“Look Fabulous Now” with Dr. Back

“Dr. Back performs more face lifts each year than many plastic surgeons might do over the course of their careers.”

Lyle Back, MD, knows that when patients ask to look younger, what they often mean is something much deeper. “They want to look how they feel,” he says. “More vibrant, more confident, more like who they really are.”

That belief has shaped Dr. Back’s philosophy over more than 3 decades in practice. A board-certified plastic surgeon and faculty member at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Dr. Back has not only performed thousands of facial rejuvenation procedures but also trains the next generation of surgeons.

His Look Fabulous Now (LFN) Lift reflects the evolution of the modern facelift: less invasive, more precise and far more patient friendly. The lower-face and neck-lift procedure is performed under local anesthesia at his Cosmetic Surgery Center of Cherry Hill. “What was once a 6-hour surgery with general anesthesia and a month-long recovery is now a 2-hour procedure with local numbing and no hospital stay,” he explains.

Gone are the weeks of hiding from public view. “Most patients are ‘supermarket ready’ – able to run into a friend without feeling self-conscious – within 7 to 10 days,” he says. Full recovery, what he calls “cocktail-party ready,” typically comes by week 3 or 4. Because operating under local anesthesia requires a gentler, more refined surgical technique, results tend to be more natural and longer-lasting. “There’s more finesse,” he says. “Less trauma means better recovery and a more elegant outcome.”

The LFN Lift includes enhancements like neck contouring and jawline tightening, performed through hidden incisions behind the ear or within natural skin creases. Many patients add eyelid lifts or laser resurfacing durng the same visit – maximizing results and recovery.

Dr. Back also sees more patients – women and men who are in their 40s and 50s – choosing facelifts earlier. “Years ago, you waited until things got bad enough to justify the ordeal,” he says. “Now, the procedure is less demanding and the results more subtle, so we’re treating people earlier, when the skin is healthier and the outcome is more natural.”

For women navigating menopause or perimenopause, facial aging can feel sudden and dramatic. “I’ve had patients say, ‘It feels like my face is melting,’” he says. “The skin becomes dry, thin, less elastic. Treating those changes early leads to better results.”

Still, the most meaningful part of his work goes beyond surgical skill. “A woman once told me, ‘I thought I wanted to look younger, but what I really wanted was to look happier.’ And that’s exactly what we accomplished. That’s the part that never gets old.”

2025 South Jersey’s FACE of Cosmetic Surgery: Lyle M. Back, MD, FACS