The Facelift Diaries: What It's Really Like to Have a Facelift

I am happily recovering from my own facelift which I had a month ago but only discovered this book a week ago...... I read it with great interest, comparing my own experiences with those of the authors, and I found it very honest, insightful, humorous, informative and touching. I especially appreciated their individual philosophies with respect to aging, self image and the importance of recognizing and understanding the variety of responses of family, friends and the world at large. I have given a copy of this book to my own surgeon because I think it would be very valuable to anyone considering a facelift or about to undergo one.....there is much information that I would have loved to have had before I started!

In America, where a youthful appearance is so highly valued, it is nice to read a book written by two women who have obviously worked on their "insides", and helped many others to do the same, before deciding to work on their "outsides." This book offers an absorbing honest account of their experience, with no vested interest in the reader's decision. It is a timely topic, and anyone who is thinking about having a facelift would benefit from reading The Facelift Diaries.

This slim book offers much more than it's title suggests. The two writers who have two distinct voices offer any reader who has ever thought about having a facelift an unvarnished vivid account of their experiences of having facelifts at the same time. They are close friends who also happen to be well respected psychotherapist. They questioned their own motives,in light of their dedication to helping patients get to know their inner lives. Ultimately, their reasons for having cosmetic surgery are not unusual. What is unique is their honesty. This book is very different than the glossy and so seductive adds that I admit to having read on more than one occasion. They offer a closeup of the gory aftermath and recovery, including the their very different recovery times and the impact of that on their feelings about each other. While the book is lively as well as practical some information was difficult to think about. Most poignant for me was the long 14 month period of Jill Scarff's recovery. She had to face the reactions of her own children, peers who didn't recognize her, not least that she didn't look like the self she recognized when she looked at herself in the mirror. The the book is direct, accessible and they write with wit and humor. They also offer a lot of tips which are well organized for the reader who is about to have a face lift aand for their loved ones.

I sat up that first night and read half way through. I loved the idea and the execution is terrific. It's good to hear both voices, Jill's and Jaedene's, and to know of the differing experiences. And they made me laugh as if we were friends talking together. Bravo to Jill and Jaedene for being so honest and for sharing their facelift experiences with us. This would be a great book to give to anyone who is even thinking of having facial surgery, a very practical guide to the bumps along the way.

Using a clever approach to share with readers these two life-altering experiences, the authors present an "eye-opening" glimpse into an often minimalized surgery. A terrific read and informative book to keep in your library.