An OR Nurse's Honest Review: Her Awake Necklift in Lubbock
Updated: 1 day ago
Watch her testimonial: Awake neck lift patient story
When a former operating room nurse tells you a facelift and necklift done entirely awake was “pleasant,” it carries weight. She knows exactly what happens behind the surgical drape — the instruments, the steps, the things most of us would rather not picture. So when Dr. Thanapoom “Mo” Boonipat invited her to share her experience after her awake neck lift and lower facelift at FacePlus Plastic Surgery Institute, she didn’t sugarcoat it.
Her verdict? She loved it.
The Patient’s Story: A Profile Gone for 23 Years
Before surgery, she described what bothered her in the mirror: “Before, I had sagging, hanging loose skin. I had no profile. Now I have a profile that I haven’t had for probably 23 years.”/
Loose skin under the chin and along the jawline is one of the most common complaints Dr. Boonipat hears from patients across Lubbock and the South Plains. A lower facelift addresses the jowls and jawline; a necklift tightens the neck structures beneath the skin, eliminating excess skin and fat, neck bands, and banding that ages the lower face. For this patient, the combination addressed both areas in a single awake procedure.
“So it’s been wonderful. I can’t express how nice it was,” she said of her outcome — a profile she hadn’t seen in 23 years, restored in one outpatient procedure.
Why Awake — and Why It Mattered for Her
Not every patient is a candidate for surgery without sedation, and Dr. Boonipat tailors the anesthesia plan to each person’s health. In her case, she received no sedation at all — because of her age, Dr. Boonipat decided sedation was best avoided, so the entire neck lift and lower facelift were performed with local anesthesia only.
That awake-first philosophy is one of the practice’s defining features. Many patients fear a necklift because they picture being “put under” — but her own account tells a different story.
“It was pleasant. I actually just loved it — it really wasn’t unpleasant at all,” she said. “I mean, first of all, the numbing going in, that’s just fine, there’s just rest. And I enjoyed it, frankly, a lot. Oh yeah, yes, it is, yes. It was very, very good.”
She did add one honest note — “it was a very pleasant experience all around, even when it was hard” — a reminder that any surgery has its challenging moments, awake or not.
The FacePlus+ Approach to Necklift Surgery
According to the practice’s necklift procedure page, Dr. Boonipat’s technique is designed around avoiding the downsides of a traditional necklift: general anesthesia, weeks of swelling and bruising, drains and dressings for days, and narcotic pain control. Instead, the practice’s approach is:
Local anesthesia with tailored sedation (or no sedation at all, depending on the patient) — no general anesthesia
Deep SMAS technique with a sling and corset neck lift approach, which repositions the deeper neck and facial structures rather than just pulling skin, aiming for long-lasting, natural-looking results
A dissection technique and local anesthesia cocktail designed to minimize bruising and swelling
Drains typically removed after one day
Scheduled Tylenol for the minimal post-op discomfort, rather than narcotics
Recovery: What the Practice Tells Patients to Expect
Every patient heals on their own timeline, but the practice’s published recovery guidance gives a realistic picture: most patients are up for a video call in 3–4 days and back to in-person work in 1–2 weeks as bruising resolves. Walking is encouraged; strenuous exercise is off the table for a month. Swelling usually settles within about a month, and scars are well hidden, rarely noticeable in casual conversation.
Staying awake also means skipping the groggy, sometimes nauseating recovery from general anesthesia — a real advantage for patients traveling in from Amarillo, Midland, Odessa, Plainview, or Levelland, who can rest, talk with the team, and head home the same day.
Necklift FAQ
Am I a good candidate? Both men and women who want a more youthful neck and jawline may consider a necklift; ideal candidates are healthy non-smokers. A necklift can address a double or triple chin, excess neck fat, loose or sagging neck skin, neck lines and bands, and drooping salivary glands.
What are the risks? As with any surgery, risks exist, though major complications with necklift are rare. The most common complication is a hematoma (blood collecting under the skin); large hematomas need urgent treatment. Injury to facial nerves or sensation is rare and typically temporary — the most commonly affected nerve (under 5% risk) serves the lower lip and can cause temporary asymmetry when smiling, treatable with Botox.
Q: How much does it cost? Cost varies with what each patient needs, and it’s set after a consultation. One thing to know up front: consultations at FacePlus Plastic Surgery Institute are $50 to book, and that fee applies toward your surgery fees if you proceed within a month of your consult.
Representative Results
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Representative before/after results for neck lift at FacePlus Plastic Surgery Institute — shown for illustration, not this patient’s photos. Individual results vary.
Serving Lubbock and West Texas
FacePlus Plastic Surgery Institute is located at 12505 Quaker Ave, Suite A, Lubbock, TX 79424 — call or text 806-503-2090. Hours are Monday–Thursday 9am–5pm (closed 12–1), Friday 9am–12pm, and Saturday 9am–12pm by appointment; text 806-503-2090 for times outside listed hours. Location and hours are on the Contact Us page.
Hear more patient stories on the patient testimonials page. If you’re considering a necklift or lower facelift in Lubbock or anywhere in West Texas, request a consultation to see whether an awake approach is right for you.
Every patient heals differently, and individual results vary. The information here reflects one patient’s reported experience; the best way to know what is right for you is a private consultation with Dr. Boonipat.
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