What Does Drainless Tummy Tuck Recovery Feel Like? 33-year-old Patient Describes the First 2 Weeks

An engaging exploration of facial rejuvenation and its effects on self-perception and workplace dynamics unfolds, as a patient shares her transformative journey from feeling "invisible" to regaining her professional relevance. This conversation dives into societal biases around aging and the substantial impact of personal appearance on interpersonal engagement.
• Patient's motives for considering a facelift
• Discussing the effects of age on professional interactions
• Unpacking subconscious ageism in the workplace
Thank you for joining us for today's conversation.

Transcript

Dr. R. Brannon Claytor: 0:00
Yeah, testing, testing. This is our first podcast about facial rejuvenation with our lovely patient, who we will refer to as Now 35. So share with us a few of your thoughts about what was your inspiration for considering a facelift, and then talk with us about how you feel you are perceived at work, and is that any different?

Patient: 0:31
Okay, so I'm 53 and I noticed, obviously as anybody does at 53, that your face has fallen down and things don't look the same. But the part that was most irritating to me was at work. I work in a technical field with customers, and I've noticed the response back I've become invisible, is the way I look at it. You become invisible. People value your opinion, but you're kind of like the kindly grandmother that they ignore. And not that this is right, it's not conscious. People are not conscious of it.

Dr. R. Brannon Claytor: 1:04
You don't feel like people are actively treating you differently or consciously treating you differently, but you notice it how they're interacting with you differently than your colleagues.

Patient: 1:17
Absolutely so. Things like I'm quite good at what I do, I'm quite good at what I do, and over time you lose impact in the sense that you get patted on the back for being such a great helper at a certain point instead of being a leader. And it's neither here nor there. You can't say, oh, it's my face that does this, it's just the age, especially if you're surrounded by much younger people. And the fun part was that after the facelift, of course, I've told no one per se at work and, as time has progressed, now I'm about three months out and it's visibly. To me myself it is extraordinarily different. Visibly it's like, oh wow, my old face. But the fun part is that I see that the customers and professional and peers are responding to me in ways I haven't seen in 10 plus years. It's really, really noticeable. And again, it's not conscious. These are not malicious people, there's nothing wrong with it.

Dr. R. Brannon Claytor: 2:18
What are some examples?

Patient: 2:20
A good example was I've had customers. Now I've had the people, my peers that I work with. They're going oh, that customer wants to hear it from you. They can only hear it from you, my gosh, they love you. I've been called something I haven't been called in years, which is like good morning, sunshine Again. That's a phrase I haven't heard in a long time because I was still sunshine, my face just didn't show it. It's a subconscious thing as you age and we can debate the rights and wrongs thereof, but it's completely subconscious and it's interesting to me to see how different I have become far more relevant, just by virtue of having a facelift. It's a funny thing to think of. Nothing's changed in my mind.

Dr. R. Brannon Claytor: 3:07
It's just the face, and none of your coworkers know that you have undergone this procedure.

Patient: 3:14
None of them do. One of my co-workers says my goodness, you look like you've lost weight and I said oh yes, oh yes, I've been on a diet. Does it show? And that's about the end of that. I personally can't see how they don't see it in a spot, but you know your own face well. But for others, no,