Flaboverfifty

[Ed's note: In January 2010, right before Faboverfifty.com officially launched, founder Geri Brin got the "Natural Lift,"--a much-buzzed-about cosmetic surgery developed by Dr. Sharon Giese. (It has since been called "the plastic surgery of the future" by Dr. Oz).  Read about Geri's experience in her own words, and check out her updated before-and-after photos, at the bottom of this series.]

I did something I swore I’d never do. I had “surgery light” on my face. I call it “light” because I did not have a facelift. I swear. Read on to see what I did, why I did it and whether it was worth it.

When my friend, Meryl, told guests about FOF at a dinner party, Dr. Sharon Giese said she wanted to meet me. “She thinks FOF women will be interested in a new technique she’s developed,” Meryl said.

Dr. Giese is a plastic surgeon. I called to set up a meeting.

January 6, 2010

A Tour of My Face

I haven't held a mirror this close to my face in years

Now it's Dr. Giese's turn to look at me

Dr. Giese and I decide the best way for her to explain her procedure, which she calls the natural lift by dr. Sharon, will be to point out what she’d do on my face. I sit on a high chair in front of this soft-spoken and beautiful plastic surgeon. She instructs me to look into a hand mirror as she examines my face, top to bottom.

“You don’t have a great deal of excess skin on the upper eyelids, but your eyes would look brighter and wider if some of it was removed. The lower lids could definitely use a lift,” she begins. When the cheek skin loses elasticity and sags, a cavernous look forms under the eyes and creates dark circles, Dr. Giese explains. “All the concealer in the world won’t camouflage them.”

Moving south, she comments that the laugh lines surrounding my mouth “aren’t too bad.” I reveal that “I recently had filler injections.”

Then Dr. Giese comes to my lovely chin, jaw and jowls. Pointing out the sagging cheek skin and the little pouch of excess tissue hiding a jaw line, she says this area is hit hardest as we age. “Jowls are the single biggest giveaway to an aging face. Yours make the bottom half of your face look older than 62,” she says bluntly.  I don’t disagree, but feel compelled to ask: “Why do most people think I look younger than 62?”

The jowls only a mother could love

“You have great style,” Dr. Giese says. “No one is concentrating on every inch of your face.”

Hmm. Now I was.

to be continued tomorrow…