Pink's Extreme Makeover

Meet Elizabeth:
When Elizabeth Rubenstein requested to be a candidate for a Pink Magazine Extreme Makeover in March, she had no idea what was in store for her. After retiring to Hilton Head Island a few years ago, Elizabeth had never given a second thought to dramatically changing her appearance. Of course she had features she was unhappy with due to aging, sun exposure, and genetics, but she had accepted that she was stuck with what she had. However, because of the generosity of some of Pink Magazine's advertisers, coupled with Elizabeth's spirit of adventure, she saw her appearance change in a way she never knew was possible. Welcome to Pink's second Extreme Makeover.

Dramatic Changes:
When Elizabeth and I walked into Weniger Plastic Surgery, the first thing we noticed was the extreme attention to detail and commitment to appearance present in the office. Although Elizabeth had been nervous about the appointment, she felt at ease knowing she was putting her face in the hands of someone who clearly liked things to look nice. Her fears were further calmed when she met Dr. Frederick G. Weniger and his staff of intelligent and qualified individuals. Dr. Weniger was easy-going, knowledgeable and professional. He talked with Elizabeth about her desires and hesitations, outlining what the next few months would bring, and assuring her that the procedures were all very safe. With the reassurance from the staff, Elizabeth was ready to jump into her dramatic transformation.

The first problem area Dr. Weniger recognized was wrinkling and drooping of the skin due to aging, as well as puffy, dark under-eye circles from genetics. With the assistance of Surgical Technician Jessica Hildenbrand, and Rebekah Mullin, LE Medical Aesthetician, he began by injecting Botox into her crow's feet, Radiesse into her cheeks and Restylane under her eyes. The results were immediate! Elizabeth instantly saw the wrinkles in her face begin to tighten and firm.

At the next appointment, Dr. Weniger and his staff performed a laser resurfacing procedure to remove Elizabeth's top layers of wrinkled skin. Although the recovery time was longer than some of the other procedures, the results were much more dramatic. The next time I saw Elizabeth, her skin looked like it had shed 20 years of sun damage and aging! She hardly had any wrinkles and no more sun spots or freckles. Wow!

To assist with the recovery, SkinMedica donated: Redness Relief Calm Plex, Sensitive Skin Cleanser, and TNS Ceramide Treatment Cream. Joanne Sutcliffe-Betros, LE Medical Aesthetician, instructed Elizabeth on how to use the products and assured her that the results would be long-lasting.

As if the work on her face wasn't enough, Dr. Weniger decided to give Elizabeth help with another problem area on her body. Using a state-of-the-art procedure known as Coolsculpting, Joanne, along with Michelle Banfield, Patient Coordinator, were able to freeze the fat cells in Elizabeth's lower abdominal area. The procedure lasted 60 minutes with little to no pain or discomfort. In a matter of 60-90 days, Joanne explained that Elizabeth would lose 20-25% of the problem fat cells in the area. The Coolsculpting technology is truly both remarkable and revolutionary. Seen on Dr. Oz, Oprah, and Rachel Ray, Weniger Plastic Surgery is the closest provider of Coolsculpting within 60 miles. In a matter of three weeks, Elizabeth was already noticing a difference in the way her pants were fitting, and she had gone down a pant size!

At our final appointment, Rebekah and Joanne touched up the remaining wrinkles around Elizabeth's mouth and chin with a Pelleve treatment. Pelleve is the Italian word for "skin uplifting", and is rightfully named. The procedure uses radio frequency to stimulate collagen and tighten the skin. The results were instantly apparent, with little to no discomfort and no recovery time.

A New Do:
After all of Dr. Weniger and staff's work on Elizabeth's face and body, she was ready to put her curly frizzy hair into the professional hands of the ladies at Salon Shelter Cove. Specializing in curly hair, Carla Bozeman and Leigh Anne Maiden were the perfect choices to assist Elizabeth with her frizz issues. They gave Elizabeth a Keratin Smoothing Treatment, a procedure that changes hair molecules from curly and course, to straight and silky, lasting up to four months! After a lifetime of dealing with unmanageable curls, Elizabeth was excited for the change.

Prior to the treatment, Carla colored Elizabeth's hair with five shades of blonde, brown and copper to create a sun-kissed summer look. She used a new, organic hair color called All-Nutrient, as well as a Balayage coloring technique to create a custom, artistic look that was hand-painted to compliment the cut.

Once Carla was finished with the color, Leigh Anne gave Elizabeth a blunt cut detailed with wispy layers and angled bangs. The cut worked perfectly with her new straight look, and Elizabeth walked out of the salon feeling like a new woman!

Simply Glamorous:
Before our final photo shoot, we went back to Dr. Weniger's office, where Rebekah and Joanne finished Elizabeth's glamorous look with a touch of makeup using the Jane Iredale and ColoreScience Pro lines. She paired a stunning green eye shadow with Elizabeth's green eyes, and defined her light eyebrows to create a bold classic look. To top it off, Elizabeth threw on a casual chic outfit, decked with accessories, all from Palmettoes. Possibly for the first time ever, Elizabeth didn't mind the camera. We had a fun photo shoot with the staff from Weniger Plastic Surgery. As we left, Elizabeth shared an emotional hug and goodbye with Dr. Weniger in gratitude for the confidence and esteem he had given to her.

Makeup colors used: Powder in Warm and Golden Glow, liquid eyeliner in Dark Brown, Eyebrow and Eyeliner Super Shape Me Kit, eye shadows in Cappuccino and 14 Karat Green, blush in Chemistry, mascara in Black, lip pencil in Luscious, clear lip gloss and D2O Hydrating Spray

Lucky Lady:
As if Elizabeth wasn't lucky enough, in the midst of the makeover process she attended a Pink Partini and won a $200 gift certificate from Brenda Whitlow, owner of Dermacolor Permanent & Corrective Cosmetics! Although the final photos had already been taken, Brenda decided to contribute to the makeover by donating the remaining amount to give Elizabeth permanent eyebrows! She gave Elizabeth a non-surgical brow lift, making her look even more youthful. Look for Elizabeth this summer and let her know how fabulous her new eyebrows look!

A Beautiful Ending:
Over the last few months, I have had the privilege and opportunity to get to know Elizabeth Rubenstein beyond any of our usual makeover candidates because of the time we spent together. The more I had a chance to interact with her, the more I realized we couldn't have picked a better recipient. She is kind, caring, and generous, with a spirit of adventure and cooperation that can't be matched. In one of our last appointments, she said, "I've never been cute or beautiful or had anyone make such a fuss over me. this has made me feel so special. I'm so grateful for it." Elizabeth, every time you look in the mirror, please remember how beautiful and special you truly are, both inside and out. Enjoy your new look, you deserve it!

Simply Stated:
Special thanks to Dr. Frederick G. Weniger and his dedicated staff: Jessica Hildenbrand, Michelle Banfield, Joanne Sutcliffe-Betros and Rebekah Mullin. Weniger Plastic Surgery is located at 25 Clark Summit Drive, Suite 104, in Bluffton. To make an appointment please call 843-757-0123. For more information on any of the procedures completed visit www.wenigerplasticsurgery.com

Thanks also to Carla Bozeman, Leigh Anne Maiden and Shannon Hammock of Salon Shelter Cove, located in Shelter Cove, HHI. To make an appointment call 843-785-8627.

A special thank-you to Brenda Whiltow with Dermacolor. With more than 16 years of experience, Brenda's practice is inside Island Medical Spa, 4 Dunmore Ct., Building C, Suite 300, HHI. For more information call her at 843-422-4141 or visit www.brendawhitlow.com.

Thanks to Palmettoes, a clothing boutique for men and women, for putting together two delicious outfits! They're located in The Shops at Sea Pines Center, HHI. For more information, please call 843-363-6800.