“My husband would love me no matter what.” Plastic surgery gone wrong: 67-year-old woman left unable move a part of her face
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Plastic surgery is often painted as a quick ticket to a more youthful you—a little nip here, a tuck there, and voilà!
But as many in The GrayVine community know, the reality can be far more complicated. For Allison, a 67-year-old retired nurse, her journey through the world of facelifts was anything but smooth.
In fact, it was downright harrowing: after her first procedure, she was left to face months of discomfort and uncertainty.
A Facelift Fiasco: When “Cheapo” Turns Costly
Allison’s story begins with a decision many have considered: a facelift to refresh her appearance.
But, as she candidly admits, she went the “cheapo” route. The results were not just disappointing—they were debilitating.
“I had gotten a facelift and I couldn’t close my eye,” Allison recalls. “I was told that [the doctors] had put Botox in and that was the reason. It took three months. I had an open eye, so I had to patch it, lubricate it, and it was possible that I couldn’t restore it.”
Imagine not being able to blink or close your eye for months. For Allison, it was a daily struggle, both physically and emotionally.
She left her first surgery vowing, “Never again. This is never happening again.”
But as the years passed, the mirror reflected a version of herself that didn’t match how she felt inside. She wanted to look her age—no more, no less—but not decades older.
The Search for Redemption: Finding the Right Surgeon
Determined not to be defined by a botched procedure, Allison sought out Dr. Oren Tepper, a renowned plastic surgeon in New York City, on the recommendation of a friend.
From the moment she met Dr. Tepper, Allison felt a sense of trust and hope. “I wanted to look natural,” she explains. “I’m not a movie star, I’m not a Kardashian. I have to have wrinkles. I have to look my age. My face had to match my body. I had to look right.”
Also read: “I popped out the top of my head”: Woman shares chilling vision during life-saving surgery
Dr. Tepper’s assessment was clear: Allison’s previous surgery simply hadn’t gone far enough, and her face had lost significant volume—a common issue as we age, but one that was especially pronounced in her case.
“She just needed it to be a little bit more aggressive with what we did for her, which was a facelift,” Dr. Tepper says. “We did some resurfacing of her skin, so up around the mouth as well as the lower eyelid. And then what we did for her, which I think was the most powerful thing, was the addition of volume.”
The Power of Volume: Fat Grafting and the “Boomerang Lift”
One of the most striking aspects of Allison’s transformation was the use of fat grafting—a technique where fat is taken from one part of the body (in Allison’s case, her thighs) and injected into areas of the face that have lost volume.
Unlike artificial fillers, fat grafting uses your own cells, making it a more natural and often longer-lasting solution.
Also read: This 36-year-old mom’s “crazy” feelings turned out to be cancer—are you ignoring these common signs?
Dr. Tepper employed his signature “boomerang lift,” trategically adding fat to Allison’s cheeks, under her eyes, and even her temples.
“When you start to see the edges of bone, that can appear very atrophied and look really like someone’s a lot older than they are,” he explains. By restoring this lost volume, Dr. Tepper was able to soften Allison’s features and, crucially, address the issue with her eye.
A Four-Hour Surgery—and a New Lease on Life
Allison’s second surgery lasted four hours, but the results were nothing short of life-changing.
Recovery, as with any major procedure, involved swelling and some downtime, but Allison was back to her routine within weeks.
Source: @DoctorYoun / Youtube.
“No one looks at you anyway,” she jokes about life in New York City. “No one cares—you’re in New York.”
Her family, especially her husband, stood by her side throughout the process.
“My husband would love me no matter what,” Allison says. “But I did this for me because I was sad. Now I’ll age gracefully. I’m really satisfied with the whole amazing experience and I look my age.”
At The GrayVine, we know that beauty isn’t about erasing every line or chasing eternal youth. It’s about feeling comfortable in your own skin—wrinkles, laugh lines, and all. Allison’s story is a testament to the power of self-advocacy and the importance of making choices that honor who you are, not just how you look.
Read next: This grandmother thought she was just tired, then her skin changed color and doctors revealed a deadly secret.
Have you or someone you know experienced a cosmetic procedure—good or bad? What advice would you give to others considering a facelift or similar surgery? How do you balance the desire to look your best with the wisdom that comes with age? Share your thoughts, stories, and questions in the comments below!
But as many in The GrayVine community know, the reality can be far more complicated. For Allison, a 67-year-old retired nurse, her journey through the world of facelifts was anything but smooth.
In fact, it was downright harrowing: after her first procedure, she was left to face months of discomfort and uncertainty.
A Facelift Fiasco: When “Cheapo” Turns Costly
Allison’s story begins with a decision many have considered: a facelift to refresh her appearance.
But, as she candidly admits, she went the “cheapo” route. The results were not just disappointing—they were debilitating.
“I had gotten a facelift and I couldn’t close my eye,” Allison recalls. “I was told that [the doctors] had put Botox in and that was the reason. It took three months. I had an open eye, so I had to patch it, lubricate it, and it was possible that I couldn’t restore it.”
Imagine not being able to blink or close your eye for months. For Allison, it was a daily struggle, both physically and emotionally.
Alison before and after the surgery. Image source: @realfacestv / Youtube.
She left her first surgery vowing, “Never again. This is never happening again.”
But as the years passed, the mirror reflected a version of herself that didn’t match how she felt inside. She wanted to look her age—no more, no less—but not decades older.
The Search for Redemption: Finding the Right Surgeon
Determined not to be defined by a botched procedure, Allison sought out Dr. Oren Tepper, a renowned plastic surgeon in New York City, on the recommendation of a friend.
From the moment she met Dr. Tepper, Allison felt a sense of trust and hope. “I wanted to look natural,” she explains. “I’m not a movie star, I’m not a Kardashian. I have to have wrinkles. I have to look my age. My face had to match my body. I had to look right.”
Also read: “I popped out the top of my head”: Woman shares chilling vision during life-saving surgery
Dr. Tepper’s assessment was clear: Allison’s previous surgery simply hadn’t gone far enough, and her face had lost significant volume—a common issue as we age, but one that was especially pronounced in her case.
“She just needed it to be a little bit more aggressive with what we did for her, which was a facelift,” Dr. Tepper says. “We did some resurfacing of her skin, so up around the mouth as well as the lower eyelid. And then what we did for her, which I think was the most powerful thing, was the addition of volume.”
The Power of Volume: Fat Grafting and the “Boomerang Lift”
One of the most striking aspects of Allison’s transformation was the use of fat grafting—a technique where fat is taken from one part of the body (in Allison’s case, her thighs) and injected into areas of the face that have lost volume.
Unlike artificial fillers, fat grafting uses your own cells, making it a more natural and often longer-lasting solution.
Also read: This 36-year-old mom’s “crazy” feelings turned out to be cancer—are you ignoring these common signs?
Dr. Tepper employed his signature “boomerang lift,” trategically adding fat to Allison’s cheeks, under her eyes, and even her temples.
“When you start to see the edges of bone, that can appear very atrophied and look really like someone’s a lot older than they are,” he explains. By restoring this lost volume, Dr. Tepper was able to soften Allison’s features and, crucially, address the issue with her eye.
A Four-Hour Surgery—and a New Lease on Life
Allison’s second surgery lasted four hours, but the results were nothing short of life-changing.
Recovery, as with any major procedure, involved swelling and some downtime, but Allison was back to her routine within weeks.
Source: @DoctorYoun / Youtube.
“No one looks at you anyway,” she jokes about life in New York City. “No one cares—you’re in New York.”
Her family, especially her husband, stood by her side throughout the process.
“My husband would love me no matter what,” Allison says. “But I did this for me because I was sad. Now I’ll age gracefully. I’m really satisfied with the whole amazing experience and I look my age.”
At The GrayVine, we know that beauty isn’t about erasing every line or chasing eternal youth. It’s about feeling comfortable in your own skin—wrinkles, laugh lines, and all. Allison’s story is a testament to the power of self-advocacy and the importance of making choices that honor who you are, not just how you look.
Read next: This grandmother thought she was just tired, then her skin changed color and doctors revealed a deadly secret.
Have you or someone you know experienced a cosmetic procedure—good or bad? What advice would you give to others considering a facelift or similar surgery? How do you balance the desire to look your best with the wisdom that comes with age? Share your thoughts, stories, and questions in the comments below!
