probiotic, calcium, and B12—basically, anything that could stick around in my body and mess with my blood’s ability to clot or interact badly with anesthesia.
• The two-week mark was also when I stopped drinking any alcohol, switched from Ibuprofen to Tylenol, and made sure to keep my face protected from too much sun (which could cause the CO2 laser to trigger unwanted pigmentation). I also tried to keep my diet as clean and protein-rich as possible (“tried” is the operative word here) to help my body be as prepped as possible for healing.
• Five days before surgery: In the week before surgery, Dr. Gould recommended that I take the HealFast Pre-Op supplement, which can provide foundational recovery support before your surgery. “There's lots of good data showing [HealFast] improves healing,” says Dr. Gould. “It has HMB (beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate) which is a precursor your body uses to make its own growth hormone.” There is also a post-op formula, however it contains biotin, which I’m allergic to, so I skipped it. You’ll also need to remove your nail polish before surgery—I had a gel manicure so I made sure to visit my nail tech the week before surgery and swap to a clear, regular polish.
• A few days before surgery: Two days before surgery, I was advised to shower using antiseptic soap and start taking Colace stool softener to help alleviate any constipation caused by the pain meds I’d be taking. Because I knew I wasn’t going to want to wash my hair for a few days (and also because, why not), the day before surgery, my mom and I went to a Japanese head spa where our hair was washed multiple times. That night, I showered with Hibiclens and made sure not to put on any body lotion. Just like with any surgery where you’re under general anesthesia, I was advised to stop eating or drinking after 10pm. I took a half of a Xanax to calm any nerves and passed out.

The Day of My Brow Lift Surgery

The day of my surgery, I wore a button-up PJ shirt that I didn’t have to pull over my head and comfy sweats I could pull on. I set up my bed with a wedge pillow to keep me upright and on my back so it would be ready to go when I got home. My mom and I arrived at the surgery center at 6:00am and were greeted by one of the OR nurses. We talked through any leftover recovery questions I had and she gave me a dose of Aprepitant, a medication used to prevent nausea. I also got my first dose of Journavx, a non-opioid pain medication that was recently approved by the FDA, which I would take for the next five days.

Dr. Gould then came in to make sure we were on the same page about the process (we were) and mark up my face for reference in the OR. Finally, the IV went in and I was out.

About two hours later, I woke up from anesthesia looking like a Q-Tip—I had my head wrapped in gauze and my forehead was covered in surgical tape. Honestly, I felt pretty with it other than some leftover shakes from the anesthesia. I never experienced any acute pain—it felt mostly like an annoying hangover headache. When we got home, my mom was all ready to help me up the stairs, but truthfully I felt totally lucid and not at all wobbly. Still, I will take any excuse for a bed-rot day, so she gave me a dose of my antibiotic, a Percocet, and a stool softener, and we started a Lord of the Rings marathon.

My Brow Lift Surgery Recovery

• Days 1-3 Post-Op: The next morning, I still had the hangover-style headache, but I opted to take Tylenol instead of Percocet. I was excited to see that I didn’t have any major swelling and there were no signs of black eyes or ruptured blood vessels in my eyes. We headed back to Dr. Gould’s office to remove the gauze wrap and so that I could get the CO2 laser around my eyes. He also injected my forehead and eye area with a lot of Dysport—way more than I typically get. Dr. Gould explained that he uses a neurotoxin at this stage to help the skin and muscles stay super still while they’re healing, which helps everything heal more evenly. I also sat under a medical-grade red light therapy panel for about 20 minutes.
• From there, I went directly to Oxynergy2 for my first of three 60-minute hyperbaric oxygen therapy sessions. “Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a no-brainer,” says Dr. Gould. “It increases oxygenation of the tissues, reduces swelling, and accelerates recovery.” During these sessions, which I did for three consecutive days after surgery, I sat in a pressurized chamber (it feels like the pressure you experience in an airplane) with a cannula in my nose that delivered super-concentrated doses of 100 percent oxygen. (For reference, the air we breathe naturally is about 21 percent oxygen.) I’m quite sure these sessions were a big reason why I recovered so fast.

• Over the next few days, my face swelled pretty dramatically as I was healing from the CO2 laser. This is something I was prepared for since that’s the reaction I almost always get from ablative lasers (see: my face after getting HALO), but it’s still a bit jarring. For me, it takes about three to four days for the swelling to go down and all the MENDS (the brown, sandpaper-like scabs created by the laser) to flake off. During that time, my skincare routine only consisted of Alastin Regenerating Skin Nectar, Aquaphor, a ton of Dr. Loretta Universal Glow Mineral SPF 40, and a wide-brimmed hat.
• Three-days post-op, I went back to Dr. Gould’s office to have the small stitches at the back of my head removed. The incisions along my hairline had dissolvable stitches that would come out on their own, and I didn’t need to put any kind of ointment on them. I finally felt ready to take a proper shower and wash my hair (even though I had been cleared to do so as soon as the gauze came off), which was kind of a wild experience. The entirety of the top of my head was numb so I had to be careful about the heat and how much I was scrubbing. I also let my hair air-dry for the next few days because I was nervous about heat styling. The hair around the incision sites felt really oily for about a week, which Dr. Gould said is normal since we had just disrupted the hair follicles. After a few washes, massaging my scalp even along the incision points felt like no big deal, and the dissolvable stitches had all fallen out by about the 10-day post-op mark.

• Day 10+ Post-Op: After 10 days, I started seeing celebrity-loved Brazilian masseuse Shirlei Silva, the owner of Shila Beauty Center in Beverly Hills, for lymphatic drainage massages. She’s worked on my body before, so I was excited for her to help get the remaining swelling in my temples, inner eye, and forehead down. “Surgical instruments can cause micro-damage to tissues and capillaries, which stimulates the immune response, inflammation, and the body’s natural recovery mechanisms,” says Silva. “Post-op lymphatic massage is beneficial as it helps immune cells reach the areas that require recovery, aids in fighting pathogens, and facilitates the removal of inter-tissue fluids from ‘pockets’ where it can stagnate.”
• She adds that lymphatic drainage can help prevent fibrosis and scar tissue, reduce edema and swelling, alleviate pain, and improve metabolism and the overall recovery process. “After surgery, tissues are often inflamed, so my goal is to support the face’s natural drainage system, not override it.” I’m a huge proponent of lymphatic drainage massages in general, so I believe this was a key part of my recovery.
• The most annoying things about this relatively straightforward recovery have been forcing myself to sleep on my back for six weeks (I’m a natural stomach sleeper), feeling overly frozen from the amount of ‘tox in my forehead, and the slight tenderness in my temples and forehead. I also only took the Percocet for two days, so I never felt constipated or had trouble coming off it. Overall, I’m shocked at how easy and pain-free this experience has been.

Brow Lift Costs

I’m extremely lucky that Dr. Gould and his team agreed to waive his fee for this surgery, so I only had to pay for the anesthesiologist’s time and the use of the surgery center. Typically, a brow lift surgery plus CO2 laser would be around $16,000, which can fluctuate depending on where you live.

It’s also imperative that you find a surgeon that you trust—both in terms of their results and the rapport you have. One of the reasons I felt so confident was that I felt deeply supported by not just Dr. Gould, but by his entire staff. If your surgeon is a “yes man,” saying they’ll do whatever you want—run. It’s really important that expectations are kept realistic, which applies to any plastic surgery or cosmetic procedure.

If cost isn’t a factor for you and you’re a candidate for a brow lift, I’d say unequivocally it’s worth it. The recovery was miniscule and the results were incredible—six weeks in, and I’m absolutely thrilled with how my brow lift turned out.

My Brow Lift Results

One of the things that resonated the most when making my decision to get a brow lift was when Dr. Devgan said her patients often describe feeling like their “real face” is revealed again. I can confirm this is the effect I’ve been noticing post-surgery—I feel 100 percent like myself, just refreshed. It’s like my eyes are finally back to their full glory after a few years in shadow. The results are extremely subtle but make a huge difference both in how I see myself and how others see me.

I’m also wildly happy to report that my tension headaches are gone—you read that right. Gone. It took about three to four weeks for my muscle to relax after surgery, which Dr. Gould told me would be the case, but then all of a sudden I started noticing that I wasn’t so fatigued at the end of the day. This has been a huge game changer in my life—plus, my left eyebrow no longer arches way above the right.

At six weeks post-surgery, the only remnants of my surgery are some small lumps under my skin around my temples and hairline, which is just leftover fluid that will soften over the next few months. My scars, which you can’t see unless you part my hair at my temples, are still a bit pink but will fade over time. Overall, my brow lift results turned out exactly as I had hoped, if not better.

Meet the Experts

Nothing gets us more excited than talking about a not-so-little tweakment or a nip-tuck procedure. In the spirit of transparency, Marie Claire’s aesthetics column, Life in Plastic, delivers a first-hand peek into what goes on behind the doctor’s door.

To B-cup or not to B-cup: That was the question of 2024.

At 40, I’ve never felt better. I’m sober. I’ve piked through every Pilates class in the Big Apple. I eat clean—protein, fiber, fruits, and veggies. Therapy? Weekly and transformative. My social circle is a dynamic orbit of friends propelling me skyward. I’m flourishing. Yet, amidst the rock bottoms, glow-ups, and self-discoveries, two things have never returned to factory settings: my once-full breasts.

Was I ever busty? Not exactly. But back in my curvier days, with more weight on my frame, I was a full B cup, venturing into C territory if demi cups, French Leavers lace, and tulle came into play. About the weight, in the past few years I feel like I’ve walked through my “we finally figured it out” health portal. My diet and lifestyle (I’ve been sober for six years now) have dismissed the quick fix nutritional sales pitches I kept trying: vegan for almost two years, paleo, sugar-free—and I’ve landed on a daily menu that keeps me strong and satiated. But with this nutritional way of living, that’s focused mostly on protein and fairly Mediterranean, has resulted in weight loss in my breasts and butt.

Cut to spring of 2024, when I first truly noticed the change, thanks to some photographic evidence surfacing. First, there were the royal blue string bikini photos from St. Barths; as I arose from a post-ocean dip, unflappably sure I looked like Darryl Hannah’s body double in Splash, I saw that my chest resembled a sunken pirate ship. Then, a solo sojourn to Greece, wandering Athens in a white knit dress. My boobs? In absentia, like they’d been abducted by a Greek God—Hades and Persephone-style.

By August, like any good fashion stalwart, I turned to lingerie for answers. Under the harsh lighting, my sales associate dropped the truth bomb. “32A; perhaps, double A for extra oomph and lift?” Me? Double A? Never did I think my bra size would go from B to Energizer battery vernacular. I started to daydream about getting a breast rejuvenation. Just a little something. Small. To fill out tops and bustiers, and those cute corset-y waist dresses everyone’s wearing in Williamsburg. To ensure I was doing this for me and with full agency over my body, I went through my checklist: are you doing this for clout? For the male gaze? Was social media my muse? Nope. Nada. Not even close.

These *potential* breasts were for me. I wanted to feel empowered and confident again. I wanted to fill out my bathing suits, tops, and workout gear. This was a body autonomy choice. FTW. Thus began my quest for natural-looking breasts.

The Vision for My Breast Augmentation

When I closed my eyes my vision was more “Swan Lake” than “Baywatch”. At 5 '2” and under 110 lbs, I was aiming for understated. I didn’t want to look ‘done’. Kendall. Kate Hudson. Nothing bigger than a B-cup. Two breasts as balanced as my chakras. I jotted down my breast wish list: proportionate, small volume, a little cleavage (if you’re already at the ice cream shop, might as well get the sprinkles). I wanted “the chest I had in my 20s” before gravity had done its thing, topped with the freedom of “Bra Free”. I envisioned myself as that confident ‘Is she French or isn’t she French?’ woman, stepping out in jeans and a white tank with nothing underneath. You know, that sexy undone chic thing. Je ne sais quoi breasts.

Finding The Right Breast Augmentation Surgeon

We’ve entered the era of the subtle breast augmentation. “Yoga breasts,” “Ballerina Breasts,” and “The Perfect B” are buzzing across headlines, social media, and from plastic surgeons. Once my algorithms picked up on my newfound mission, it fed me a never-ending loop of ads and videos of surgeons that did fat transfers (which is harvesting fat with liposuction and grafting it into the breast), awake implants, over-the-muscle implants, gummy bear implants, and the latest-and-great implant on the market, Motiva. It was overwhelming and perplexing. What’s a girl to do?

New York City’s cosmetic surgery scene? A maze of who’s legit versus who’s trending. You can turn to Reddit. Get yourself a coveted spot in a beauty writer group text for some inside baseball. You can even take a wild chance and ask a woman at Pilates that you *think* might have had an augmentation.

What I learned: finding a board-certified plastic surgeon is key, someone with the real bona fides. It’s also important to check out their before and after photos. Reddit is a fascinating source. I consulted with a few surgeons, all reputable and performing smaller breast augmentations, all recommended to me through my inner circle—however, when you know you know.

Enter, Dr. Darren Smith, whose credentials include fellowships and extensive sub-specialty training in aesthetic surgery made me feel safe, heard, and totally comfortable. His Ritz Tower plastic surgery practice was modern, glossy, and chic, complete with a private operating room. It just felt right.

Discussing my desired aesthetic with Dr. Smith was like I was talking to a close friend, but one who also happens to be a surgical credentials king and is one of the most popular breast and body surgeons in the Tristate area. Dr. Smith assured me that it’s paramount to him that this would be a collaboration, telling me, “I’m here to provide my surgical expertise, but really, it's a partnership above all. You’re driving the ship, but I’m here to facilitate your journey to get you where you want to be.” Despite my binge of articles on smaller augmentations, I still feared the, “too done” look, Dr. Smith reassured me, “We’ll find an implant and fat transfer option that is in proportion to your petite frame. You’re going to love it!” I was thrilled, excited, and ready for take-off.

My Breast Augmentation Consultation

During my in-person consultation, we discussed my health, mammogram history, and Dr. Smith took before photos. I also showed him my dossier of inspo photos of B-cup breasts and celebrity examples. He said I was an ideal candidate for his “Rapid Recovery” breast augmentation, meaning Motiva implants, placed under the muscle, with a touch of fat transfer for more natural fullness. I was relieved—this was exactly what I wanted! He explained to me his Rapid Recovery process which was three-fold—meticulous dissection to minimize tissue trauma (sounded good to me); instilling a long-acting local anesthetic like Marcaine into the implant pocket at the time of surgery to minimize narcotic use post-op; carefully controlled early return to activity and range of motion exercises (maybe this wasn’t going to be as intense as the TikTok recoveries I was watching every night).

When I inquired about the above the muscle implant trend, he was candid, “When we go under the muscle you get the best looking result. The trending above the muscle, and subfascial augmentation techniques have not yet differentiated themselves as superior options in my experience. With an under the muscle implant, you achieve a seamless, natural transition from the chest wall into the breast.”

Motiva implants are the new-ish implants on the block and became available in the United States in September 2024. I’d read up on how this was a big deal for breast augmentations as Motiva have been celebrated for their natural look and feel and reduced risk of capsular contracture (a complication that can occur after breast implant surgery where scar tissue around the implant hardens and tightens, resulting in a breast that feels firm, tight, and painful). Once we had the before photos we went into his office and I was able to see what the implants would look like on my build with Dr. Smith’s advanced aesthetic 3D simulation system, Vectra.

This felt like creating a Build-a-Bear but for boobs. It was a neck below photo of me and we were able to try on both the Motiva Round and Motiva Ergonimix implants. The latter emerged as the clear winner with their natural teardrop shape when I’d be standing up and roundness when lying down. I also loved the feel of the implant which was smooth and natural and referred to as Motiva’s signature SmoothSilk Surface. I opted for 190cc implants to fill out my tops, workout bras, and bikinis and Dr. Smith planned to get a fat graft from my thighs via liposuction.

Leaving the office, my surgery date circled in red on my calendar, I felt a sense of calm excitement. I felt empowered and certain that I was making the right choice and that I found the right surgeon to do it with. Not once did I waver after booking this surgery.

Prepping for Breast Augmentation Surgery

In the weeks leading up to my surgery: I forwarded my mammograms to Dr. Smith’s office, and had a thorough pre-op physical for clearance, with blood work and an EKG with Dr. Andrew Moawad at Well by Messer. And the prep wasn’t only paperwork; it also involved stocking and styling my apartment into “Transformation HQ” for post-op recovery: Cure electrolyte mix for hydration, a special wedge pillow for optimal head elevation, zip-front tops and cardigans for ease, and ice packs tailored for post-surgery bras (these were pure genius).

I was a flurry of nerves and excitement the five days leading up to my surgery. Running thoughts: Am I going to be in throbbing pain? Did I go too small with my implant choice? Should I say no to everything on my calendar?A

Every time I reached out to Dr. Smith’s office they were prepared with answers and he would call me back within hours or even text with me. Since I was getting a fat transfer, Dr. Smith suggested a protein rich diet and told me I should gain some weight before surgery. Steak dinners became a frequent affair, alongside lots of chicken, eggs, and fish. My “last supper” before the midnight pre-surgery fast? Steak, French fries, brussels sprouts, and Le BonBon Swedish gummy candy.

Breast Augmentation Surgery Day

The morning of my surgery came with a foggy calmness due to fasting. Arriving at Dr. Smith’s office without my usual shot of caffeine, nerves quickly replaced my caffeine buzz. In the waiting room, a fellow patient whispered encouragingly, “You’re in great hands; Dr. Smith is the best. I’m six weeks out and my recovery was so easy.” Her words steadied me. It was showtime, baby.

Once inside my room, I was weighed and my eleven pound weight gain was greeted with high fives from my nurse. Next up, my anesthesiologist gave a clear rundown of what to expect, and then Dr. Smith came in with a magic marker to map my body. Observing him mark the locations for incisions and fat transfer was fascinating, a glimpse into the planning of his procedure. He talked me through every marking: where the incisions would be for my implants, and where he would be injecting the fat to the upper pole and inner part of my breast for a little bit of the cleavage that we had discussed.

The day’s intensity melted into a blur. The last moment I recall is being in the OR and the team asked me what music I wanted to listen to, “Ariana Grande please!” I started singing to “No Tears Left To Cry” as I got my general anesthesia via IV.

I resurfaced in the recovery room, greeted by my nurse Ciara. I was wearing a Marena post-surgery compression bra and girdle (which I lived in for the weeks to come). Dr. Smith and the team caught the great reveal on camera. As my nurse opened up my bra for me to see, I cried tears of joy and said lots of, “Oh my Gosh! They’re perfect. Look at them’”. I was thrilled. These were my dream breasts! Comfort food orders were placed: a pureed vegetable soup, roasted salmon (the hunger was real) and a protein smoothie for the next morning. This step was clutch, I spent the night in Dr. Smith’s recovery room (an option he offers to patients) with Ciara.

She helped me get up and use the bathroom and helped me walk around his office for blood flow and to get me up and moving. We ate gummy candy and talked about life. It was honestly like a sleepover party, except I had new breasts. I fell asleep that night around 10:30 PM and slept through the night. I was woken up by Ciara before Dr. Smith returned to the office around 7 AM. He gave me a look over and checked my healing and vitals and I was released. Ciara brought me home and we went over all my take home instructions for post-healing and she mapped out my meds for me. I was given a few different options for pain medications depending on how I was feeling, which certainly helped with the tightness in my chest and general pain management.

48 Hours Post-Op

Contrary to the common narrative of intense post-op recovery, Dr. Smith’s rapid recovery breast augmentation made it bearable. My mom visited to refill my kitchen as I couldn’t carry bags or boxes. As an energizer bunny, the hardest part of those first 48 hours was taking it totally easy. I woke up, tracked my medications, I worked, and ate (I was voracious which happens post-surgery because your body is healing), and got a little light walking in. Showering was fine but I only shampooed the bottom of my hair as my raising my arms felt uncomfortable with my limited range of motion. I continued to wear the compression garments underneath sweats and leggings. I also put soft gauze pads inside the bra for oozing and cooling ice packs that I would put in the bra when I was feeling sore.

Five Days Post-Op

After five days, I was back at Dr. Smith’s office (which now felt like home) as he assessed my healing progress of both my implants and fat transfer. His news was glowing (yes, I’m an overachiever and even like gold stars relating to my breast augmentation healing progress), and he introduced me to the band. Picture a resistance band looking device that hugs your chest, which coaxes the implants into a position that is charmingly referred to as “dropping and fluffing.” Those five days flew by at lightning speed. Despite taking it easy during the days, I even managed a few social appearances with cautious optimism—like my friend Sarah’s birthday party five days post-op.

Two Weeks Post-Op

Week two was maybe the most challenging of my process. As the Rapid Recovery meds (Dr. Smith intraoperatively uses long-acting local anesthetics at the time of surgery to minimize narcotic use post-op) and my prescription meds tapered off, I found myself occasionally ensnared with a tightness in my chest—which felt kind of like an anxiety attack. These are entirely normal as your body is adapting to the implants. Week two also began my relationship with Mariela, my lymphatic drainage massage extraordinaire who came to my house. Mariela’s lymphatic drainage massages were nothing short of a miracle. They tamed my swelling in ninety minutes, soothed my inflammation, and relieved my stiff neck which I had from back-sleeping. Fast forward seven weeks, and Mariela is a steadfast member of my self-care brigade.

Four Weeks Post-Op

The four weeks were over in a blink. As someone who thrives on movement, I really listened to my body and this was the mark that I felt ready to reintegrate light workouts back into my routine. Mat pilates emerged as the champion for my body and I modified it as I wasn’t ready for pushups or overhead arm movements. I was excited (yet incredibly gentle) with adding some light working out back into my routine. While the settling process of “dropping and fluffing” may take an entire year, Dr. Smith told me my results will be pretty much set by three months and that changes after this point tend to be subtle.

How I Feel Now About My Breast Augmentation Surgery

My elation following my surgery has been boundless. The notion of I “should have gone bigger” has never entered my mind—there’s been no fretting, no second guesses, and absolutely no regrets. I feel more confident with every piece of clothing I put on. With a recent trip to Miami, I packed every bikini, every Fleur du Mal bodysuit, and tank with newly found boldness. Witnessing my body’s resilience and healing during this elective surgery has deepened my respect and admiration for it. My results were subtle enough to only be noticed by those I confided in, but personally, secrecy holds little appeal—I find it exhausting. So here I am, telling you all. Hi, I got my breasts done, and it was the best gift I could’ve given myself as I enter this fourth decade of my life. A little wiser, a little more clear-sighted, and a lot more balanced inside and out.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion, and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

Meet the Expert

Nothing gets us more excited than talking about a not-so-little tweakment or a nip-tuck procedure. In the spirit of transparency, Marie Claire’s aesthetics column, Life in Plastic, delivers a first-hand peek into what goes on behind the doctor’s door.

Jessi Ngatikaura is one of the star’s of Hulu’s hit reality show “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.” She underwent a labiaplasty and breast implant revision surgery in February 2024. This is her story, as told to Marie Claire, edited for length and clarity.

I didn't know a labiaplasty existed until I went to my doctor, Dr. Devan Griner at Peak Plastic Surgery. I originally went wanting to downsize my implants (I've had four boob jobs), but during the consultation I started talking to Dr. Griner about how I looked and felt different—down there.

My problem was actually pretty common, especially among women who have had children. I didn't need [my vagina] to look perfect, but I felt like [my labia] was affecting how my body looked in tight clothing, like yoga pants. I didn't like wearing anything workout-related—going to the gym even felt weird. I was always self-conscious. I could tell that it was a little looser. But more than it was an issue aesthetically, it was physically irritating. The biggest thing I noticed after I had my babies was that my actual lips pressed out—they were touching my thighs. It was a super uncomfortable day-to-day. Anything active or that applied pressure, like riding a bike, wasn't enjoyable.

I asked Dr. Griner if he had anything he recommended for the pain and discomfort I was feeling, and that’s when I found out about labiaplasty.

“It’s important to understand the anatomy to understand a labiaplasty,” explains Dr. Griner. “That area is made up of the labia majora, which is the skin on the outside, and the labia minora, which is the tissue on the inside. Those are two completely different types of tissue. Think of it like the lips on your face—the labia majora is like the outer red portion of the lips. It’s meant to be exposed to the elements; it can be outside. The labia minora is like the inner part of your lips and the wet vermillion part of your lips. If that part gets exposed to the air for too long, it dries out, cracks, bleeds, and burns. It's very delicate and sensitive. With patients who are getting a labiaplasty, their labia minora is exposed."

When I learned I could have both surgeries on the same day, I was like, “Sign me up!” I don’t have much downtime, and recovering from two surgeries at once sounded great.

My Labiaplasty Consultation

Preparing for a labiaplasty isn’t like other surgeries. Like, I know what I want my boobs to look like, but a vagina is harder. I had the other MomTok girls do paintings of vaginas before my surgery.

It was a little hard bringing it up to my doctor at first, because when you’re talking about that area and it’s not a gynecologist who’s meant to be down there [it can be awkward], but Dr. Griner is great—he’s just so friendly and welcoming. I ended up showing Dr. Griner what I looked like in yoga pants and what I noticed. Then, we did the consultation with my pants off, and I showed him what I would like to have tucked up here and pulled there. Honestly, I let him do what he recommended. I’m not a medical professional, so I didn't want to say, “take two inches off,” but I told him my concerns and then gave him free rein.

The Day of My Labiaplasty Surgery

The day of the surgery, I was nervous. I've had a few boob jobs before, so I knew what to expect with that. But with my labiaplasty surgery, I had no clue. I was really nervous, just not knowing how I would feel waking up. That part was pretty scary.

I did have The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives cameras in the surgical room with me, but I’m such an open book. Maybe it’s because I’ve been an influencer for so long. I share every part of my life, the good and the bad. I wanted to go on reality TV, not just to highlight the good things, but to show the raw, real, and ugly because everyone has that. I knew it would help some women; some may not understand, but at least I can help some girls with this struggle if they have it.

When I came out of anesthesia, I was a little nauseous and loopy, but I felt okay physically. I knew I would be sore, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. There was an hour when I could feel everything down there, though, because my pharmacy didn't fill my pain medication on time. My husband was running to the pharmacy, trying to figure it out, but it felt like there was a blow torch up there. That was pretty brutal. My advice to anyone going through this: make sure you have your pain meds before you go into surgery. I just thought I could get them after, and I'd be fine, but I was not.

Labiaplasty Recovery

Recovery was similar to post-pregnancy. Frida Mom has this Postpartum Recovery Essentials Kit that I used with both my kids, and I literally got the same thing for this. It has the big granny panties, the ice packs, and a peri bottle. After you have kids, they give you this bottle with a little nozzle that sprays water. You spray it down there to clean yourself, like a bidet, but it's hand-held, and it cleans you instead of wiping because you can’t wipe at first.

I had ice packs down there, and that really helped with the cooling, swelling, and burning. I also wore granny panties for three days straight because there was a lot of blood. It was super helpful just to wear those and not worry about staining any of my stuff. After that, I transitioned into wearing pads in my underwear for a few days. After a week, I was pretty normal. I just had to dab and blot instead of wiping.

The hardest part of the surgery was feeling like you gave birth without actually having a cute baby at the end. The whole not being able to wipe and just being super sensitive down there, especially if you can't handle pain. It is a little bit hard, but within four days, I felt like I was fine.

“We usually recommend a regimen for patients of a thin layer of antibiotic ointment applied a couple of times to the incision lines along with the peri bottle to be able to spray and then wash the areas,” adds Dr. Griner. "You don't have to do any kind of extensive wiping, and then they're supposed to rest and relax for about up to a week to help the swelling and everything go down.”

I took that girls’ trip to Las Vegas about three days after my surgery. I had two days of downtime, and then, on the third day, I was road-tripping to Vegas. Dr. Griner saw the video and was like, “You have to tell people this isn’t normal!” I chose to get the labiaplasty, knowing I had to go to Vegas a few days later. I wore surgical dressings and granny panties on the way to Vegas and again on the first day. Then the second day, I had to wear a little dress, so I wore normal underwear, but I still had heavy pads. I stayed on painkillers the whole trip. I have a high pain tolerance, so I'm insane, but probably shouldn't have done that. “That was definitely not approved,” emphasizes Dr. Griner.

The first six weeks were the hardest because you can't have sex for six weeks. I was so sore and sometimes I was like, oh no, what did I do? There were moments where I was just hoping I would feel normal again.

My Post-Op Check-In

My stitches disintegrated, so I didn’t have to go back to have them removed, but I went back to the office about 10 days later to make sure everything was looking good. Then I had another appointment at four weeks and again at eight weeks. You can always check in if anything feels wrong—Dr. Griner’s office takes great care of you to ensure you’re good.

My Labiaplasty Results

The first four to five days were the most intense with swelling, but after about a week I thought my vagina looked pretty normal. By two weeks, I thought it looked great. But I would say it took a good three to four months for me to feel like it was where it needed to be, which is totally normal. And now I'm almost a year and a half out of it, and it's exactly what I wanted.

But now, if you were to look at it or even physically feel it, you can't even tell I got something done. It's amazing. I'm way more confident in the clothes I wear. I don't worry about it rubbing anymore, I don't feel any discomfort. It's a little crazy going through it, but I knew I wanted it done, and I knew it would give me the results I wanted.

My Labiaplasty Takeaway

This surgery is in the top three of those I'm so happy I did, so I have no regrets. I'm glad I did this together with my boob job, too. If it had been my first boob job, I probably would've freaked out because there are so many different sensations and pressures. But I was well-prepared for at least half of this.

If you’re thinking about having a labiaplasty, I would say make sure that you are prepared for the six weeks of recovery, and make sure that you know how to follow the rules because you can't just get this surgery and then not do the aftercare required. Other than that, it didn't affect me that much daily.

I always know that sharing anything will come with criticism. I got some backlash after the show aired—many people just said, “This is ridiculous, no one even sees that.” I want to take this opportunity to clarify that while visually I wanted it to look better, I was also treating physical discomfort. I'm used to people not understanding my decision, but the small percentage of people who say, “Wait, I've been looking into a labiaplasty, and can you please share your experience?” Those people make it worth it to me.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

Meet the Expert

Nothing gets us more excited than talking about a not-so-little tweakment or a nip-tuck procedure. In the spirit of transparency, Marie Claire’s aesthetics column, Life in Plastic, delivers a first-hand peek into what goes on behind the doctor’s door.

Let's get right to the point: I hit puberty around 12. My boobs went straight past bug bites to melons in nine months tops. My double-A cup friends were mesmerized—such is the tween way. But with one breast resembling a cantalope and the other a jumbo watermelon, hiding my wildly unsymmetrical boobs became my number one priority. Bra minimizers were my best friend (shoutout Wacoal), and my wardrobe was exclusively filled with flowy tops and high necklines. Cleavage? Yeah, never showed her.

Getting a breast reduction was always top of mind. Not only did I have all the usual complaints like back pain, difficulty sleeping comfortably, and constant irritation when working out, but plastic surgery was an often-discussed and never-taboo topic in my household. (My uncle is a plastic surgeon, my father is a facial plastic surgeon, and my mom has proudly had a tummy tuck and breast reduction/lift.) It was always a pretty well-known fact of life that I would eventually go under the knife. The Big Question was when. Most doctors recommend waiting until around 18-years-old, when the breasts are fully grown. I played it on the safe side and had my first surgery (yes, I had two, so buckle up for a crazy story) at 21.

Unfortunately, my journey to little boobies was not a simple one. I’ll get into all the nitty-gritty, somewhat gory details below, but long story short, I lost blood flow to my left breast during the healing process, and after eight months of uncomfortable healing, I ended up with a large, thick, purple scar. This story isn’t to impart fear or talk anyone out of a breast reduction. What happened to me is rare—but it does happen. Any surgery comes with risks and side effects (you sign your name on the dotted line for a reason), and unfortunately, I got a front row seat to a not-so-fun one. It’s not through the fault of my original doctor—he did a great job, but you always run the risk of issues happening, like losing blood supply to your boob.

Fast forward, and the only real solution was to cut out the scar with—you guessed it—a second breast reduction, effectively taking me from what was then a full C to my current size of a small B. Did I want to have two breast reductions under the age of 30? You know, it wasn’t part of my original life-planning forecast. But it did reinforce that even in a society that talks so cavalierly about aesthetic procedures big and small, it’s important to remember that side effects do happen and no treatment is without risk.

Now that I’m a few years out from my Breast Reduction Saga, which lasted a grand total of two and half years, I’m often asked: would you do it again if you knew what was in store? The candid, honest answer: 100 percent. Shocking to some I know, but having smaller, evenly sized, don’t-need-to-wear-a-bra boobs has made quite literally every aspect of my life easier.

I don’t think twice about leaving the house without an underwire, straps aren’t digging into my shoulders 24/7, and neck spasms from carrying around 10 extra pounds are non-existent. I don’t have to toss my boobs to the side in order to get to sleep (if you have big boobs, you know what I’m talking about), clothes fit better and shirts actually button. My nipples point out at a 90-degree angle, not down 180 degrees. I feel a million times more comfortable in my own skin.

While my first recovery was a nightmare, my second was a breeze. I’ve lived the breast reduction life on both ends of the spectrum. And because I am an open book about aesthetic treatments—I am a beauty editor for a reason—I’m sharing every little detail about my experience, below.

My First Breast Reduction

It was my senior year of college. I had a consultation in October during my fall break and went in for surgery come December, which was my winter break. I was warned I would be a somewhat complicated case. Not only were boobs huge, but they were also two wildly different sizes. My left breast was a DDD or F (depending on who was measuring), and the right breast was a D. Congenital Breast Asymmetry is a common condition, but it does make the surgery more difficult. Not only is there more breast tissue to remove, but correcting the nipple placement and achieving visual symmetry requires both time and skill.

Still, I went ahead. I took the necessary precautions two weeks prior to surgery, like stopping blood thinners and fish oil supplements. The day of, the team escorted me into the surgery center, brought me into a room, and told me to change into a medical gown. The doctor came in and drew on my boobs with a black Sharpie to denote where he would be making incisions and the new shape and placement of my nipples. I was pretty shaky, albeit very excited.

Next thing I knew I was lying on the operating table receiving anesthesia for roughly four hours—for reference, a reduction typically takes around two to five. When my eyes opened in the recovery room, the team told me everything went according to plan—a whopping six pounds came out of the left boob and four pounds out of the right. (We love that.) I was a bit loopy, but within roughly an hour, I was in the car on my way home.

My First Breast Reduction Recovery

Recovery was a bit harder than I anticipated. The first two days were rough—granted, I had a little liposuction done on my bra roll, which contributed to extra pain. I was given prescription pain medication, which I took like clockwork for 48 hours. Sleeping was a bit of a mess, too. As a stomach sleeper, falling and staying asleep on my back was a challenge. My upper body strength was shot and I needed an assist to make even the slightest movement. (I ended up throwing out my back, which was candidly one of the worst parts of the recovery.) I could barely lift my arms above my hips for a good week and wore exclusively zip-up sweatshirts and button-ups. Washing my hair truly wasn’t feasible for five days, at which point I treated myself to a blowout.

My drains, which are essentially tubes that allow fluid and blood to come out of my incision, were removed seven days in. This is around the time they told me I would start to feel more like myself. The drains were removed—as was the fanny pack I was wearing 24/7 to hold them—and my breasts were re-wrapped in the tight bandage.

My Breast Reduction Complication

Of course, there’s a but—that’s why you’re reading this. A few more days down the line, I noticed that the tissue on my left breast was starting to adopt a purplish-black hue. Obviously, that's not good. Somewhere along my recovery journey, blood flow stopped reaching my breast tissue, causing the skin to die. “Necrosis or death of tissue happens for several reasons including impaired blood supply, smoking, external pressure from the bra, or the tissue just gets damaged, kinked, or twisted—everyones anatomy is different,” says board-certified plastic surgeon and founder of Kole Plastic Surgery Ed Kole, D.O.. “This leads to impaired blood flow and results in tissue loss.”

And so started a pretty rough healing journey. The dead tissue—which started below my nipple and ran to the bottom of my breast in a triangle shape about the size of an onigiri—had to regrow or granulate in. Translation: form from the inside out, which presents as bumpy tissue as the area forms a new vascular supply. I applied a heavy dose of Silver Sulfadiazine 1% Cream (a prescription wound healing agent) twice daily, covered the area with fresh gauze, and wore compression bras for nearly eight months (in a properly healed reduction, surgical bras are only necessary for the first six weeks).

It was painful. I couldn’t carry my own groceries or walk more than 5,000 steps without feeling utterly depleted and achy. I didn’t go out to bars or clubs with my friends for fear of someone accidentally knocking into my left boob. It was Not Fun mentally or physically. Around a year in, my skin had reformed and closed the open wound. It was also purple, which stood out like a sore thumb against my ghostly pale skin.

My Second Breast Reduction

Now the fun part! About a year after the scar had settled in, my new doctor—Dr. Kole—was ready to talk about revision options. A heavy-duty laser, like a CO2, was an option; it would be able to help reduce the purple pigment and give the scar a smoother feel. That being said, I was 25 at the time and wasn’t down with a half-baked solution. So we landed on another reduction, which would cut out the scar, re-suture the boob, and make the right breast the same size as the left. To do so, my full Cs would have to become Bs. Still, it was worthwhile trade when (mostly) scar-less boobs were in my future.

Armed with deep-rooted anxiety about going under again (I’d be lying if I said that the trauma of living with an open wound for eight months didn’t scare me), I started the breast reduction process over yet again. We did a consultation. The process mimicked my first in that he told me he would make a new incision, following the original lines wherever possible. Because my breasts were much smaller, he also wouldn’t have to use drains.

The most shocking part for me: Dr. Kole informed me that I would likely have to give up my choice to breastfeed in the future. “Each reduction removes glandular tissue and severs milk ducts, decreasing the ability to produce and transport milk,” explains board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Lara Devgan. “Multiple reductions increase the likelihood of significant duct disruption, making breastfeeding less feasible.” It wasn’t ideal, but I still chose to move full speed ahead.

When it was time for surgery, I pretty much knew exactly what to expect. Pre-op precautions, a quick consult, anesthesia, and recovery room.

My Second Breast Reduction Recovery

The day of surgery left me out of it. I slept the entire day away from the residual (exhaustive) effects of anesthesia. Sleeping on my back was annoying (to be expected), but I was extra cautious about my movements after throwing my back out the first go round. By the time I woke up the next morning, I already felt like a new person. I didn’t need any prescription pain medication this time. Advil and Tylenol did the trick. I was walking—well, shuffling—around the house 24 hours post-op.

I started applying scar cream—I used a mix of Mederma Scar Gel in the morning and silicone patches at night—around the two-week mark. I had little lollipop scars, meaning a vertical line down the center of each boob and a horizontal line at the base. (I didn’t treat my scars the first go-round, as it was too difficult with gauze and an open wound.) They were a red-purple color, which is to be expected.

Six weeks in was the next big marker. Almost all my sutures had dissolved. I was able to finally stop wearing a surgical bra (yay!) and could resume working out. I felt entirely back to myself. Of course, some healing still needed to happen. My scars had dark coloring and, I’ll be honest, my nipples looked a little funky for a while—kind of like they had been chewed up and spit out with weird ridges around the edges. It took about a year for them to level out. But otherwise, I was 100 percent normal in two-ish months.

My Breast Reduction Takeaway

Not to be dramatic (I’m going to be dramatic), I’m a new women with my new boobs. Now, it’s four years post-second surgery and I barely wear a bra. My boobs are symetrical for the first time in my life. The scar from my first reduction is nearly entirely removed. I still have a small half-inch section of dense, scarred-over tissue that couldn’t be cut out, but it’s faded so much that it doesn’t bother me in the slightest. I feel much more at ease in my skin today than I did five years ago.

Is my story untraditional? Absolutely. I’ve simultaneously experienced one of the most hellish side effects with round one of breast reduction and had an unbelievably easy, seamless experience on round two—all under the age of 30, I might add. And still, it’s the absolute best decision I’ve ever made in my life. I’d do it all over again to achieve these little bug bite boobs I have today.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

Meet the Experts

There are two things you should know about me. One, I'm needle-averse. Two, my undereyes are my biggest problem area. No amount of concealer, color corrector, or undereye patches have been able to reduce the appearance of my fine lines, but historically, needles and I don't do well. Do you see where I'm going with this? Clearly, I'm in a bit of a beauty conundrum. Recently, I've been fixated on my undereyes. My usual favorite concealers began making my skin look aged thanks to my undereye wrinkles, and the overall loss of plumpness in the area was leaving my dark circles looking, well, darker.

Looking into undereye filler yielded horror story after horror story of filler migration, and it wasn't until I visited JECT—a medical spa with locations in Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and New Jersey—that I was told I was a good candidate for PRFM (Platelet Rich Fibrin Matrix). Keep in mind that PRFM targets skin quality while filler provides volume restoration.

After doing some digging, I decided to put my big girl panties on and give the treatment a try for my fine lines before committing to undereye filler for my volume loss. Below is everything you need to know about PRFM, including my experience and before and after photos.

What Is PRFM?

PRFM is an advanced form of PRF (Platelet Rich Plasma). Both procedures use components of a patient’s own blood to stimulate cellular renewal, but where PRFM differs is that it contains a fibrin matrix that holds growth factors in place, allowing for a slower, more controlled release over time, says Saami Khalifian, MD, FAAD, board-certified dermatologist and founder of SOM Aesthetics. "This makes PRFM particularly effective for delicate areas like the undereyes, where it can improve skin texture, fine lines, and dark circles," he says.

PRFM is often the treatment of choice for those experiencing crepey undereye skin or fine lines due to collagen loss. "It's safe for all skin types and works well for patients in their late 20s to 50s who are noticing early signs of aging and diminishing skin quality," says Dr. Khalifian.

What Are the Benefits of PRFM?

PRFM aims to improve skin health and texture using your own blood, which is made up of plasma and a high concentration of platelets. As NYC-based JECT physician’s assistant Andriana Cellini, PA-C explains, platelets are commonly referred to as the first responders to an injury. "Once PRP is injected to the affected area, the platelets become activated and release growth factors and proteins called cytokines that promote healing of the injured tissue," says Cellini. "Platelets don’t last very long without a fibrin matrix to support them, which is why PRFM is a more superior and advantageous treatment option compared to traditional PRP."

PRFM can be injected into the forehead, cheeks, and nasolabial folds, but the undereye is one of the more popular injection sites. Because this area is very delicate with thin tissue, using your own blood cells helps amplify your body’s natural ability to heal, allowing the platelet-rich plasma to rejuvenate your skin from the inside out, says Cellini.

Also, PRFM can help stimulate collagen production, which naturally declines as we age, resulting in skin sagging, wrinkling, and general loss of elasticity. "The platelets and growth factors in PRFM act as signals to fibroblasts (the cells responsible for producing collagen and elastin) to keep the skin in repair mode for weeks after treatment—over time, this leads to thicker, stronger, and healthier undereye skin," says Dr. Khalifian.

Finally, rather than providing just a temporary volume-boosting fix (which is how fillers function), PRFM offers long-term benefits. "PRFM works at the cellular level to strengthen the skin itself and improve skin quality over time," says Dr. Khalifian.

Bear in mind that those with severe undereye hollows may not see enough improvement with PRFM alone (try combining it with filler for best results). Also, the quality of the platelets is completely dependent on your own blood, meaning that people who smoke or have autoimmune conditions, low platelet counts, or high blood sugar or cholesterol might not see as much of a benefit from this procedure, says Dr. Khalifian.

How To Prep For PRFM

Preparing for PRFM treatment is fairly straight-forward—make sure to eat a good meal and hydrate beforehand to help with the blood draw and prevent lightheadedness. Also, avoid consuming alcohol for 24 hours pre-treatment, as this can up your chances of bruising. If you're prone to bruising, ask your provider about taking arnica supplements beforehand.

What Happens During PRFM?

The treatment begins with the provider drawing a small amount of blood from your arm. The blood then gets spun in a centrifuge to separate the PRP, which is subsequently converted and thickened into the soft gel known as PRFM, says Cellini. "PRFM is then injected into the undereye region using a cannula [a tube to insert] a blunt needle that decreases the risk of a bruise and is a safer tool used in this delicate area."

How Much Does PRFM Cost?

Price for PRFM varies depending on provider, location, and other factors. Typically, the cost ranges between $600 to $800 per session, and some providers offer a bundled deal if you plan on getting a few sessions done (which is recommended to see the best results). Just be sure to see a well-reviewed provider with plenty of experience performing the procedure.

What's the Aftercare for PRFM?

There's minimal downtime with PRFM, and most people are able to return to their regular routines within one week. Immediately after the treatment, you should expect to experience swelling, which typically lasts a few days. Cellinin says to avoid icing, touching, massaging, or wearing makeup in the area for 24 hours post-treatment.

Are There Any Risks With PRFM?

Aside from mild swelling, redness, and bruising at the injection site, PRFM is a generally well-tolerated procedure. Cellini says some patients may be sensitive to the calcium chloride that's used to transfer the PRP into PRFM, but this sensitivity typically resolves on its own or with an over-the-counter antihistamine. The good news is that since PRFM is derived from your own blood cells, there’s no risk of an allergic reaction. And, because PRFM is not a filler, the risk of vascular occlusion or nerve damage is low, says Dr. Khalifian. As always, it's important to go to a skilled, board-certified provider who understands the undereye anatomy.

My PRFM Experience

I did three sessions of PRFM spaced roughly five weeks apart at JECT in West Hollywood. Each treatment began with me taking off all of my makeup with a makeup wipe. My provider then applied topical numbing cream on the under eye area and started the blood draw. From there, my blood was spun in a centrifuge for about 10 minutes—just the right amount of time for the numbing cream to kick in. The spun blood was mixed with calcium chloride to make it more concentrated, and then it was time to inject. The injecting portion took about two minutes and involved one poke on each side followed by the injection of the PRFM.

Let's talk pain level. Even though I'm not a fan of needles (really, who is?) I can tell you that I have a pretty high pain tolerance. I can also tell you that this treatment is not for the faint of the heart. It hurts. Bad. Even with numbing cream, there's a burning sensation that occurs as the liquid gold is being injected into the skin. It's not long-lived, thankfully, but it's ever-present, so you may want to bring a support system with you or ask the injector for a facial vibrator to be placed on your chest or face area during the treatment. I did this and it really helped serve as a distraction that helped calm my nerves.

I was definitely swollen after each treatment, but what I found interesting was that my swelling became subsequently less as the treatments went on (I wasn't as swollen after the second treatment as I was after the first, and I wasn't as swollen after the third treatment as I was after the second). The duration of the swelling lessened as I progressed with the treatments, too. Aside from the swelling, I didn't experience bruising or any intense pain post-treatment—just a bit of tenderness that subsided after 24 hours.

One thing to note about this treatment is that unlike some other cosmetic procedures, there's no instant gratification when it comes to PRFM. In fact, it requires a minimum of three to six sessions spaced four to six weeks apart to see a difference. I describe my results in the following way: I saw zero results after the first session, minimal results after the second session, and more apparent results after the third session. While my fine lines are still there, they're definitely not as apparent and deep set-looking as they previously were. Where I really noticed a difference was the texture of the skin underneath my eyes—I'm finding that my concealer isn't creasing as much as it used to, and the skin overall appears thicker and slightly smoother. Overall, I'd say the treatment gave me subtle results that make me look more awake, refreshed, and youthful. I recommend this to anyone looking to combat collagen loss for more rejuvenated-looking undereyes.

Meet the Experts

Nothing gets us more excited than talking about a not-so-little tweakment or a nip-tuck procedure. In the spirit of transparency, Marie Claire’s aesthetics column, Life in Plastic, delivers a first-hand peak into what goes on behind the doctor’s door.

Julia R is a 43-year-old woman living in NYC, who underwent a face and neck lift in December 2024. This is her story, as told to Marie Claire, edited for length and clarity.

It’s so important for me to have great skin quality. I work in a plastic surgeon’s office, Steven Levine, M.D. in Manhattan, and I’ve had Botox, radiofrequency microneedling, fractional lasers, CO2 lasers—I’ve done pretty much everything except threads and Ultherapy. My skin at 43 is the best I’ve ever had it in my life. A few years back, I noticed there was some fullness under my chin, so I tried Kybella and it did a pretty good job of removing that fullness. But then I went on Mounjaro [a GLP-1 medication] and I lost 60 pounds. So now, even though my overall skin health has improved, the skin laxity is really pronounced. When I look in the mirror I feel like no matter how healthy and even-toned my skin is, it’s still just kind of hanging there. There was no picture I would take where I could hide that little gobble under my neck, despite doing all these non-invasive procedures.

This is not the first time I’ve had plastic surgery—my upper eyes have bothered me forever, so I had an upper blepharoplasty four years ago, right before I turned 40, and I had a rhinoplasty last year. But when you lose that much weight, it changes the structure of your face. My eyelids were even saggier than they were before the bleph!

A lot of people think a face and neck lift is only for older patients, but I think my generation is approaching plastic surgery all wrong. A lot of people still have the impression that the pulled back look is what a facelift looks like, so they’re scared. But, as someone who works in medicine, I’ve seen that you have a better outcome if you undergo the procedure before the deep wrinkles set in, which happens in your mid- to late forties. We’ve seen a lot more 40-year-olds come into the office where I work. I think that’s because more people don’t want to wait until they start looking older to have these procedures done.

Doing this now, it’s pulling back the skin when it’s young and supple, rather than when those wrinkles have set in and you might still see them even after the procedure has been done. “​​The primary difference between patients in their 40s and 60s is the extent of aging and amounts of elasticity in the skin,” says Dr. Levine. “Because the younger patient has fewer signs of aging and usually better skin elasticity, they can expect a result that corrects nearly all signs of aging. Even when tissue is perfectly repositioned in older patients, because the quality of skin is diminished, the results can never be what they are in younger patients.” If what bothers you are your neck and your jowls, stop wasting your money with all those non-invasive procedures—it’s time for a facelift.

My Facelift Consultation

Once I decided I was ready for a facelift, the first step was a consultation appointment with my surgeon, Dr. Levine. There, he looked at my face, decided what procedures made the most sense, made sure I was a candidate for them, that I would get a benefit from surgery, and talked about timing. I decided to do my face and neck lift in the winter because why would I want to waste my summer recovering? Also, if it’s winter, I can do a better job of hiding the signs of recovery with scarves and hats. Plus, I knew it would be quieter because everyone leaves the city for the holidays. So we scheduled my procedure for December 19—the last surgery of 2024 for the office. I was off work for two and a half weeks and then was back to the office. I don’t know if I’d really recommend that for everyone, but I didn’t really have a choice.

My Facelift Pre-Op

We did the pre-operative appointment the week of my surgery, which is where the doctor really nails down what is being done, how it’s being done, and if there is anything additional you want to add. I call it the Sephora checkout line—you’re already going under anesthesia, so if there’s anything else you want to do, now’s the time to do it. That’s when I decided that in addition to the face and neck lift, I wanted to redo my upper eyes. The technical terms for what I had done was a face and neck lift with a temple lift and a lateral upper bleph trim. I also did a 25 percent TCA peel on my face with radiofrequency microneedling and CO2 laser on my neck and chest. Because the surgery is done under monitored anesthesia care—so like propofol, not general anesthesia—I needed to do a full pre-op like you would for any surgery. That meant bloodwork, an appointment with my primary care doctor to be cleared for surgery, an EKG. There are a lot of preemptive things you need to have done because this is elective surgery. You need to be as safe as possible and be sure you don’t have any comorbidities that need to be addressed before you put yourself at risk for cosmetic work.

My Facelift Surgery

On the day of the surgery, I hadn’t eaten or drank anything 12 hours before. Usually it’s eight hours before, but if you’re an Ozempic girlie, or a Mounjaro girlie like me, it depends on when your last shot was. Because those slow down gastric motility, doctors have had to change the rules about how long you have to go without eating and drinking before surgery. So it’s 12 hours and you have to do clear liquids before that. So I was hungry when I arrived at the office to check in. I saw the nurse, I saw the anesthesiologist, I saw the surgeon—I saw the entire team to just confirm with everyone what we’d already gone over healthwise. Dr. Levine then marked my face where the incisions would be and I had a chance for any last minute questions, they asked me what song I wanted them to play, and then when I walked into the operating room they had it playing. The anesthesiologist inserted the IV and a few minutes later I was asleep. The last thing I remember saying was “alright guys, love you,” and then I woke up in the recovery room.

We did the peel first, just on my face, then I had the upper lid trim, followed by the face, neck, and temple lift because those are all one incision. And then at the end we did the radiofrequency microneedling and the CO2 laser to the neck and chest. When I woke up, I couldn’t feel any sensations in my face or my neck. I had this big Teletubby wrap encircling my head, so I couldn’t hear that much. With propofol, you tend to wake up pretty spritely compared to general anesthesia. Since my surgery took longer, I was a bit slower to wake up and a little out of it. I don’t really remember the recovery room that well, to be honest.

When I woke up, I thought I had been lying there for an hour, so I was trying to get up and get dressed and go home, but in reality, I had only been awake for like five minutes. In my recovery room videos, I look like a little sleepy baby. I was very comfortable and I honestly don’t remember feeling any pain or discomfort. I do remember that because of the local anesthesia they use that I could not move my mouth that much at first or talk really. It’s like right after you leave the dentist after having work done—I was mumbling a lot.

48 Hours After Facelift Surgery

I stayed in the recovery room for about an hour and a half, then I was discharged. At our office, we usually say that if you have kids or pets or anyone who is going to be harassing you while you heal—or if you’ve traveled a long distance for the surgery—that you get a hotel for those first 48 hours. We always recommend that if you have kids that you don’t really let them see you in those first 48 hours because you have these surgical drains that are attached to your face for the excess fluid and that could really freak them out. But, since I live alone, my apartment was perfect for recovery. I had a private-duty nurse for the first 48 hours, which is a requirement for all patients at our office. A lot of patients extend the nurse past that time, but since I’m a nurse, I didn’t really think I needed another nurse to take care of me after that.

During that time, it’s really important to have them there because you are supposed to be taking it easy and focusing on recovery. I basically was catnapping and watching TV the whole time. I was really tired—your body is expending so much energy healing so you don’t have much for anything else and you get tuckered out pretty easily those first few days. You definitely don’t want to try and be a superhero and like, reorganize all your pots and pans or anything during that time.

I barely ate because I couldn’t really move my mouth and you don’t want to do any chewing on things that are hard or tough. So I did a lot of pineapple juice, smoothies, soups, drinkable yogurt, protein shakes. I did mostly things that I could eat that were easy to chew or soft, like cottage cheese, some high-protein bone broth.

The First Week After Facelift Surgery

In those first few days, the most awareness I had of anything around the surgery was of the surgical drains. They are two, small silicone tubes about the size and width of a spaghetti that are attached to you by two tiny holes, one behind each of your ears. Your face is pretty numb after surgery and for a little bit after, so you can’t really tell what is bothering you. But the point of maximum tension is behind the ears, which is also where the drains are attached. I wouldn’t say it was painful, but there was some spiciness there. And then once the drains come out after two days, I was just like, oh, it must have been the drains that were adding that spiciness. But, those drains are important because they are removing all the excess fluid in your face and making sure you don’t get super swollen.

That tension behind the ears is also why they tell you to limit how much you move your neck and chin post-surgery. Dr. Levine was always saying “chin up” to me because if you bring your chin down you are pulling down all the skin that he just spent all that time pulling up. Looking up is actually easier because it won’t stretch the skin like looking down will. They actually give you this foam neck collar to wear for two weeks after the surgery. I called it the cone of shame. It’s basically to keep you from looking down, left, or right and to just limit that neck movement while the skin heals. Sleeping was an absolute nightmare because unless you are already a back sleeper, you have to try and force yourself to sleep on your back like a mummy. I took Xanax to help and wedged myself in place with a pillow that prevented me from turning my head from side to side.

I also put an electric heating blanket on me because with all of the icing I was doing for my face and neck to stave off the swelling, it was making the rest of my body freeze to death. I also had a huge humidifier to keep myself from over-drying after the peel and the CO2 laser. Those first two days were basically me, in bed, three or four pillows deep, icing like crazy, taking pain medicine whenever I felt pain, humidifier blasting, cozied up under my heating blanket, napping on and off. I didn’t honestly feel a lot of pain—it was mostly discomfort. Like a nagging pressure or pulling feeling. But it wasn’t like there was this excruciating pain or anything.

There was this awareness of something going on behind my ears, but I didn’t feel anything at the temples or in front of my ears. It was just like an annoying awareness of discomfort. The first night was the hardest because it was all the fresh incisions, so I took the meds the most frequently then. But I found that when I wore the neck collar, I had less pain at the end of the day and once the drains were out it just got better from there.

How I Healed From Facelift Surgery

I used to be an aesthetician and I actually created a skincare line called Deawy. After working in a burn unit, I developed a product called the Becalm Burn Balm, which is a natural occlusive that’s petroleum free. It uses castor oil, argan oil, coconut oil, shea butter, and CBD. It creates an occlusive barrier and helps heal because it’s a superfood for skin. So I had that applied to my skin right away after my surgery, on the incisions and on the peel and laser areas, then applied the dressings. Then I just used that for about two and half weeks and nothing else. Once the scabbing from the peel came off, I started doing my red light therapy again to help speed up healing, which I think helped a lot with the swelling and discoloration. That’s pretty much all I did for after care for that recovery time.

My Facelift Surgery Results

I looked in the mirror at my face pretty much immediately after I woke up. With the Teletubby wrap, it was kind of hard to see, but honestly I looked fresh. The peel brought out the brown of my freckles, so you could really see those in my undereye area, but I looked cute. The next morning, the swelling started to kick in and I could see more fluid in the drains and more freckles from the peel, but it was really still pretty decent looking. The wrap comes off after 24 hours, so the next morning we took the wrap off and I just had to wear this chin strap and the drains, but then the drains came out the next day. The incisions looked so clean after just 48 hours and the swelling and bruising were not bad at all. There was a little bruising right in front of my ear, but that was really all there was. It goes back to that idea of the younger and better quality your skin is, the faster you are going to bounce back.

It took about 10 days for the peel to completely heal and then I just had baby skin. I looked refreshed and glowy. But even after just 10 days, my face had healed and my jowls and undereyes are completely different from before my surgery. The skin underneath my neck had tightened up and the little mound was gone. I had almost a heart-shaped face again where before it was boxier. I’m 10 weeks post-surgery now and I would say I’m completely healed but even now I still feel a little tightness. Not pain, it’s just tighter, so I’m trying to limit how much I move my neck. Everyone heals in different phases, so I’m not pushing myself to do things I don’t feel comfortable doing.

I wasn’t really using active [skincare ingredients] before the surgery but now I’m using A313, the French pharmacy retinol, every other day, and beef tallow. I’m not doing much to change the skin, just giving it a little bit of resurfacing to keep the peel fresh, so to speak. And then the beef tallow to kind of nourish the skin. I’m not trying to do anything crazy or add a bunch of new stuff because it looks so good and I don’t want to do anything to dry it out or irritate it. So those are the only two things I’ve added to my routine.

Choosing My Facelift Plastic Surgeon

I chose Dr. Levine, not just because I work in his office, but because I saw him do so many surgeries over and over and the results are always so specifically natural. Even if I didn’t work with him, I would have chosen him as my surgeon after seeing how natural patients look after seeing him. “I tell patients my goal during surgery is to put things back where they used to be,” explains Dr. Levine. I’m a big believer in not choosing your surgeon based on social media. Would you find your pediatrician on Instagram? Would you find your dad's cardiothoracic surgeon on TikTok? There's no governing body to say that they can't doctor their images. There's no legal implication for having an after photo with great lighting and a before photo with shitty, shadowy lighting. You should be using word of mouth, meaning find someone who's had it done and talk to them. What'd you like? What didn't you, what would you recommend? Would you do anything differently?

How I Feel About My Facelift and Neck Lift

Everyone was asking if people knew I had had a facelift, but no one can really register what’s different unless you tell them. When you do it at my age at least, they're not really going to notice a huge drastic difference other than like, wow, your skin looks good. They can't really pinpoint what it is, even though you still feel super fresh. No one can tell that you had surgery even though it’s so soon after the surgery. I think the main thing that I did that a lot of people don’t do is I never questioned the process. Obviously, from seeing it so often it’s something that I understood.

Trust the process. Once you've done all the homework and picked a surgeon you trust, the surgeon has the skills to give you the result you want, so trust that the process is going to turn out well. The more you positive self-talk, the faster it actualizes. Be easy on yourself. Remember that you really wanted to do this. Get excited about it. It's going to be a little recovery. Be aware that if you cut some skin, there's going to be some swelling and tissue distortion, but all of it will go back down. You've just got to give it time.

Meet the Expert

Nothing gets us more excited than talking about a not-so-little tweakment or a nip-tuck procedure. In the spirit of transparency, Marie Claire’s aesthetics column, Life in Plastic, delivers a first-hand peak into what goes on behind the doctor’s door.

I'm a sucker for a laser treatment. Whenever friends ask me how I maintain my smooth and even skin texture, I always chalk it up to my yearly laser appointments, along with good daily skin care habits. My go-to laser is Moxi (a non-ablative laser), which has done wonders for managing my hyperpigmentation and sun damage. However, this year, I've started to notice a lot more fine lines developing along my cheeks and around my mouth, which stay put even when my face is at rest, meaning I would need to try a new type of laser that specifically treats these concerns.

If you follow any beauty creators, you've likely heard about the "HALO glow" brought on by the HALO laser. HALO is a more aggressive laser than Moxi, and can target deeper pigmentation and texture concerns, including large pores, fine lines, wrinkles, acne scars, and dark spots. This sounded like exactly what I was looking for, so I tapped my go-to laser practitioner Laura Fischer, MSN, FNP-C to help me navigate the treatment.

Keep reading for my HALO laser experience, how to prep, aftercare and recovery, and my before-and-after photos.

What Makes HALO Noteworthy?

Before setting up my appointment, I wanted to know what sets HALO apart from other lasers. According to Fischer, HALO is a hybrid laser that uses both ablative (a laser that destroys the outer layer of skin and heats the underlying skin) and non-ablative wavelengths. "HALO is a dual-wavelength laser," she explains, "meaning that one wavelength is ablative, creating numerous small open channels into the skin (similar to a microneedling but with laser). The other wavelength is non-ablative and does not break the skin but puts energy deep into the skin to build collagen.” According to double board-certified dermatologist and founder of SOM Aesthetics, Saami Khalifian, MD, "HALO combines both types of lasers into one treatment giving patients the best of both worlds with beneficial collagen remodeling, skin resurfacing, and pigmentation correction below the surface.”

Since my goals were softening fine lines and addressing the sun damage and hyperpigmentation I had racked up during the summer, HALO was my laser of choice last fall. Keep reading as I document how the HALO process went, from the appointment to the final result.

HALO Appointment Prep

"Limiting sun exposure and avoiding any products that cause skin irritation is the first step in preparing for a laser appointment," says Fischer. She also mentioned that if you have used tretinoin or retinol long-term and it does not irritate your skin, you can continue to use this prior to the laser; however if you're new to tretinoin and are experiencing irritation, minimize use of this product for a week leading up to the laser. You should also stop using any active ingredients like beta hydroxy acids, like salicylic acid, and alpha hydroxy acids, like glycolic acid, a week before your appointment. Make sure you don't get any chemical peels or in-office exfoliation procedures within four weeks of your HALO treatment, and tell your derm if you have a history of cold sore breakouts.

During My HALO Appointment

With most lasers you'll spend the first 45 minutes to an hour with numbing cream all over your face. HALO is one of the more intense lasers, so you may have the option to have nitrous (aka laughing gas) on hand. If you have that option, I would say you should absolutely use it. I think it would have been pretty difficult to get through this treatment without it — it is one of the more painful treatments I've sat through. It feels like hot lava being dragged across your face; I won't lie to you, it's truly no fun. Thankfully, it only lasts about 15 minutes, and nitrous makes pretty much all of your problems go away and time ceases to exist (I think I may have inhaled too much...). This is a moment when you really want to be sitting in the chair of a practitioner you trust who is going to give you breaks when you need it and talk you through it.

The laughing gas they use in these settings (it's typically called Pro-Nox) wears off about a minute after you start inhaling it, so you shouldn't be addled after your treatment ends and you can drive home safely. You probably want to sit in the office for a minute after your session is finished and use the cold air hose and some ice packs before heading out into the world. For me, the only thing I wanted to do was head home and lay on my couch with ice packs covering my face, so I wouldn't plan to be out and about after your treatment.

HALO Laser Recovery

I'm not going to sugarcoat it. Recovery is rough. I likened it to Harry Potter's face post-stinging jinx. I've honestly never been so swollen in my life—but I will say Fischer warned me this was going to happen, and even showed me pictures of her own post-HALO "fat baby" face. “With two different wavelengths of energy being put into the skin simultaneously, HALO is more intense than purely non-ablative laser treatments, like MOXI, which causes more swelling, especially around the eyes,” says Dr. Khalifian. “This happens because the skin is getting ‘double zapped,’ disrupting the outermost skin barrier and heating targets below the surface.”

He explained that HALO creates a strong inflammatory response, which, while necessary for the regenerative process, causes temporary swelling for a few days post-procedure. To be specific, “The treatment activates local immune cells and recruits additional immune mediators to the treatment area, leading to a cytokine-driven response that helps stimulate fibroblast growth factor production and skin renewal,” says Dr. Khalifian.

Immediately after the treatment my face felt like it was on fire—like my cells were burning from the inside. It was quite unpleasant but only lasted about two hours. I basically just sat in front of blasting AC and used ice packs. As you can see, I was very red and there were some bloody spots on tender areas, which is totally normal. It's important that you don't touch your face while it's in this inflamed state to avoid any bacteria transfer. At bedtime, I applied a liberal amount of the Senté Dermal Repair Cream and slept on my back to avoid my skin touching the pillowcase.

The next morning, the swelling had begun (it tends to peak on day three according to Fischer) and the redness had deepened, along with the appearance of microscopic epidermal necrotic debris, or MENDs, which make your skin look like sandpaper. On day two, I started to cleanse morning and night with a gentle wash (I used the Dieux Baptism Gentle Foaming Cleanser and incorporated an exosome serum (the Plated Intense Serum) before applying the Senté cream. After 48 hours I was able to add a mineral SPF to my routine — specifically the Dr. Loretta Universal Glow Daily Defense SPF 40. Sun protection is incredibly important from the moment you step out of your treatment, so I brought a wide-brimmed hat with me and wore it any time I was near the sun for the entirety of my recovery.

After about five days, the swelling had subsided and the sandpaper texture had begun to peel off on its own. My skin is pretty sensitive, so I had a little bit of rosacea that was triggered, meaning I was kind of scaly (it felt like lizard skin) for another few days and was slightly itchy for a day or two. Dr. Khalifian says this is normal: “You may also experience an ‘acne phase’ as the baby skin is regenerating on days seven through 10.” This was resolved by using my medicated rosacea cream and some swipes of a cotton round soaked in diluted white vinegar. It took a total of about nine days for me to feel like my skin was totally recovered. I was a bit more rosy than usual (also normal) for about another week, but honestly it was cute so I didn't mind.

HALO Laser Cost

Like most aesthetic treatments, the cost will depend on where you live, what expertise of doctor or nurse you go to, and the areas of your body you want to treat. Typically, a HALO session for your face and neck costs between $1,500 and $2,500. It's good to note that this laser typically takes fewer sessions to get results; for example I would probably only need to do one session once a year.

My HALO Results

"Halo laser has several different waves of improvement," says Fischer, "the first of which is seen after the dry skin flakes off, and the second wave starting to show at four to six weeks due to new collagen formation. These improvements will last a different amount of time for everyone and are greatly impacted by daily habits including skincare, wearing sunscreen, proper hydration, et cetera." I definitely found this pacing to be true of my results. The first week after everything had flaked off, I loved the rosy glow that was leftover—my skin looked really airbrushed and the hyperpigmentation had been wiped away, but I wasn't noticing a difference in the fine lines around my mouth and cheeks. It wasn't until about two months later that all of a sudden those lines looked softer and less pronounced, especially under makeup. I can confirm—the HALO glow is real.

Overall, I'm very happy with my results—that being said, for me, I'm not sure I'm emotionally equipped to go through the swelling phase any time soon. Maybe catch me in a year when I have forgotten about the above pictures and am ready to put myself through it again—I can't deny that HALO is an incredible option for treating fine lines that other lasers, or topical products, aren't able to target.

Meet the Experts