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How I Picked the Perfect Age to Get My Facelift

As a cosmetic surgeon, I do not take this decision lightly. Here’s why I underwent the surgery at a younger-than-average age.

Roosa RahkonenReporter, The Looker

PublishedAug 5, 2026, 10:26 AM EDT

UpdatedAug 5, 2026, 12:10 PM EDT

Updated Aug 5, 2026, 12:10 PM EDTPublished Aug 5, 2026, 10:26 AM EDT

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One of the main reasons women visit cosmetic surgeon Dr. Gina Maccarone is loss of skin laxity in their upper neck area and jawline.

When Dr. Maccarone, known online as The Surgeonista, turned 45 and started to notice these common signs of aging in her own neck, she did not wait to undergo a transformation.

In April, she opted for a facelift, a procedure typically favored by patients in their fifties and sixties.

“I didn’t want to wait so long to intervene, because I wanted it to be kind of a subtle change,” the Cincinnati, Ohio-based expert told The Looker. “The earlier that you intervene, the better the tissues are and the longer the results can last.”

Dr. Maccarone underwent her first operation, a breast augmentation, 20 years ago.

Now, she owns a part of her surgeon’s practice.

“I’ve never been a person who’s been averse to making changes that I think will help boost my confidence and make me feel more comfortable in my skin,” Dr. Maccarone said.

When looking for the right surgeon, Dr. Maccarone said patients should seek out a professional who “passes the vibe check.”

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“You can meet someone and kind of know whether or not you can develop a relationship with this person,” she explained. “The main thing is just feeling comfortable and establishing that trust with the surgeon.”

Dr. Maccarone herself traveled 100 miles to undergo a deep plane facelift with her surgeon of choice: Dr. Leslie Kim at Ohio State University.

Dr. Maccarone’s husband did not originally understand why she wanted to undergo the operation, telling her she did “not need it.”

But when he saw her subtle results, he acknowledged that she made the right decision.

This sentiment was shared by many others who admired Dr. Maccarone’s refreshed face.

Dr. Maccarone admitted that working as a cosmetic surgeon affected her choice to undergo the operation.

“People want to see a surgeon who looks good, or who takes care of their own appearance,” she said.

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“I’m really glad that I did it, and I feel like it was just the right time for me,” Dr. Maccarone said.

“Sooner may have been too soon,” she added, “and I certainly didn’t want to wait any longer and continue watching the changes happen as the aging process kept going.”

Dr. Maccarone loves to give her clients a similarly positive experience. Just last week, one of her facelift patients came in for a follow-up appointment visibly giddy.

“She’s like, ‘I just got my face back, and I love it, and I see that person that I knew before that I had lost for a little bit,’” Dr. Maccarone recalled.

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For Dr. Maccarone, being open about her journey was an easy choice.

“Whether people want to make changes or go through surgery or have these kinds of interventions, it’s a personal decision,” Dr. Maccarone said.

Adding, “We need to give each other permission to do that if we want to. And I think that talking about it like this kind of takes that stigma away a little bit.”

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Roosa RahkonenReporter, The Looker

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