For more than a decade, Patty, a celebrity nail artist, relied on injectables and lasers to stay fresh in an industry where appearances matter. But one thing never stopped bothering her: her neck. “It’s something that’s bothered me my whole entire life,” she says. After years of temporary fixes, she decided it was time to make a bigger change.
Starting Small
Her journey began in New York dermatologist Marina Peredo, MD’s chair. Patty wasn’t seeking out treatments but a casual conversation shifted her perspective. “She kept saying, I can make this look better. I can make that look better. I wasn’t actually even thinking about it until she started pointing things out.”
She started with injectables for her frown lines, eventually adding fillers and lasers. “The more I came, the more I saw there were options,” she recalls.
Making the Leap
Despite the upkeep, her neck remained an ongoing source of frustration. When Dr. Peredo’s son, New York plastic surgeon Andrew Peredo, MD joined the practice, Patty finally felt ready. “He just made me feel so comfortable. I decided I’m just going to go for it and opted for facial surgery.”
On the day of her lower facelift and necklift, Patty remembers the emotional reassurance as much as the procedure itself. “When I went under, he was holding my hand and when I came out, he was holding my hand. He literally held my hand all the way through it.”
To her surprise, recovery was easier than expected. “It wasn’t really painful because I have a high pain tolerance. The drains were the only part that really bothered me, but the healing itself was gradual and very minimal in terms of pain.”
Four Years Later
Now, four years post-op, Patty says her results still feel like her. “I wanted something natural so people wouldn’t know. They would just think I looked better. A lot of people don’t even realize I had anything done because the results are so natural.”
For anyone hesitating between injectables and surgery, Patty encourages having the conversation. “Speak to a surgeon so you can feel comfortable and know what your options are. If you’re not happy with what the non-invasive things are doing, step out and go for it. The procedures are so much more advanced now, and I was petrified at first, but Andy made me feel so comfortable. I would definitely say to go for it.”
