Hi, my name is Brad. I am a 33 year old male from Sydney Australia. My aim and goal for this blog is to share my Plastic Surgery experience, step by step. 
 Whilst researching cosmetic procedures I believed would benefit my face, I stumbled upon copious amounts of information available on the internet. In fact their is so much information and misinformation, that you can feel overwhelmed, and scared away from the entire process. There are many forums and communities which detail personal stories and experiences…but unfortunately a disprortionate amount of these experiences are negative as they are patients who have had an unsatisfactory outcome, and are seeking advice or reassurance from others. Reading some of these experiences can put you off Plastic Surgery for life. My ultimate plan for this blog is to detail things exactly how they are. Exactly how I experienced them. I will cover everything including my inner thoughts and emotions, both before and after my surgery. There will be no holding back. If you have any questions you would like to ask me privately, you can contact me on webmaster@chinimplant.com.au

For me, plastic surgery was always going to happen. It was one of many objectives on a long list of things I wanted to experience before I die. Watching shows like “Extreme Makeover” and “The Swan” only fuelled my desire to have my own make over some day. Weird thing is, there was nothing I “REALLY REALLY” hated about my appearance. But obviously there are features about my appearance that have occured with age that I am not happy with, otherwise I would have never gone to this extreme. Overall, my appearance has had no huge negative impact on my life, besides the occasional cringe whilst looking at my double chin in photos. I have never been teased or taunted about any particular physical feature (well except for my receding hair line, but that’s an entirely different story)..and in our older age, my brother and I joke about our genetically inherited double chins…but overall, I was not extremely concerned about my physical appearance. … BUT,  I am sure like many, there are a few improvements I would like to make to my appearance. Aging gracefully is not an option for me
  As for morals and taboo’s on Plastic Surgery, well…I don’t have any. Zero. If someone would like to make an improvement to themself, then what is the big deal? Obviously there are limits, and some people do go overboard with plastic surgery (like that Cat Woman). We spend thousands of dollars fixing our cars or homes when they are damaged or age, why should we feel guilty or embarrassed about wanting to fix ourselves!? We are in our own body 24/7. We also have no control over our genetics. And sometimes the gene pool can be cruel. Our appearance, along with persona is a significant representation of our being. Our Avatar. So like I say, I have zero moral ambiguities when it comes to the plastic surgery itself. The technology is available, and has been refined through out the decades, why be a shamed to use it!?

Guilt and embarrassment. I realise this title alone contradicts what I have written above, but please hear me out. If there was one thing playing on my mind (besides the obvious nerves) before deciding to go ahead with my surgery, was guilt. I felt guilty that I would be dropping $13k on something that was not 100% a necessity. Especially when there are people such as my mother and brother who are struggling financially. I realised if I decided NOT to proceed with my Plastic Surgery, and donate the money to my mother instead, she would never accept. She has already rejected my financial support in the past. As for my brother, I don’t believe giving him money will help his cause. He needs to change his lifestyle if he wants to get ahead. And then you think about all those starving children in 3rd world countries who are struggling to eat…and here I am wasting money on something as fickle as vanity. Yes, it’s a cruel world! Guilt was a very hard emotion for me to overcome. And let me tell you something, I am no bleeding heart!

And I won’t lie, I also felt some embarrassment. Not so much because I care what people think, or maybe deep down I do? I decided to keep things to myself and girlfriend anyway. I told close family and friends I was having my wisdom teeth removed, which gives me an excuse to vanish for a few weeks to heal. My girlfriend is fully supportive of my quest for Plastic Surgery, but I think deep down she figured I would never have the balls to go through with it all. In retrospect she would be very wrong, this once

If I was to tell my Dad I was going to have Plastic Surgery, I feel he will doubt my sanity. Which I’m sure he already does. My Dad is from an era in time where only the rich and famous have Plastic Surgery. Why the hell would his son need it?? When or if he does eventually find out, I will just tell him I was unhappy with the genetic hand I was dealt. (I love to stir him up) I know for sure my brother and sister will be all for it. They have both been vocal on their opinions of Plastic Surgery in the past. I am really not sure how my mother will react. But I believe with some of the family secrets that have been revealed in recent times, nothing will shock her anymore. But at this stage, I really don’t want to stress her out about it. As for close friends, I honestly don’t care what they think. (not that I don’t care for their values or opinions) For now I won’t say anything unless they notice. They know I am not a conventional man, so I doubt anyone will be surprised.

I must admit, finding the correct Plastic Surgeon for me was one of the most difficult parts of my journey. I have no friends relatives or associates who have experienced plastic surgery before, so I was all on my own. But thanks to the internet I had access to a ton of information. One interesting yet frustrating pattern I did notice whilst researching a particular Plastic Surgeon, is… besides their own official websites (and maybe some Press about the more prestigious surgeons) there is not a lot of external unmoderated information. Especially on Australian Plastic Surgeons. Many of the forums don’t allow you to post the name of a Surgeon. I am guessing this is to protect the Surgeon from justified and unjustified defamation.  I see this as both a good and bad thing…as it would be impossible for a Surgeon please 100% of their patients. So all it would take is one disgruntled patient to ruin the reputation of what could be a very skilled and caring surgeon. But when it comes to finding any positive or negative information on the Plastic Surgeon you are researching, it makes things very difficult.

After many weeks of searching for qualified Plastic Surgeons in Sydney Australia, I finally narrowed my choice down to about 3 or 4 Surgeons. Most of them in the Eastern Suburbs or North Shore. One thing to note when searching for a “Plastic Surgeon”, confirm they are a member of the ASPS. Anyone with a medical degree can call themselves a “Cosmetic Surgeon”. But only specialised surgeons who have endured the further 8-10 years of advanced training can become a member of the Australian Society Of Plastic Surgeons.

At this stage I will not name the surgeon I selected, not until I get authorisation. To be honest, he was the first and only Surgeon I consulted with. I know this is bad, as I beleive you should really consult with multiple surgeons, but I had a good feeling about him from the start. Some of the reasons I selected this particular Surgeon was ….. Firstly, he is a member of the ASPS. He has a lot of good press on both Television and in Magazines/Media. He has apparently worked on three Oscar winners and two Golden Globe winners. He is also a Surgeon who specialises in face and neck surgery. Now any Surgeon who works exclusively on the face/neck earns my respect. This would be by far the hardest area to accomplish patient satisfaction, as the face is the first thing people (including yourself) notice each day. I am sure he could make a ton of money just churning out boob jobs, but this surgeon has a brilliant eye for facial aesthetics. In my humble opinion, he is not only a genius, but an artistic genius, who obviously likes a challenge. You may ask, what gives me the right to make such a huge claim? Well besides the work he has performed on my own face (which I love so far), I have browsed through the before and after photos in his surgery. His results are nothing short of mind blowing. After looking through his photo’s, I can guarantee he has some very happy patients!

Another reason I selected this Surgeon was simply because he seemed like a nice genuine guy. He was not at all cocky, and seemed very approachable with a great sense of humour. He was also very happy to answer all of my questions, no matter how stupid they we’re.

You can find out more information about my Plastic Surgeon Here. Sorry I will not publicly name my surgeon at this stage, even though so far I have nothing but positive things to say. I don’t want to step on any toes, or have defamation suit taken against me.

I also recommend when researching a surgeon, to use plastic surgery website forums such as MakeMeHeal.com. Use the forum “Search Function” to find a surgeons name. (yes some Surgeon’s names slip through the cracks of moderation and are posted) If you find a user has posted about the surgeon you are interested in, send them a private message and ask them about their experience. I contacted about 5 forum users who had already been worked on by the Plastic Surgeon I was interested in using. They all had positive things to say about him.

What can you expect on your initial consultation? Well like I said before, I was lazy and did not shop around for my surgeon. So I only really had one consultation. Obviously, I was happy with how it went. I already knew exactly what I wanted surgically, and had already researched the procedures on the internet. As I have aged, my neck/jaw line has accumulated a lot of fat. No kind of exercise or weight loss seems to change this. Each year it seems to get worse and worse, with my neck/jaw and chin molding into one. My father, brother and sister suffer from the same genetic condition. I also have a very recessed chin/jaw. When talking recently to an Orthodontist about my bite/jaw problems, he asked if I sucked my thumb or fingers as a child. As it turns out, I did…and this finger sucking whilst young altered the growth of the lower jaw. Braces as a child would have corrected and guided the jaw growth, but as an adult there is nothing you can do about it besides jaw surgery.

Anyway, I discussed my concerns with the plastic surgeon…I told him I want him to suck out my double chin and to have more definition in my chin/jaw line. He took examined my face, and squeezed the fat under my chin between his two fingers. He then asked me to swallow. I am guessing he was checking if it was fat that was causing my double chin, or the muscle sagging. After reviewing my face and taking some photos, my surgeon suggested a few options. First of all, he suggested I would greatly benefit from a chin implant. This would provide some projection to my chin, and improve the balance of my lower face. He also suggested two options when it came to removing the fat from my neck and under chin. He said he could simply liposuction the fat, which will give me a 20% improvement. Or he could tighten and lift the platysma muscle which is located under the neck, plus have liposuction which would give me a 40% improvement. Another procedure he suggested would suit my face was to have some buccal fat removed from my lower cheeks. After checking my cheeks he believed I would be a good candidate for this, as I have a very round face, and a moderate amount of lower cheek mass. He also questioned me about my parents faces, as removing the buccal fat pads in certain patients can be a bad move. As we age, we lose fat in the face, and this can create a gaunt look in later years. Both my mother and father have full round lower cheeks, so I got the genetic nod of approval. The surgeon suggested that if he was me, he would just go for the chin implant, neck liposuction and buccal fat removal. And suggested that I would be very happy with the results. He then uploaded my photos to his computer, and showed me what my face would look like after surgery. To be honest, at the time I was not entirely impressed with the computer images. But at the same time I realise this is only an indicator of outcome, and it did definitely look better than my current profile, which resembled something similar to a Muppet. The surgeon also questioned my psychological health, and my expectations from the surgery. He asked how important this surgery was to me? I answered the questions honestly. I do not believe I have unrealistic expectations..I don’t want him to morph me into Brad Pitt, I just want to look like myself, only improved. As for how important the surgery was to me, I feel if he rejected my request for surgery, I may have given up on the whole idea. While it was important to me, it was not the be all and end all. I am sure I would have found a new challenge to make life less boring.

After briefly explaining the procedures recommended for my face, and how they are performed, the surgeon asked me if I had any questions? I recommend you bring a list of questions to your initial consultation, so you don’t forget anything when it comes to the crunch. Because of the research I had already done prior, and my love for the TV series Extreme Makeover, I was very familiar with the procedures he suggested. Hell, give me a Scalpel and Cannula, and I could have probably performed the procedures myself! (well, not quite.. )

Once the consultation was finished, I was introduced to the Surgeon’s coordinator, who explained what to do if I wish to proceed. She also printed out a quote for me. Please email me if you wish to know the breakdown on how much each procedure costs me.

The most stressful time for me was making a decision. To proceed or not to proceed!? I dwelled on this for about 2 weeks, and in that time I spent many nights stressing about worst case scenario’s. Then one day I finally snapped, and decided I am going to do this. So I called the Surgeon’s office and asked them to lock me in. There was no turning back now!

2 Weeks before the actual surgery date, I had a Pre Op appointment. This consisted of me signing documents, excepting the risks and outcomes of my chosen procedures. The Surgeon also took photos of me from different angles. This was also my last chance to ask about any further questions or concerns. I was also asked about my current medications, and any allergies I may have. The Surgeon then prescribed me some medication for before and after the surgery, including antibiotics, sleeping pills, and pain killers. And interestingly, he also advised me to start taking Vitamin C, Zinc and Arnica both before and after surgery. Apparently this assists with the healing process. It was also suggested by the nurse not to drink any alcohol up to a week before surgery. DOH! So once I was finished with the Surgeon, I was walked into his coordinators office, and it was time pay up! Thank god for Uncle Amex! Once payment was organised, I was introduced to the nurse. The nurse basically prepared me for what to expect on the day of surgery, and recovery. She advised that I limit my diet to liquids for the first day, then soft foods from then on. She also suggested I sleep with my head in an elevated position after surgery, as this helps with the swelling. Another suggestion was to drink lots of Pineapple juice. Apparently this also assists with swelling.

That was about it for the Pre Op appointment. It was very non eventful. I was expecting blood tests, x-rays, stress tests etc. But I guess for my age, and the procedures I was about to endure, this was unnecessary.

I recorded my thoughts and feelings in a note book which I am now referring to.

Noted ” Have been feeling some nerves, but only when I think about the surgery. Definately having doubts and wondering what the hell am I doing!? This idea all sounded good in theory, but now it comes to the crunch perhaps it wasn’t such a great idea after all. Things are feeling very surreal. I am feeling incredibly guilty about lying to my mum and friends about having my wisdom teeth pulled. I have no moral issues when it comes to plastic surgery, but to blow $13k on Vanity makes me feel very guilty. I randomly get the feelings of butterflies and that sinking feeling in my stomach everytime my thoughts dwell on tomorrows surgery. I am worried that something may go wrong in the surgery, or that I may never wake up. What a pointless way to die, on something so fickle and unecessary.”

Taken from my notes..

” The night before surgery….put on my running shoes and go for a run. Eat what could be my last dinner! Don’t have any appetite for my favourite food on earth, Ice Cream. Pop 3mg of Xanax before bed. Must have knocked myself out at around 11pm”

“The morning before surgery….awake at 3am! Doh! wrest less in bed until 4am. Decide to get up, have a shower and wash my hair with Johnson’s baby shampoo, just as the doctor ordered. Shave, and wash my mouth with an Anti-Bacterial mouth wash. Emotions - I am feeling very spacey from the huge dose of Xanax. To be honest I feel almost zero nerves and anxiety. Got to love Xanax! Took my Vitamin C, Zinc, Arnica around 4:30am. 5am - have 50 minutes before the Taxi arrives. Concerns going through my mind - lethal reaction to anesthetic. Poor, aesthetic asymmetrical outcome. Just read surgeons notes, no Neurofen 2 weeks before surgery..doh I took 2 last night for my headache! Worried about infection, pain, agony, death”

Taken from notes:

” Arrive at Hospital around 6:15am, and greeted by Susie the Hospital Liaison Officer. Susie checks all my paperwork and gets me to sign more documents. Not long after I am transferred to my own private room. I put on my hospital robes, and lie on the bed while my girlfriend plays Mario on her DS. My nerves at this stage are surprisingly not bad. Thanks again to Xanax I meet with the Anesthesiologist who seems like a nice switched on gentlemen. We talk about my current medications and general health. He is concerned about my blood pressure which read 162/80 from memory. I am guessing this is due to nerves before the operation, but the doctor said I should really get it checked, or I may have a short life. hehe, thanks doc! I then see my Surgeon, who seems like a lovely caring man, in a very rushed way! Lets put it this way, he must be a busy man, it took me almost 6 months just to get a consult with him! My only qualm with my surgeon (which I would not even consider a qualm) is he did not speak to me in more technical details about the procedures. The nerd in me wanted to know everything…like what type of liposuction will be performed, Tumescent, Smart Lipo, Ultrasonic? What size and shape chin implant…how will he carve it down and shape it to adapt to my chin. How many CC’s of Buccal fat will be removed from my cheeks?  Where will incisions on my face be located. I had all these questions but never the opportunity to ask. Perhaps this is my own fault. But I guess if he was to explain the semantics of every procedure to every patient, he would never have the time to do what he does best, operate.

“In the Operating Theatre” - Walk into the OR, and notice a huge team of doctors. My surgeon introduces me to a female trainee surgeon who will be watching my operation today. She seems very young and polite. My Anesthesiologist introduces me to his assistant. There are a number of other nurses and people preparing instruments in the background. Wow, all these people for me. I knew I am in good hands. The Anesthesiologist tries tapping an IV into a vein in my hand, but doesn’t seem to work. So he manages to tap a vein on the crook of my elbow. He mentions giving me something to relax, I like the sound of this. I instantly begin to feel dizzy. Then seconds later I was gone….blackness…nothing. Next thing I realise I am awake in a different room, with a friendly nurse beside me monitoring my vitals. Seems I had the urge to talk crap, but my lower lip had been numbed so I was talking garble. At this stage I am feeling very alert to my surroundings, but at the same time I have a headache like a hangover. The nice nurse crushes up some Digesic pain killers in honey for me…but the headache still persists for a while. I was told my operation lasted an 1:45mins, and the hospital was kind enough to refund me for the 15 minutes extra of surgery time I had paid. I had booked 2 hours. I am guessing I am back in my private room at around 9am. The nurses take great care of me, constantly monitoring my blood pressure and giving me pain killers and icecream. I have also been given a compression garment to wear around my head/neck. This helps with the swelling and bruising of liposuction. Overall I am feeling pretty good….in fact I don’t feel any pain at all besides my headache” I get up eventually to goto the toilet…and take a quick peep of myself in the mirror. I was expecting to look battered and bruised, but everything looked ok at this stage. After a couple of hours of monitoring, the nurses tell me its ok for me to go home. I just remember thinking wow, this entire process was a lot easier than I expected. What was all the stress about?? All the Doctors/Nurses/Staff had been very caring and professional, which created a positve experience for me.

Taken from notes

“I must say, pain and discomfort has been zero. The most painful part of the entire process was having the tape removed that held the IV into place. No kidding! I have been taking Digesic (Pain Killers) every 4-6 hours, and drinking lots of pineapple juice. I am also constantly rinsing my mouth with salt water, and spraying my arnica for the bruising. Now to the good part…how do I look?? I took a quick peep when I got home from the hospital. I removed the compression garment and looked in the mirror. And I must say, I am very impressed by what I see. Wow, I have a jaw line, a chin…my double chin is gone! At this very moment I am one happy man! Even with all tape, stitches, bruises and swelling, I really like what I see.

Here are some photos taken on the same day…before the surgery, then after. Not the most flattering photos, but you get the idea.

“First Night” - sleeping is difficult with the compression garment on, and I have also elevated the head of my bed by placing pillows under the matress to prop it up. I don’t want to sleep on my side, because I don’t want to ruin any of the work that has just been done, but at the same time I cannot sleep on my back. So once again, Xanax saves the day…I fall asleep in very high spirits.

“Not a great sleep. Trying hard to sleep on my back so I don’t put any pressure on my face. But not having much luck with that. Wake up and take my elaborate array of pills, 4 x Antibiotics a day, Zoloft, 2 x Digesic every 4-6 hours, 4 x Arnica Spray under tongue, 1 x Vitamin C, and 1 x Zinc Tablet..Todays meals consist of Protein Milks, Jelly, Yoghurt and Chicken Corn Soup for dinner. I have been feeling very dry, and drinking lots of water and Pineapple juice, which means I have been peeing all day. As for my comfort level, still no pain or feeling of swelling. Received a phone call from the nurse today to see how I am going. I tell her I feel good and this whole experience is over rated…she tells me not to get too cocky as the worse is yet to come…

Day 2 Picture

“Woke up at around 8:30am, and removed my compression garment so I could take all my tablets, and have some breakfast. Ok, now I can definately feel some tightness in my neck and chin area. It is like a pulling feeling, but still no pain or discomfort. I noticed a patch of bruising on the right side of my neck, but other than that I don’t see any further bruising. I am guessing the next few days bruising and swelling will get worse.. Just another day really…eating soft foods, and mostly working on my websites. Talked to my dad and sister on the phone today. Once again feeling guilty for telling them lies…as they ask questions about my wisdom teeth. Had an early night, 2 x Xanax’s and I am in deep sleep by 9pm.

Day 3 Before And After, Note Bruising on my right side.

Wow, the surgeons office is absolutely packed today. My previous 2 visits to the office have been quiet and peaceful. There is an obnoxious middle aged “Eastern Suburbs” woman giving the staff a hard time about the long wait. The poor girl is trying to calm her down, but not having much luck. I wait for an hour and a half to see my Surgeon. I don’t really care about the wait…I don’t have to be anywhere…but I am thinking in the back of my mind I will have a parking ticket now for sure!

Before & After Front On Photo
Note: Still a lot of bruising and swelling, but you can see a more defined and masculine jaw line.
 And best of all, my double chin has been BANISHED!

From now on I am only going to update progress weekly, as not many changes are happening day by day. I am sure the difference in the photos will be more noticeable with a weeks worth of healing. I have to go back to see the surgeon on Tues, where he will remove the stitches under my chin. I will update then with some photos of my incision scars. Keep posted!

Have my One Week Post Op appointment tomorrow. All stitching and taping should be removed. Will update with new photos.

My mother’s birthday is coming up shortly…this will be the first time I see the family since my surgery. Will update with how they responded (if at all!)

Hi all, well I just got back from my 1 week post op appointment. All tape and stitching has been removed. I am still feeling in high spirits, despite really bad sleep lately. I am sure the compression garment is not helping in that respect. The garment is becoming more and more uncomfortable the more my facial hair grows. Its like a rough sand paper feeling against my throat. (you lucky females don’t have to worry about this :P) Good news is my PS said I can start shaving again (carefully around the incisions)…thank god for that, I haven’t shaved in over a week, and beginning to look like Teen Wolf.

As I hopped out of my car and started walking to the Surgeons Office today, I ran into him on the street. Looks like he was on his way back from lunch. I greeted him and he looked at me confused for a second…then said “Oh Brad!, I almost didn’t recognise you with that jaw line! Either he was being honest, charming, or admiring his own work…perhaps a combination of all

So no more post op appointments with my Surgeon for another month. He is by far the most loved person in the household at the moment. I am sure my girlfriend is sick to death of me mentioning him…maybe she thinks I’m gay! Either way, my surgeon has the hands of an angel, and I am forever grateful for the work he has done on me, and the way he and his team have looked after me.

Here are some more before and after pics, if you are anything like me, you are probably beginning to get sick of them. Very little has changed since the last pics, except a little less bruising, and a lot more facial hair! I can still feel swelling under my chin and around the neck…so hopefully as the months progress my neck and jaw line will tighten up a bit more. Anyway, enjoy these before and after pics, these are the last ones I will post until week 2.

Today was my first day out in public. Since my PS said I can start eating normal food again, I went and had lunch at McDonalds almost instantly. I was craving it so bad, and it was soo good! There is only so much soup and yoghurt a man can handle. Anyway, after dining at such a fine establishment, I went and did my banking. My work requires me to do the banking about 2/3 times a week….so as you can imagine I know the staff quite well. When I walked in, one of the guys I am friendly with said “how you going man?”..and kept on walking. He didn’t notice a thing. When it was eventually my turn to be served at the counter, the lady (who I also see every week) said hello, and kind of looked at me funny. It was the look of - something looks different, but I can’t put a finger on it. Perhaps she just looked at me that way because of my wolf man facial hair. I could be wrong, but I have a feeling women notice change more than men. Ok, well that was my first time out in public (besides surgeon visits)…and so far no one has said anything. Will keep you posted

The journey continues….Well I finally shaved today, which has given me the opportunity to take a photo of my Chin Implant incision. The incision actually looks a lot worse than it is due to the flash of the camera. You may also notice some brownness around the edges of the incision. This is just left over residue from the healing cream I have been applying. Yes, today I left the house, and purchased a product called Rosa Scarless Healer Cream from a Health Food shop. According to the friendly lady at the Health Food shop, this cream is the Mercedes Benz of herbal healing creams. I guess time will tell According to the bottle it contains the herbs Calendula, Hypericum, Aloe Vera. You can find more information here.

I have also pointed out the two tiny incision marks left from the neck liposuction. I cannot believe how fast these have healed up. I can barely notice them at all now, and they are probably more noticeable in this photo because I have also been applying the healing cream to them. (yes the cream is a brown colour).

On another note, I accidentally ran into my neighbour today whilst heading to the Health Food Store. My last encounter with her was 2 nights preop. I told her I would be laying low for a while since I am having my wisdom teeth removed (another person lied to :( )..anyway we said hello, and she didn’t seem to notice anything. She asked about the wisdom teeth, and I mentioned I was still a little swollen…which she agreed on. I am really surprised that one week out of surgery, no one has caught on (even with bruises and scarring).

I woke up this morning feeling very tight and swollen. I went and looked in the mirror and noticed my neck was moderately puffed up. I have to admit, for the first time since my surgery, I was a little bit concerned. Not only was my neck feeling swollen, but also my chin and bottom lip. I have not felt the swelling this severe since having my surgery 9 days ago. A few things flicked through my mind, including a bad infection, or my body has decided to reject my chin implant. I was deciding on whether to call the Surgery Office and have the nurse check me out. I figured I may need a new dose of anti-biotics. But after calming down a little I came to my senses and realised that swelling is just all a part of the healing process. I did not have a fever, which would indicate an infection. I guess what really threw me off, was the fact that the swelling kicked in on day 9. I figured after day 3, the swelling would gradually decline. Let this be a lesson to everyone that the human healing process is not always progressive. Each individual heals differently, and I do not believe their is an exact science to the healing process. I will keep an eye on my swelling, and if I do believe it to be abnormal, I will definitely contact my nurse.

I have received many emails asking what it feels like to have a chin implant placed inside your face. This is a very good question, and a question I wondered about myself before having surgery.
  I must admit, this is something I am really having troubles articulating, as physical sensations are sometimes hard to describe. To be perfectly honest, at Day 9 post op, when I am completely still, with a relaxed face, I do not feel anything. It just feels like my normal chin prior to surgery. If I am to manipulate my chin muscles by altering my smile, I can feel a slight tightness. I would not describe it as pain. Once in a while I get a feeling on the left side of my chin implant which feels exactly like a pimple. I keep thinking I must have a pimple coming up on the left side, but it never seems to appear. I guess this is just a part of the bizarre healing process which is most definitely different to each individual. I Hope this helps answer the question. When I am a few months post up, I will come back to this question. Hopefully the silicon chin implant will feel like a normal and unnoticeable part of my body.

If there is one thing I can recommend for those who are considering neck lipo, is purchase two compression garments, not just one. This way while garment ”one” is being washed, you can wear garment “two”. Also, it spreads the work load on each compression garment. Mine is starting to become frayed, and I am sure it is losing its elasticity. This is from repeated washing, and time in the dryer. The garment itself is not super annoying, but at the same time I would prefer not to wear it. But I have to admit, the one night I did not wear it to bed, I woke up the next morning with more swelling than normal. So I am back to wearing it religiously. As for how long to wear the Compression Garment? I really don’t know. Some surgeons suggest the first few days after surgery. Others say 6 weeks. Reading through the documents provided by my surgeon, he suggests wearing the garment for 4 weeks. He also suggested that “Postoperative massage of the areas that have been suctioned either by yourself or a trained massage therapist available  at many beauty salons is far more likely to be effective in diminishing swelling and prompting the quickest return to desired body contour”

My Face/Neck Compression Garment (Day of Surgery)

Swelling directly under the chin (the double chin area) has been more noticable in the past couple of days, compared to the first week after surgery. I am guessing this is normal and a part of the healing process. It is kind of annoying because it is starting to look like my double chin is making an unwelcome come back. But I can tell it is swelling, as it feels very tight and hard. My old double chin was nice and soft Like my surgeon said, I will not see the final results until 6-12 months after surgery. So I will just have to be patiant. Apart from the under chin swelling, no other major dramas to report. I am still very happy with how things are going.

I have received a few emails asking what size chin implant was used in my surgery. In my pre-op consultation, my Surgeon mentioned he would use a large sized silicon implant with wings. Unfortunatlely I am not sure what implant model it is, or what shape. The Surgeon said that because my chin is/was assymetrical, he would have to shave down one side of the implant more than the other. I am quite happy with my surgeons choice of implant. It looks very natural, and suits the size of my face.

Wow…2 weeks already! And as you can see from the photos, the healing process is going well. There are no longer any signs of bruising, which is a good thing when going out in public. I am still feeling quite swollen around the areas that we’re lipo suctioned (under chin/neck).  I am also starting to feel random lumps and hardness in the same area, this I was expecting eventually. My new chin is holding up pretty well, with only the left side feeling slightly numb. As for the buccal fat pad removal, I keep forgetting I even had this procedure. There is zero pain, tightness or discomfort coming from this area now. The only remaining evidence of the buccal pad extraction is the small incisions I can feel inside my mouth with my tongue.

I have tried my best to keep the before and after photo’s as similar as possible. But due to things like facial hair, hair cuts, head tilt, lighting, each photo can be a little different. But overall, you still get the general idea of how things are progressing.

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On Day 8, I posted a picture of the incision under my chin. Well it is now day 14, and I have taken another photo for comparison. The other lipo incisions have disappeared, so I have not bothered with them this time. These photo’s we’re taken 6 days apart, and as you can see the healing is coming along nicely. I won’t bore you with anymore before and after photos until the 1 month stage. (unless something comes up)

I think the excitement is definitely starting to wear off. Week 1, I couldn’t stop looking at myself in the mirror. (not in a narcissistic way, I think…) I looked in the mirror more in that first week than I have my entire life. I must admit, it was very exciting to see the new changes to my face. I now feel have become used to the changes…I realise I am still healing, and things are going to keep changing over the next 6 months. But I don’t believe they will be drastic changes. Overall I am feeling pretty good. But the high and excitement of the first week has definitely gone. This is very contradictory to what I have read about post op depression which many people suffer. For some odd reason, my emotions went in the opposite direction.

Sorry, I realise I said I would not post any more before and after photos until 1 month post op…but I figured some of you would find this information helpful if you are recovering from similar procedures as me. I noticed in my 2 week post op photos, my jaw line has began to lose its definition. When looking back to my day 4 post op photos, I managed to find a similar angled photo which is good for comparing with my week 2 photo. As you can see, in the day 4 photo the jaw line is more linear. But by week two, the jaw line has become less defined and seems to be melting into my neck. I am not really concerned by this at this stage, as I am positive it is all a part of the swelling. So for those of you who experience similar loss of definition, or the double chin making its return…I would not panic yet. I am sure as the months go by the definition will make a slow come back. (i hope!)

I have received numerous emails asking what can, and cannot be eaten after buccal fat pad extraction? For me personally, I only ate soft foods for the first week. Soup, Jelly, Ice Cream, Yoghurt, soft fruit like bananas. I do not recommend eating anything crunchy or hard. This could upset the incisions. One thing I was told NOT to eat by the nurse, was food like raw fish. Apparently bacteria is very high in raw fish and meats…so I would avoid food like this for the first week. My other tip is to keep your mouth clean. For the first week I brushed my teeth and rinsed with mouth wash after every meal. Once again, this is just my personal experience…for proper advice please refer to your nurse or doctor.

I received another email today in regards to the results of the buccal fat pad removal. As he suggested in his email, it is hard to notice any change in the buccal area in my photos. This was one thing my surgeon made perfectly clear to me, and repeated over and over. You will not start to see the results of buccal fat pad removal until at least 6 months. I realise this will be different for each individual. So I am not going to even bother worrying about this area until 6 months down the track.

Well I finally caught up with the immediate family (excluding dad) yesterday for my mum’s birthday lunch. I figured since we would be sitting down at a table and facing each other, someone would notice the surgery for sure! I already told my mum over the phone that I had the plastic surgery. I couldn’t handle lying to her about the wisdom teeth story any longer. She said she would keep it to herself, as she too was interested in seeing if anyone noticed.
Anyway, as soon as I arrive at the restaurant and sit down, my sister makes a comment on my weight loss (not that I have lost any). She said she could tell my face has changed shape…and asked how much weight did I lose? But other than that, nothing else was mentioned. I had planned to tell everyone what I had done, but a friend of my mother’s arrived who I had not met before. I did not really feel comfortable revealing my secret in front of a stranger. So for now, besides my girlfriend, my mum is the only one who knows. To be honest, I do not think anyone will ever notice. People notice something has changed, but they cannot put a finger on it.

My mum called me later that evening, and said she loved the results. She said my surgeon has done a really good job at keeping things natural.

As of today it has been exactly 3 weeks since my surgery. And as a 3 week anniversary gift, I woke up feeling pretty darn good. I usually wake up feeling very swollen and tight around the neck area in the mornings…but today it feels “almost” normal. Hopefully from today on that feeling of tightness and swelling will become less and less.

Yesterday I told my sister and a good friend about the surgery. My sister responded excitedly, and already plans on getting getting eyelid surgery as soon as she can scrape up the money. My brother in law called last night after hearing the news from my sister. He asked if he could touch my silicon chin implant…hehe. I told him I can draw a nipple on it, and charge him $5 a squeeze

I will post more photo’s next week.

Well it has been exactly a month today since my surgery. Suprisingly healing is progressing well. I have not had any problems to report. How am I feeling?? Overall I am feeling almost back to normal. I can feel tightness and lumps from the liposuction, but that aside things are all good. I am not particularly concerned about the lipo lumps and tightness, as I have been told a million times it will take 6-12 months for everything to settle. I have a Post Op appointment with my surgeon in about 10 days, so I am guessing he will check that everything is healing properly, and in the correct position I have added some more pre op photos. To be honest, I cannot notice that much change from the 2 week to the 4 week photos. I will post more before and after pictures at the 3 month mark.

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I have received a few emails from people who have also had the buccal fat pad removal (cheek reduction), and they have all noted that their cheeks had swollen up like a chipmunk after surgery. I just want to make it clear that everyone heals differently. I did not get swelling of the cheeks. I am not sure if I was just lucky, or my surgeon was extra gentle when removing the pads. So if you do have the buccal pads removed, don’t freak out if you have lots of swelling. This seems to be common from the response I have received. Please feel free to read Chris’s experience with neck liposuction and cheek reduction. This is a really good read. Hopefully Chris will post some before and after photos of his results soon

I have caught up with most of my friends and family since having the surgery. No one has really noticed anything. The most common response has been - Have you lost weight??
When my Dad first saw me after the surgery, he asked what I had done to my head? He couldn’t work out why I looked different. He thought I had lost more hair (thanks dad!)..

Am I still happy with the results?? YES!
Do I have any regrets at this stage?? NO! My only regret is not doing this years ago.
Would I do it again?? YES!

I will address these questions again in 6 months time