Plastic Surgeon Known as ‘The Surgeonista’ Got a Facelift at 45. Here’s Why She Says It Was the ‘Right Time’ (Exclusive)
Plastic Surgeon Known as ‘The Surgeonista’ Got a Facelift at 45. Here’s Why She Says It Was the ‘Right Time’ (Exclusive)
Catherine SantinoSun, July 19, 2026 at 9:00 AM UTC
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Dr. Gina Maccarone.Credit: Dr. Gina Maccarone -
Dr. Gina Maccarone, known as “The Surgeonista,” opens up to PEOPLE about undergoing a facelift at 45 and trying to break the stigma around the procedure
“It was just always a matter of, ‘What’s the right time?” she says
Dr. Maccarone says that going under the knife as a surgeon herself is both reassuring and anxiety-inducing
Dr. Gina Maccarone, known as The Surgeonista, wants to break the “stigma” around facelifts.
The Cincinnati-based cosmetic surgeon underwent the procedure herself in April at age 45, telling PEOPLE that she felt it was “the right time” for the transformation.
“It was just always a matter of, ‘What’s the right time?” Dr. Maccarone says. “I offer this operation myself to patients in my practice. So when I started seeing changes as I was aging, I was thinking to myself, ‘I would rather time this such that I’m not having a drastic before and after.’ Those are the really satisfying ones to see on social media, of course, but I didn’t want that to be me.”
She continues, “I didn’t want to wait so long to do this and then not enjoy the results, because during that window where you’re continuing to age and nothing’s been done yet, you’re just dealing with things that you’re not a fan of.”
The decision came about when the surgeon began to notice some laxity in her lower face. She had also recently lost weight, which contributed to her skin changes.
“I finally just said, ‘Hey, this is bugging me. I see it in all my Zoom meetings. I’m just going to do it,’” Dr. Maccarone recalls.
Dr. Gina Maccarone.Credit: Dr. Gina Maccarone
She then sought out a surgeon who uses her preferred technique of a deep plane facelift. Traditional facelifts of the ‘80s and ‘90s, she explains, would simply pull back the skin of the face and ignore the muscle layer underneath, whereas the newer deep plane facelift addresses both layers, creating more natural-looking results.
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Going under the knife as a surgeon herself was both reassuring and anxiety-inducing, says Dr. Maccarone.
“I was comforted by the fact that I know that it’s a safe operation and I trusted my surgeon,” she recalls. “But at the same time the 0.1% of risks that go along with things are always in the back of my mind that most normal people don’t know about.”
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Thankfully, the procedure was a success and didn’t require much downtime.“I was seeing patients on post-op day four,” says Dr. Maccarone. “I should have taken more time from a mental standpoint, but physically I was fine to drive and do things within four or five days.”
Despite the rising trend of people having facelifts younger and her own successful procedure, Dr. Maccarone says there’s still a stigma around facelifts.“A lot of people are still just kind of wary about it because of this stigma that goes along with it,” she reflects. “Everyone’s afraid of the word facelift, and they think it’s this big, scary thing when really the recovery is a breeze, honestly.”
The recovery is easier the younger you are, she points out, and allows patients to enjoy the results for even longer.
“I’m really trying to educate people about it,” she says, “and that’s why I am being transparent about doing it myself is to try to help people understand.”
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
