Dr. Diamond Explains the New Rules of Aging Well
Beverly Hills surgeon Dr. Diamond joins Melissa Magsaysay on the Live & Well Podcast to talk deep plane facelifts, tech neck, and why posture may be the real anti-aging secret.
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Dr. Jason Diamond, the surgeon behind some of Hollywood’s most recognizable faces, has seen it all. In episode 2 of the ‘Live & Well’ podcast, the Beverly Hills facial plastic surgeon, known for blending surgical precision with bio-regenerative science, breaks down the rise of the deep plane facelift, explains how “tech neck”, Ozempic weight loss, and filtered selfies are changing the way we think about aging
Your Phone, Your Neck, and the Crease That Stays
If you’ve noticed new, fine horizontal lines across your neck, you’re not imagining them. “Tech neck” is no longer just a clever headline. “The longer those creases stay, the more permanent they become,” Dr. Diamond explains. He says the mechanism is simple, and it’s the same reason Botox works on the forehead.
Repeated movement creates a groove. Every time you look down at your device, you’re holding your neck in a folded, flexed position. “Everyone’s on their device all day,” he says. “Over time, those folds get deeper.” The skin on the neck, he notes, is thinner than the skin on the face and simply can’t take the same “abuse.”
The fix, thankfully, starts simple. Sit taller. Lift your phone higher. “Just being aware makes a difference,” he says.
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From Posture to Procedure
For some, small postural changes are enough to curb early sagging. But when the skin truly starts to loosen, the treatment becomes highly personal. “It depends on the anatomy, age, and lifestyle,” Dr. Diamond says. Dr. Diamond says that the “ultimate correction” is a facelift combined with a neck lift…a surgery that tightens both the deep structures and the surface skin. But for those not ready for surgery, he’s focused on non-invasive options. “The InstaFacial has become my favorite,” he says. “It improves texture, tightens skin, and gives people the best version of their face without going under anesthesia.”
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Regeneration: From the Clinic to Your Counter
Dr. Diamond developed his signature InstaFacial over a decade ago. The one-hour treatment is a powerful cocktail of lasers, microneedling, and PRP (platelet-rich plasma) drawn from the patient’s own blood. “It’s your own growth factors, concentrated and reintroduced into your skin,” he explains. “It tells your body to heal, repair, and restore.” The only rule is no makeup for 24 hours. “By the next night, people can go out,” he says. “And a week later, their skin looks the best it ever has.”
That success led him to bottle the concept. His skincare line Metacine is a three-step protocol designed to mimic the in-office results. It features a retinoid-antioxidant Emulsion (“a laser in a bottle”), a growth-factor Plasma (“your daily dose of PRP”), and a structural Infusion made with human-identical collagen. “Collagen used to come from cows and pigs,” he notes. “Now it’s 100% identical to the human structure, so your body accepts it.”
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The New Face of ‘Natural’
The facelift itself isn’t what it used to be. “It used to be a secret,” Dr. Diamond says. “Now it’s dinner conversation.” He credits social media and better education for the shift. “People realize you can look natural. You can look rested. It doesn’t have to be obvious.” The most requested procedure is the deep plane facelift, a method that lifts the underlying muscle rather than just pulling the skin. “It reshapes the face from underneath,” he says. “You get sharper contours without the pulled look.” Patients are also coming in younger. “People used to say, ‘I’ll wait until I’m fifty,’” he says. “Now they say, ‘I’ll fix it when I notice it.’”
The ‘Ozempic Effect’ and the Filtered Selfie
New cultural trends are also creating new demands. The rise of weight-loss drugs, for example, has created a new aesthetic challenge. “When you lose weight that fast, your skin can’t keep up,” he says. “It’s an elasticity issue.” He compares it to a rubber band stretched too many times. “When we’re young, our skin snaps back. As we age, it doesn’t.” He’s now seeing more patients under 40 seeking lifts to restore confidence after a major, rapid transformation.
The other big shift? Consultation photos. “When I started, people brought in celebrity photos,” Dr. Diamond recalls. “Now they bring filtered selfies of themselves.” He says they are not asking to look like someone else. “They’re asking to look like their best self. It’s no different from going to the gym. You can’t exercise away a jowl... People just want to feel good in their own skin.”
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Why the Deep Plane Is Still the Gold Standard
While techniques are endlessly debated, Dr. Diamond considers the deep plane facelift the gold standard for lasting, architectural results. “It’s not new,” he admits, “but it’s resurfaced because people are asking for real results.”
The approach repositions the muscle layer beneath the skin to sculpt the jawline. A complex procedure many surgeons avoid because it requires navigating facial nerves. “You need to know exactly where they are,” he says. “But when it’s done right, it’s transformative.”
Listen to the full conversation with Dr. Diamond here on the ‘Live & Well’ Podcast
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