Facelifts are having a moment.

Recovery videos are flooding TikTok, women are talking more openly about cosmetic procedures than ever before, and somewhere between “aging gracefully” and “doing too much,” a whole new beauty culture has emerged.

In this episode of The Iconic Midlife, Roxy sits down with Julie Obst and Alana Ungvari, founders of LA Beauty Connect — luxury recovery specialists and self-described “plastic surgery doulas” helping women navigate the emotional, physical, and logistical side of cosmetic procedures in Beverly Hills.

From facelift trends and filler fatigue to post-op recovery, social media beauty pressure, and the shocking things women are completely unprepared for before surgery… nothing is off limits.

Plus:

Can you actually get a good facelift in Beverly Hills for under $50,000?

We get into:

• Why facelifts are suddenly everywhere
• The rise of “plastic surgery doulas”
• What women are most unprepared for after surgery
• The emotional side of cosmetic procedures
• The difference between looking refreshed vs. “done”
• Filler fatigue and changing beauty trends
• The influence of TikTok and Instagram on cosmetic decisions
• The most unrealistic celebrity-inspired requests
• Recovery horror stories and luxury recovery culture
• Why social media has distorted expectations around aging

And in our bonus Thursday game episode, we play:

Snatched or Sketchy? — where Julie and Alana weigh in on the wildest beauty and plastic surgery trends We get into:

• Why facelifts are suddenly everywhere
• The rise of “plastic surgery doulas”
• What women are most unprepared for after surgery
• The emotional side of cosmetic procedures
• The difference between looking refreshed vs. “done”
• Filler fatigue and changing beauty trends
• The influence of TikTok and Instagram on cosmetic decisions
• The most unrealistic celebrity-inspired requests
• Recovery horror stories and luxury recovery culture
• Why social media has distorted expectations around aging

And in our bonus Thursday game episode, we play:

Snatched or Sketchy? — where Julie and Alana weigh in on the wildest beauty and plastic surgery trends

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Links referenced in this episode:

• labeautyconnect.com

I love like the terminology, a plastic surgery doula.

Today's the day that you start your arnica. Today's the day that you stop your GLP1. Today's the Day that you knock off chia seeds. By the way, it's a thinning agent.

People might not know that we are in fact in middle age.

No, we're not.

Don't throw that word around like that.

The truth is, if you can't stay off of, you know, supplements, glp, smoking, alcohol, whatever it is for two weeks to a month, you're not serious and you're not a great candidate. It's not a waste of time. It's not a one day commitment.

If something like that really, truly fulfills something within you and it makes you feel good about yourself, why not? Why not do it?

Do we want to continue working for other people, boosting their lives, making them richer while collecting a paycheck, or do we want to take a risk and do we want to take a leap of faith and do something that we're excited about, that we're passionate about, where we know we can effectuate change?

Today's episode is for every woman who has ever stared into a magnifying mirror under brutal bathroom lighting and thought, wait, when did that happen? Because facelifts are having a massive moment right now. Recovery videos are all over TikTok.

Women are openly talking about procedures in a way they never used to. And somewhere between aging gracefully and full blown transformation, there's a whole lot of confusion.

So today we're pulling back the curtain on the very glamorous, very secretive, very Beverly Hills world of plastic surgery, recovery, facelifts, post op care, and what women are really doing behind closed doors.

Joining me today are Julie Obst and Alana Agvari, founders of LA Beauty Connect, AKA Plastic surgery doulas and luxury recovery experts who help women and men navigate the emotional, physical and logistical chaos that comes with cosmetic procedures. And honestly, this episode is fascinating.

We're talking facelift trends, social media, beauty pressure, recovery stories, what actually makes sense, someone look naturally refreshed instead of obviously done. And whether you can really get a good facelift in Beverly hills for under 50 grand plus, we're playing a hilarious game called Snatched or Sketchy.

And trust me, things get very opinionated very quickly.

So whether your facelift curious, filler fatigued, aggressively researching neck lifts on social media at midnight, or or just here for the Beverly Hills tea, this episode is for you. And if you love these kinds of smart, funny, unfiltered conversations about beauty Confidence, reinvention, wellness and midlife on your own terms.

Make sure you're following the iconic midlife right now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music or, or wherever you listen. And if today's episode makes you think, laugh or immediately text your best friend.

Leave a rating and review because it genuinely helps more women discover the show. Okay. Welcome to the iconic midlife ladies. Welcome to the iconic midlife ladies. Oh my gosh.

We were just chatting about bosses from the past, which is always an interesting topic of discussion. We all come from like different backgrounds, but I think no matter what the background is that you come from, you can have a horrible boss.

So what is like the craziest thing you've had to deal with with a previous boss?

I've had to deal with a lot of crazy stuff. I know that the cr. I. I'm trying to think of the craziest thing.

I know one of the cringiest things I've had to deal with and it was really uncomfortable. I worked with Kelly Cottrone from People's Revolution, who a lot of people know. I to this day, I have the utmost respect for her.

I think she's just the OG badass, most amazing publicist and woman. And I remember we had this account called I don't know if it's still around, it's called Dimadolo Jewelry.

And she was like, you have to get this jewelry on VIPs. And I got the jewelry. My mother in law, Linda Obst, May she rest in peace, was going on a big show, she was promoting a book. I thought she was a vip.

I mean she is, she was a vip, but I thought that's what she meant by VIP at the moment, at the time. And so I gifted her a very expensive Dimidolo ring to go on this talk show. That is not what Kelly Cattrone was thinking.

And when I had told Kelly, she got really upset and said you need to get that. And I was just started dating my now husband at the time.

And when I told her proudly that I had gifted my mother in law who at the time was not thrilled that I was dating my husband, she was just kind of, you know, not as accepting and warm at the time. She said get that ring back asap. Are you crazy? And so I had to then tell her the ring that I gifted her, I needed it back.

So that was a really terrifying, awful memory that I remember. It was really just not cool.

Yeah, that is cringe. You're right. Correct, correct. Have you had a horrible boss moment?

I have so many special moments throughout my very colorful career that it would be really impossible for me to think of just one. I've had a lot of challenges and a lot of really great expectations of things that can happen.

You know, throwing an event on a property in another country that doesn't have any kind of staff and like, making sure that it's a perfect, like, elegant dinner with every single amenity you could think of and sourcing all of those things while sitting in la.

I mean, do you remember the scene in the Devil Wears Prada where Meryl Streep is in Miami stuck in a hurricane and she's yelling at Anne Hathaway like, I don't understand what's the problem? It's drizzling. Get me a plane.

Yes.

That defines my career. Wow. There you go.

That is a Devil Wears part of moment. That's a big moment. I'll say for myself. I had a job where my boss basically told me to get the deal done at any cost. So whatever that took.

And I was calling on men and having male clients like, wink, wink, wink. And I'll never forget this guy that I called on. He was like, okay, let's finish the deal. Let's get the deal done. Let's.

I have, you know, my place upstairs. Like, let's finish this. And I just. Oh, my God. I was so humiliated. Turned red. Of course, I did not do it.

For anyone out there wondering did not get the deal done. But I remember going back and telling her and she just was like, there you go. I guess it was a different time, a different place.

But I do love your guys career trajectory because, you know, you started this amazing business, but you guys are also like best friends, right? So kind of talk to me about the, the trajectory. How did you guys decide a as best friends to start a business?

And let's get into the world of plastic surgery doulas.

So I think Covid was a really huge turning point for everybody globally. And Julie and I, we lived together. We started out as roommates 26 years ago. We met very blindly by luck.

And after 10 minutes, this girl was like, when are you moving in? So we got very lucky. And we always wanted to find a way to work together, but could never figure out doing what or the timing.

And during COVID I think it was really pressing to examine our lives. We are in fact, in middle age and saying, no, we're not.

I was just gonna say, don't throw that word around like that. It's too much.

But the point is, like we have kids. We have our husbands. We have our friends. Like, how do we want to spend our time? We spend the most time at work. How do we want that to look?

What do we want it to look like? Do we. To continue working for other people, boosting their lives, making them richer while collecting a paycheck?

Or do we want to take a risk and do we want to take a leap of faith and do something that we're excited about, that we're passionate about, where we know we can effectuate change? And that's the route we took. We were like, yes, let's do it.

And that was it. You were like, okay, like, let's do this.

Well, I mean, I sort of came to Alana because, you know, I. With my background of PR and her background in hospitality, I just really thought this would be such a beautiful marriage.

Besides the fact that she is one of my closest friends in the world, I thought, what an amazing business this is, what an amazing service this would be for people. And this really made sense.

And you're in Los Angeles. I mean, what better place to be for what you guys are doing? And so I love, like, the terminology, like a plastic surgery doula.

So, first of all, what is a plastic surgery doula? And, you know, kind of explain to us.

And then, you know, when I think about, like, a doula, I'm thinking, like, breathing exercises, maybe a sound bath, like that kind of a thing. So tell us what that means.

So, you know, who actually coined this term and we stuck to it is Laura Eckstein of Angeleno. We had been.

We got our first really big feature in Angeleno, like, about two years ago or a year and a half ago, she gave us her first kind of big break. And she's so lovely. She's the editor of Angelino, and as she was interviewing us, she really, really got what we did.

And she goes, you know, you guys are sort of like plastic surgery doulas. And we looked at each other and we go, 100%. That's exactly what we are. You're totally right. And we stuck to that because that's what we do.

We hold the person's hand through the. Throughout the entire process, mentally, emotionally, almost physically, when needed.

And we really are there throughout the entire journey for the person. So that's what we consider ourselves, is doulas.

So for somebody out there that probably, you know, doesn't even know where to start, right? So, like, they would call you first before going to see a doctor.

Is that kind of the way it goes or or would they go for like an initial consult with a doctor and then reach out to you guys? How does it work?

So what our service entails from beginning to end is we meet with our client, we hear what they're looking for, what their expectations are, their budget, their timeline, their life. You know, are they managing kids and dogs? And, you know, all of those things play into whatever our recommendation is gonna be.

And after spending about an hour or so with them, we have enough information where we can then refer three surgeons that match their criteria that we believe will also match their personality and be a good fit for them all the way around. We then attend all three consultations with them. We take notes.

People forget about 40%, if not more of what is said to them when they are in a doctor's office and they just, they don't retain it. And that's why we are there. We are there, we are retaining it. We're giving them the notes, we're doing all the administrative work.

You never have to call an office, like, we are doing all of that for you. And then we go with them to the pre op. We do nutritional guidelines for them for healing, for the purpose of their surgery.

And then we do an entire aftercare program, basically, again, super personalized based upon their needs, their budget, their life. I mean, we have people that, you know, maybe they have the biggest house with a guest house in la. Guess what, they still don't want to recover there.

They don't, they don't want to be around their significant others or their children. They, they, you know, they want to feel comfortable, but they don't want to be around their whole family. Seeing them in that state.

Yes, you know, I've seen that quite a bit now, especially on social media, actually. Another girlfriend of mine had a facelift earlier this year and she did the same thing. They go to like a recovery center.

Is that kind of what it's called that, the aftercare? The place, the aftercare. Okay. Where they stay for like a number of days or how long do they usually stay?

It depends on the procedure that you're getting. So anywhere it can range between one night and it can, you can go all the way up to a week. Usually it's three to four days.

So you have to think about the environment and what's right for that person and really build it out for them in a way that's going to make them feel taken care of but also successful. If it's someone who feels claustrophobic, no, we're not going to stick them in a room for that long.

We're going to get a private duty nurse and figure out something else. So each person is so different and we try to create their experience based upon those needs.

And if it's someone who's in town, who is not a local, they need a long term stay, they need, you know, groceries, they need the lay of the land, they might need a private plane, they might need transportation. Whatever their needs are, that's where we come in. We're taking care of everything from beginning to end.

And for our local residents, you know, we're making sure their bag is packed for the facility, that they've gotten their medications that, I mean, anything you could think of, we're sitting and playing rummy cube while they recover because they're not supposed to talk.

Like whatever it is, you're like literally in the recovery room with them.

Yes.

Oh, wow.

Yes.

What are the things that people do before they have a surgery that can affect the healing process and like the results?

And well, some people don't listen and they don't read through instructions. And we're talking some of the smartest people.

You know, these are people who are, you know, CEOs of company partners at really big agencies and they don't stop using specific supplements.

They are told to stay out, to stop using, and they find themselves, you know, there have been horror stories where their stitches are literally coming out right after surgery and things are not healing properly because they did not listen to directions or instructions or follow the protocol of what the doctors have told them to do. So we have been very, we try to take all of the instructions and those instructions that the doctors give are.

They're just packets and there are so many things to go through. And understandably, sometimes people just skim through them.

So what we do do is we take all these instructions and we put them in, you know, really simple, simple, like one page itineraries. And we, and we just go, okay, these are the highlights. This is what you need to follow.

And we just try to gently remind them to go over them as many times as possible.

But like here highlights, we're also bringing them to life. Like you're going to hear from us. Today's the day that you start your arnica. Today's the day that you stop your GLP1.

Today's the day that you, you know, knock off chia seeds. By the way, it's a thinning agent. Like people might not know that. I'm so surprised. I was really expecting you to say smoking.

Oh, well, I guess clearly it's a big one.

That's a big one. Yes. Because people smoke vapes cigarettes like pot. How early should people be stopping smoking?

Two weeks minimum.

Oh, my gosh.

Two weeks before and after. Especially with things like fat transfer. So you could have necrosis with fat transfer. And that's. You do not want that.

No, you don't want that because that's a whole other surgery and a whole other thing to have to deal with. Right?

Absolutely. Well, you can't fix, you can't go back with necrosis.

Necrosis.

The truth is, if you can't stay off of supplements, glp, smoking, alcohol, whatever it is for two weeks to a month, you're not serious and you're not a great candidate. And that's it. I don't think it, it needs to be more than that.

Those are the things you need to do to have a great outcome and eat well, sleep well, like take care of yourself. It's not a waste of time. It's not a one day commitment. It's not a one day solution.

Surgery should be, you know, the start of something that you are willing to maintain and take care of, that you're proud of, that you're investing in, and you should be serious about it.

So what are the things that you're seeing on social media that are influencing people but that you think might not necessarily be a good idea for them?

I think, I mean, the recovery. Yeah.

Yeah. I think we're both thinking the same thing. Just people posting over and over again is the.

It's, it's unrealistic expectations that people have for what they're supposed to look like one to five days after surgery. What they're seeing on social media is crazy. I mean, people are having surgery and day two, they're like, oh my God, here I am.

And I look like I've barely had any surgery and I look amazing. And no bruising and no this and that. I look incredible.

And I think people put an unrealistic expectation on themselves and they think they're supposed to look one way and then they get depressed when they don't and they spiral.

Yes. They compare themselves. Right. I mean, it's, it's so.

But I do appreciate the influencers and just people in general on social media that are transparent about what they're Having done, you know, what that recovery.

On the flip side, you know, what that recovery actually looks like, because I think it helps people make more informed decisions about if plastic surgery is right for them or not. You know, I think that's really, really helpful. But yeah, I mean, I feel like people should be more transparent about that.

Yes. Right. And then it all goes back to, you know, what are these influencers getting in return for their posts?

How many doctors in town are they actually going to see? You know what I mean?

They're going to this doctor for their laser, they're going to that doctor for their hair transplant, they're going to this doctor for their facials. I mean, it's never ending. So you have to know at a certain point who's getting what for what.

And what information is neutral.

Yeah.

Especially with something as major as a surgery. Right. Because that's a huge decision. You know, I mean, that's just so crazy. But I do think, obviously we're in Los Angeles, there's got to be.

You all have got to have worked with a fair share of like VIPs, celebrities, you know, high influenced people. What are some of the craziest requests that you have ever heard during this process of working with some. Somebody like that?

You don't have to give out names, but if you want to, you can.

No, we did not. What are the craziest requests?

I mean, one was so focused on what the scent of the room was going to be in her hotel room, in her recovery room, she had round the clock care with nurses. I mean, I must have bought three or four different types of diffusers. Returned, come back, I mean, all of it.

And it, but it was, everything was like that everything. Like the music had to be, you know, a certain volume and it had to be this playlist and not that one.

And it had to come out of this speaker from that part of the, like it was, you know, the lighting.

Yeah. I'm trying to think of what the craziest. I mean, there's always the, the ones that request the, the, the drug refills every couple days.

That's not crazy, but that's not crazy. Here's the thing.

I think with people who are used to being high functioning, in control, that they're the ones that call the shots are all of a sudden finding themselves in a position of being vulnerable, that they are being taken care of. They cannot do anything for themselves. They.

And the control leaves them. They don't have the control.

They look bananas. Right, okay.

Right.

And they're on Drugs. So the things, anything that they can control, you know, they want to, and that's fine and that's okay. And by the way, we don't care.

Like, we do not care what the request is.

We just wonder what we're selling for.

Yeah, like, oh, you want the room to smell like orange and mango smooshed together, but 80% pineapple. Cool. We'll make it happen. What do we care?

Yeah, I mean, you got. Yeah, you're wor. I mean, it's a service business, right? I mean, that's what you're doing.

But you're seeing these people in their most vulnerable moments, right?

Like, particularly post op, you know, so do you think that for the most part, like the plastic surgery you're seeing truly helps them, you know, with their self confidence, with their self esteem? Is it really fulfilling, that emotional component or whatever, whatever that is that they're looking for?

I would say one of the most fulfilling moments for both of us. Year one in business was we had a mommy makeover. You know what I'm going to say?

And her number one goal was to be in a triangle bathing suit or like that type of dress. She already knew what she was doing. For her 40th birthday, she was bringing all her friends to Cabo. She was doing the surgery in the fall.

That was her goal. And by the way, this woman worked out cfo like, she really ate well. Like, she is doing everything well. And after two kids, this is what she wanted.

Great, fine, she had the surgery, blah, blah. We don't, you know, we're not in touch regularly. And then all of a sudden, one day, out of nowhere, we get these pictures and she's like, I am.

Like, I'm just so happy. Like, I'm so happy. And we got to be part of that. And it's. It's pretty awesome, right?

I think there's something to be said too, because especially in midlife, we're kind of talking about, you know, plastic surgery and like, your body changes, the way you look changes and like all these kinds of things that we're dealing with. And I feel like there is something to be said if something like that really, truly fulfills something within.

Within you and it makes you feel good about yourself and you're doing it for yourself, right?

Oh, yes.

Why not? Why not do it? You know, it's. I think it's pretty straightforward.

And I do agree that these people are all doing it for themselves. I don't think any of them are doing it for their friends or their significant others. I mean, they are all doing it for themselves.

I feel like every single breast reduction, whether it be an adult or a teenager, has been the most emotionally fulfilling of all the surgeries. And to be part of that journey, especially both of us have had breast reduction.

Oh, you have to be part of.

Somebody else going through that transition. Transformation is always such an honor, honestly, because we already know how they're gonna feel on the other side.

So getting to get somebody through that.

Is, I mean, a personal journey for us.

Right. I've had mom friends that have had breast reductions. And you're right, the emotional, like, toll that it removes, like, once that's done, is huge.

Was so freeing. It was so freeing. I mean, especially after having kids, because, you know, your breast size gets bigger.

And bigger and then they deflate.

Mine never did.

Oh, they didn't?

No, mine just got bigger and bigger.

Oh, wow. Okay.

So I just.

I mean, I. I think the difference between our breasts is that I grew up that way and I was, you know, in these really horrible minimizers and had to get bras from, like, old lady stores. I had to have bathing suits made for me. I couldn't buy things off the rack.

And all of that also entailed people feeling very comfortable making comments about my body, making jokes, touching me, you know, feeling that it was somehow their property or their right to say anything just because it's out there. Guess what? My nose is out there, too. No one's talking about it or touching it. So, you know, and that becomes part of your.

I don't know why.

Joey, you can touch my boots, too.

It's okay.

But, you know, it becomes part of your own personality.

Right?

And I mean, I remember right before my breast reduction, I was in a business setting and one of these gentlemen was drunk. And it was someone I'd known for a long time who felt really comfortable putting his hand down my dress and saying, wow, are those real?

Oh, my gosh, you're kidding. I am not in a business setting.

Yes. Wow. Wow. So people are gross, right? But it's not just that they're gross.

They're very casual about somebody else's body and it's inappropriate and it's not acceptable. And having that reduction was something I had wanted since I was a teenager. I very much love. I love being a girl. I love being a woman.

I love having boobies.

I do, right?

Actually, I do. Yeah. I didn't, like, have them removed. I just had them made a little smaller and. And lifted. I. But I do very much. I love clothes I love lingerie.

I love all of it. What I don't love is other people feeling like they should talk about it. Right. Unless they are invited to.

Exactly. And that they will know if they're invited. You should never assume an invitation. Correct, Correct.

So I had actually a rhinoplasty and an autoplasty when I was. And it was really emotional for me because I remember growing up just always hating my nose, especially just hating it, hating it.

And, you know, I, you know, I've gotten mixed, you know, feedback over the years, like, oh, you know, you're too young to have a nose job at that age. You know, you didn't know yourself yet. You know, you weren't grown into it.

But I was so clear about it, and I knew that that was what I wanted to do, and it had nothing to do with anyone else. Like, it wasn't. I wasn't. People never said to me, you have a big nose, or anything like that.

It just was something that was so, like, deeply within me that I was like, this is happening. You know, thankfully, my parents were supportive, you know, and we're good like that.

But, yeah, I mean, I know how that feels like when it's something that, you know, just, you know, it takes, like, an emotional toll.

Yeah, I.

My daughter, when she turned 18, for her 18th birthday, I got her a breast reduction because, same as Alana, I had to buy her at specialty stores. I had to buy her special bras. She was so uncomfortable every time we went to the beach. It was just starting to take over her life on a daily basis.

And I was like, I'm not making her wait 20 something years. No, she's going to be happy and comfortable in her body. And that was that.

I did wait 20 years. Like, I waited 20 years.

Yeah.

So imagine. Would you have done it sooner if you had had the chance?

Yes, I would have. I mean, you know, listen, you can only say what you would have, should have. I did successfully breastfeed my children.

I don't know if I would have been able to if I had had the reduction. I also don't know that I would have cared. Right. I mean, I would have.

Maybe I would have been so happy with the reduction, I wouldn't have cared that I couldn't. Who knows? But I'm grateful and happy that I did it. And I would encourage anyone who feels uncomfortable in their body to make it right.

Make it right. Yeah, absolutely. I definitely want to talk about facelift, too, because that is the topic of conversation in midlife.

It seems you know, to get a facelift, to not get a facelift. Who are the best doctors who are, you know, not so great.

So, so I actually, I think I was looking at an interview you guys did and one of you said that there is a way to get a facelift in Beverly hills for under $50,000.

Yes.

Is that right? With a really good qualified doctor?

Yes.

Okay, what is the secret? Like who is this person? Where is he? Where is his office or her office? Like where is where? Tell me all about it.

So I don't think there's one person that exists that you go to. I think, I don't think we know that it's not a secret.

What it is, is what we have done over the years over the last few years is we have studied who are the up and coming talents and fellows of the people who study under the big doctors.

The Ben Talley's, the Andrew Frankel always has amazing.

Frankel has amazing. The really big doctors and who are the people who are coming up under them.

And so because they are just board certified or just about to become board certified, they are still building their practices and they are the ones to watch for and they are the ones who are. You want to get your facelift on with.

Although I will say there are a small pocket of doctors that are like who we talked to the other day, you know, someone who's been around, let's say 20 years and says, you know this, I charge between 40 and 60. That's what I feel comfortable with.

I want people to be able to come to me and I, you know, I have a good life, I have a good practice and I'm comfortable with that. Just because they can, it doesn't mean that every single doctor wants to hit the 250 mark. That's not, it's not the case.

And I think that there's this misinformation that oh, if I want to do something, you know, I have to go mortgage my house. And like that is not the case.

By the way, not all of them are amazing. Let me be clear, right?

Just because they charge a high amount doesn't make them amazing.

No, I mean the fellows, the under 50. The under 50.

Okay, okay. The.

There are the not so amazing ones.

Okay, okay. But that comes from our research and the time that we spend with them, observing them. Julie is a fearless leader in the operating room. I am not.

But you know, we spend time getting to meet people. So that's part of our work. That when we are giving a referral it is because we have spent this time studying them.

Okay, that's so good to know because I remember, you know, back in the day, there would be like the 50,000 and below facelift, but then they all of a sudden jump to like several hundred thousands of dollars, you know, and so that's good to know that there still are some more affordable but excellent doctors out there that will do this.

Yes.

So let's dive a little more into the types of facelifts because we're hearing SMAs, we're hearing deep plane facelifts. Like, can you kind of walk us through that and like, which ones are best for, you know, what type of patient?

So right now, everybody's really talking about the deep plane facelift as if it is something new. It is not. This a technique that was, you know, pretty big in the 90s. It had a moment and then it went away and now it's back.

But it basically the difference between those two techniques is really where the doctor enters, where they do the incision, where they're lifting from and what they're picking up. So if they're picking up the SMAS layer with the skin as one piece, or if they are separating the two, so. So it's just different techniques.

Sometimes with a SMAS lift, you might not get as much longevity out of the facelift. It might be eight to 10 years that it lasts. With a deep plane facelift, there may be 10 to, hopefully 15 years. 12.

10 To 12.

10 To 12 years. But the doctor in a deep plane facelift, they're operating right above the nerves.

So what that means is you wanna be ask who's looking at the nerves while you're in surgery? Like, how is that being monitored? What's the risk of something going wrong? What happens if something goes wrong? How is that addressed?

All of those things are things that you need to ask your surgeon. This idea that you're going to walk in the door and order a type of facelift has to go away.

If you are picking a surgeon that you are confident with, they will tell you what is best for your anatomy. You might be a candidate for a high SMAS facelift. And guess what? There is 100% nothing wrong with that. That's what works for your face.

And you shouldn't feel like you're getting something that's lesser than just because everywhere you go, everybody's talking about deep plane.

And if you have a good surgeon, that surgeon is going to be able to perform either.

Or do a combo.

Yeah. Or once you're in, they'll probably be able to say, okay, this person needs a combination and I can perform either.

Or when I'm in there, I'll be able to tell.

So a good surgeon should be able to customize it for you, basically, Right?

Yes.

You know, and I think there's a lot of like, you know, social media buzz about, out there about, like, Kris Jenner. Right. Because people are saying, oh, she looked amazing at the start. And like now her facelift seems to be fading. I mean, I think she looks amazing.

She does.

She's so beautiful.

She's so beautiful. But, yeah. What is your take on that? Is it true? Do you think her facelift is fading? Is there.

It takes a year for a facelift to settle?

Yes, it takes a full year. I think there's so many factors to that. First one being the first thing is a. And I don't think anybody's going to argue with this.

The Kardashians filter their pictures. There's nothing to argue with with that. Like, that's just it. A lot of people do, but they definitely put a million filters on.

So when you see them or when you first saw Kris Jenner, besides the fact that she's already drop dead gorgeous, she just got a facelift. She put out on top of a brand new facelift.

She put out filtered pictures with amazing hair and makeup.

With amazing hair and makeup at the Bezos wedding.

Yeah.

So what you were seeing was literally like the most beautiful version of her. And so everybody was freaking out. She looked 30 years old. Okay.

And to be clear, she's like a 70 year old woman, correct?

Yes.

Yeah.

Right. So everybody's like, holy shit, look at this. People are freaking out. Cut to a year later. That's when you really see the results.

I don't care what anybody says, all the swelling goes down. A year later is when you really see the results of a facelift. And by the way, she still looks absolutely fantastic.

But when people see her out without filters and her facelift settles, that's what people are judging her by.

You know what I think? I think that people are haters.

And they're so angry that Dr. Levine makes the money that he does that all they want to do is honestly rip into him and they want to be able to say, oh, look, she spent all that money. Like, I think it's people being haters. I think she looks fantastic.

I think this woman should be allowed to roam the world not wearing makeup every single second of the day without. She doesn't look like a filter jumping down her throat or Talking badly about her.

That's it.

Who do you think are the top three best facelift surgeons? Like in Los Angeles, New York, anywhere.

So top two, without a doubt. Freshy in Argentina, Nyack in St. Louis.

And the guy in France.

And the guy in France. How do we not remember his name? It's so embarrassing. It starts with an M. We will think about it, but without a doubt.

Oh, so not even in Los Angeles or New York. These people are in other places. Yeah.

I don't know if we're naming the top doctor in New York or la.

The reason we're not doing LA is because we work with so many doctors in la. I just don't think it would be fair to name our top choice in la. There are also so many incredible ones in la, I don't think it's fair.

I will say some of the top doctors in la.

What's amazing about them as surgeons is that they are also academics and these are people that travel the world year round teaching other surgeons what their techniques are and what their concepts are and what they're doing. That's new. And there's so much information sharing and which I don't know that that goes on in other fields.

I mean it is still of course a competitive field, but the ones that are really at the top of their game, they are sharing, they are teaching and they love what they do. So that's cool to see also.

But Dr. Freshi from Argentina and Dr. Nyack, who so many people know about.

Gods, I wonder how much they charge.

Nyack is around 300.

Okay.

I think he starts at 200 or 250.

Okay. Once you add all the a la cartes and all that and he has.

Like a one year wait list and the whole thing.

What do you guys think about people? Because a lot of people travel to other countries to get plastic surgery, namely, you know, Mexico, South America. What do you think about that?

Because sometimes people are just looking for a more affordable option. I mean, do you recommend that they do that?

No. I'll tell you two things. One, as we have seen, the thing is, is that you should be somewhere. You're seeing that person for an entire year.

The day after, the three month checkup, the two week checkup, the all of it. You want to be somewhere where you can access as easily as possible. Also if you're going to another country, you don't want to mess around.

This is your health. This is, you know, God forbid anything goes wrong.

People seem to think just because it's elective that it's somehow not still surgery, you know, Would you go to Mexico for your heart surgery?

That's.

I mean, just wondering. Yeah, somebody's cutting into you there, too, and you're on anesthesia then, too. So it's still a surgery, so it should be taken seriously.

You know, if you come to LA and you have your surgery here, let's say you live in New York or Florida or some other part of the country and you're here for 10 days and you get cleared to fly, you better bet your bottom dollar that your surgeon in LA has somebody locally that they can refer you to if you need to have something looked at, that there's always, you know, a backup, that there's a thought, that there's a what if scenario. You know, within 24 hours of your facelift, you're being cleared of a hematoma.

But there are other things that can come up that need, you know, we have a client who had a facelift and two, I want to say two weeks after, a little more than two weeks after, had to go back into the OR for a little fix. So what if you just got back from Mexico and you need a little fix? Who are you calling? Ghostbusters. Like, what are you doing?

Like, right. You'd have to get back on a plane and go back down there.

And what are you saving? What are you saving? The money spent on the tickets and the time away, by the way.

Like, your time has a price and whatever you're spending to stay there. I mean, if you just maybe pulled that all together and found something.

Yeah.

Here. I mean, it is possible.

Okay, yeah, that's a good point. There are better options. So if a woman is going into a plastic surgeon's office, what are the top three red flags that she's.

If she sees that she should not go with the surgeon? And then what are the top three green flags that are like, good signs to go with this surgeon?

Okay. So green board certified. You have to have a good connection. Also, bedside manner.

You want to feel good about the person you're going to be working with for the next year and that you're going to be seeing. And also green, you want to make sure that you feel good about. About their office. Just the office in general. Patient coordinator's nice.

They seem like they've got their shit together and hopefully it's clean and you just like their vibe.

So it's like a good energy feel you feel when you go in. Okay, yeah.

Good energy.

Okay. So I would say top three red flags.

If you are sitting there waiting for an hour for your consult, you better believe you're going to be waiting two hours for your follow up. If you are sitting and no one's paying attention to you, if they are not taking care of your time, respectfully, I would run. Okay?

This is a luxury experience. It should be treated as such. If a doctor is running late, they should come up to you, hey, this is what's going on. This is what you can expect.

You should be be feeling taken care of, not ignored.

Also goes back to energy. Right? What the. What you're feeling.

Yeah, 100%.

If a doctor is reluctant to show you a great number of before and afters, if they don't, if they have, you know, two photos to show you of a procedure that you're looking to get done, they haven't done it enough times. You, you might not have people that give permission to put their photos on the website or social media, but you can show it in office.

So they should have more to show you in office. If they don't, that is a red flag. If they don't show you, like, let's say tummy tuck. This is a big one.

When you look at before and after photos, if the person is wearing underwear and you cannot see the incision post surgery, why you need to see what that incision looks like. Okay. So I would say, yeah, red flag being ignored.

Make sure they're actually a plastic surgeon.

That's right. Because they can do plastic surgery without.

Being a dermatologist can do plastic surgery.

A pediatrician, a pediatrician can do.

And that's wild.

And also people get confused. A cosmetic surgeon is not a plastic surgeon.

Oh, what's the difference?

One is certified in plastic surgery and has done all the work to be a plastic. Plastic surgeon. And the years of studying and training and they are board certified and the other one is not.

So that's a plastic surgeon. The board certified one is the plastic surgeon. That's who you want to go to.

But even using the word cosmetic, a cosmetic surgeon, legally they can perform certain things, but they are not plastic. They didn't study plastics.

Oh, that would. Yes, that would give me pause. I mean that, that's.

It doesn't give a lot of people pause.

Really. People still go for it.

If they have a million people that follow them on you social media, then they must be great.

Oh my gosh, that is, that's scary. That's actually scary. So going into the office, what are the questions you should be asking the doctor?

You know, how often do you do this procedure. How many hours does it take?

What got you into plastic surgery? Why do you enjoy doing plastic surgery? Just get to know your surgeon a little bit.

Maybe ask them after surgery, how often am I gonna see you versus your nurse? When can I expect to see you? If I need to get in touch with you, am I going to be getting in touch with your office or with you?

You should know what the communication plan is. Every office is different. Some doctors give you their cell. Some offices give you an app to download.

Some doctors give you their cell phone, and they're like, I personally am in touch with my patients and I love hearing from them. And I am, you know, I want to know what is happening from the minute they leave my. My operating table to the next, you know, for the next 24 hours.

I am so on top of it. Some doctors are like, you know, I'll see you the next day, and then I don't want to hear from you for two weeks.

Wow. Okay. So that's very different. I mean, you could get a totally different communication style than what you thought going into it.

So definitely check on that. Thank you guys so much for coming. It's been so fun.

Thanks for having us.

Absolutely. Tell everybody where they can find you.

You labeautyconnect.com okay, great.

And you guys have a fun social media too. So LA Beauty Connect, right?

Yes.

I love it. Well, thank you so much, ladies.

Thank you for being great.

Okay. I feel like we just gave women the Beverly Hills beauty recovery handbook they didn't know they needed. Julie and Alana. This was so fun.

I learned that recovery is apparently an Olympic sport. Facelifts are basically the new status handbag, and social media has completely distorted what people think aging is supposed to look like.

But honestly, what I love most about this conversation is that underneath all the procedures and trends and beauty talk, this really became a conversation about confidence, identity pressure, and wanting to feel good would, in your own skin, whatever that looks like for you. So thank you both for being funny, honest, and refreshingly real about all of it.

And for everyone listening, if you loved this episode, make sure you follow the iconic midlife on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen so you never miss an episode. Share this episode with a friend who already has a future facelift, Pinterest board or one secretly Googling neck lifts at 1am no judgment here.

And definitely come back Thursday for our bonus game episode with Julie and Alana where we play Snatched or Sketchy. And let's just say Beverly Hills beauty culture. Does not survive unscathed.

Until next time, whether you're booking a consult, dissolving filler, embracing the gray gray are just trying to survive the group chat. Remember, midlife isn't the end of the story. It's where things start getting iconic.