{"id":191057,"date":"2026-04-09T16:31:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T16:31:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/191057\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T16:31:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T16:31:08","slug":"100k-gland-shaving-surgery-booms-among-nycs-elite","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/191057\/","title":{"rendered":"$100K gland shaving surgery booms among NYC’s elite"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the cutthroat world of tech, designer Elle Rabinowitz has never been afraid of going neck and neck with young, hot go-getters in the field.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But when she began to notice the baggy, saggy skin around her neck last fall \u2014 a result of both aging and recently losing 55 pounds on a GLP-1 medication \u2014 the 64-year-old dynamo decided it was time to shave a few years off of her flaccid fa\u00e7ade.\u00a0<\/p>\n

So, she spent nearly $100,000 having her face lifted and her salivary glands shaved down.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do video calls every day for work, and I hated being on camera because my neck looked terrible,\u201d the Gramercy-resident told The Post. \u201cAnd people started looking at me and saying, \u2018You look angry all the time.\u2019 But I wasn\u2019t angry, I was just getting older.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI started thinking, \u2018Okay, I\u2019ve really got to do something about this.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Elle Rabinowitz transformed her look, having her glands shaved down while undergoing a facelift and neck lift in NYC. NYPost Composite<\/p>\n

The\u00a0something\u00a0Rabinowitz opted for was a deep plane facelift, accompanied by a brow lift and blepharoplasty. As the\u00a0pi\u00e8ce de r\u00e9sistance,\u00a0she got a deep plane neck lift with submandibular gland shaving.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the\u00a0necks\u00a0big thing in cosmetic surgery.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As the war against aging rages on \u2014 a fight\u00a0taken on by teenyboppers<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0billionaire biohackers<\/a> alike, all endeavoring\u00a0to retain a youthful mien<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 submandibular gland shaving is rising as the premier, yet polemical procedure of the day.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Rabinowitz sought Dr. Sean Alemi\u2019s expertise last fall, desperate for a youthful upgrade in her appearance. Brian Zak\/NY Post<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an invasive reduction of the salivary glands \u2014 walnut-sized tissues located beneath the floor of the mouth that produce roughly 70% of unstimulated saliva \u2014 for the sake of aesthetics.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

To achieve optimal neck contouring outcomes for NYC\u2019s most elite, trained medical professionals, such as Park Avenue facial plastic surgeon Dr. Sean Alemi<\/a>, lob off a portion of the organs during rejuvenation operations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The chop adds an extra measure of tautness to the neck area, giving the chin and jawline a sharp, sculpted finish.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Alemi, who recently underwent specialized schooling to master the intricate art of gland shaving, exclusively tells The Post that the process has become a key element of his deep place face and neck lift surgeries \u2014 ops the doc prefers doing at the same time for cohesiveness.<\/p>\n

Although gland shaving is a controversial procedure, Rabinowitz couldn\u2019t be happier with her results. Brian Zak\/NY Post<\/p>\n

In fact, he\u2019s performed the cut on 250 patients lucky enough to score an appointment at his haute office. There\u2019s currently a six-month waitlist to book him for a trim.<\/p>\n

His nips, clips and pulls start at an asking price of $70,000.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But Alemi asserts that gland shaving is not offered as an isolated treatment \u2014 meaning folks can\u2019t just waltz in, demanding the little snips and nothing more. Instead, he says the 20 to 30 minute process is a bonus feature of his, approximately, four-hour face and neck enhancements.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a bespoke procedure,\u201d insisted Alemi, an Ear, Nose and Throat expert. \u201cIt\u2019s a very nuanced evaluation of each patient\u2019s individual anatomy during which we\u2019re diving deep into the deep plane of the neck, under the platysma muscle, where there are several other very important structures that need to be examined, palpated and sometimes treated.\u201d<\/p>\n

Big Apple executives, celebrities and everyday dwellers have entrusted their faces, necks and glands in Alemi\u2019s hands, determined to achieve the modish makeovers of their dreams. Brian Zak\/NY Post<\/p>\n

After cutting into the anatomy, the pro assesses \u201chow much fat there is in the deep neck, the bulk of the muscle, and, of course, the salivary glands, which do tend to fall with age,\u201d he explained.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Alemi then uses a specialized device to slice away excess tissue matter.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a very controversial process because not everybody believes that gland shaving is necessary or appropriate,\u201d said the authority. \u201cBut it\u2019s something that every surgeon should be equipped to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

The majority of surgeons, however, strongly disagree, per trending data.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A survey of the Aesthetic Society, an organization of over 5,000 board-certified plastic surgeons, found that 89% of 60 facelift specialists avoid gland excision primarily \u201cdue to concerns about danger to the patient, with 78% deeming it borderline to always unacceptable,\u201d according to a recent study<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Common risks of the procedure include swelling, bleeding and bruising. But researchers warn that rare side effects, such as infections, transient nerve injury and paralysis, salivary fistulas \u2014 abnormal saliva leaking \u2014 xerostomia, or dry mouth, and induration of the neck can occur.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cSurgeons who advocated not to perform resection perceived complication rates between 0.01% and 30%,\u201d reads the report, which concedes, however, that \u201cwith experience, complication rates decrease, and the procedure becomes more effective and predictable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rabinowitz credits Alemi for shaving off years from her look, making her feel more visible and vivacious. NYPost Composite<\/p>\n

Luckily, Rabinowitz, who entrusted Alemi with her transformation in September, only suffered minimal swelling after going under the knife.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She, like most patients, left the operating table wearing bandages and was instructed to temporarily abstain from exercise, as well as noshing on any mouth-watering eats for the first several weeks of her recovery.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Doctors recommend avoiding spicy, salty and sour foods post-op to limit the production of saliva while the glands rehabilitate. So, Rabinowitz gummed down bland bites \u2014 think yogurt, white rice, potatoes and steamed veggies \u2014 as she convalesced.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Feeling seen, confident and hot, Rabinowitz tells The Post that the costly procedure was worth every penny. Brian Zak\/NY Post<\/p>\n

Now, months later, all healed and hot, the brunette praises gland shaving as an answered prayer. It came 10 years after she entered a botched chin liposuction with a West Coast physician who failed to give her the ultra-defined profile she now possesses.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m absolutely thrilled with the results,\u201d Rabinowitz giggled, teasing plans to flaunt her head-to-toe transformation in sexy swimsuits on the Jersey Shore this summer. \u201cI used to walk around feeling invisible.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t feel invisible anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

Anne Kavanaugh underwent gland-shaving surgery last July, hoping to regain her girlish glow. OLGA GINZBURG FOR THE NEW YORK POST<\/p>\n

Anne Kavanaugh, 66, a financial executive, based in SoHo, has enjoyed a similar sense of voguish visibility since getting her face, neck and glands done last July.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel so much better when I look in the mirror,\u201d raved the businesswoman, who complimented her newly perky mug with a ptosis repair \u2014 correcting her droopy upper eyelids \u2014 and a CO2 skin resurfacing treatment. The entire makeover cost a whopping $99,000.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But Kavanaugh, a former lady wolf of Wall Street, says it was money well spent.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kavanaugh tells The Post her \u201csnatched\u201d facial and neck enhancements are often praised by her young nieces. NYPost Composite<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a new level of confidence. My nieces, who are in their 20s, keep saying, \u2018Auntie Anne, you\u2019re super snatched,\u2019\u201d she chuckled at the youngish term for fabulously firm.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I\u2019m not trying to compete with Gen Z or look like a supermodel,\u201d added Kavanaugh, who used old photos of herself at age 20 as reference images for her surgery. \u201cI just wanted to go back to how I looked previously.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I absolutely do.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Chloe Hall, 45, an Upper East Side married mother of three, is, too, feeling like her old self thanks to the lift and shave combo.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Chloe Hall, a married mom and documentarian, says she underwent the transformational surgery as a form of special self-care. NYPost Composite<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s made me feel really good about myself, and I\u2019m a nicer mommy when I feel good,\u201d joked Hall, an Emmy-nominated documentarian.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She got the deep plane face lift and neck lift with gland shaving late last summer \u2014 sans her kids\u2019 knowledge \u2014 after shedding 20 pounds on weight loss meds.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The pricy tweaks set her back nearly six figures.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hall says her face, neck and glands transformation gave her a refreshed, spritely look that she hadn\u2019t possessed in years. Tamara Beckwith<\/p>\n

\u201cAt my age, nobody thinks you need [facial plastic surgery],\u201d Hall conceded, adding she saved and budgeted for the revamp. \u201cBut I wanted to get it done now, while I\u2019m still relatively young, rather than wait until I\u2019m older and have to undergo a drastic change.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The subtle, modish modifications have shaved 8 to 10 years off her appearance.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s made Hall the envy of her clique.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMy friends initially thought I went away on a great spa weekend or something, because I looked so well-rested and refreshed after the surgery,\u201d she chuckled. \u201cWhen I told them they were like, \u2018Wow, it\u2019s amazing that you look like yourself \u2014 but like you\u2019re just waking up from the best sleep of your life.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI love my new glow.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In the cutthroat world of tech, designer Elle Rabinowitz has never been afraid of going neck and neck…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":191058,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[12495,68,3741,4589,232,9,24,56,63,65,64,32365],"class_list":{"0":"post-191057","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york-city","8":"tag-cosmetic-surgery","9":"tag-exclusive","10":"tag-fashion-beauty","11":"tag-hot","12":"tag-lifestyle","13":"tag-new-york","14":"tag-new-york-city","15":"tag-ny","16":"tag-nyc","17":"tag-nyc-headlines","18":"tag-nyc-news","19":"tag-plastic-surgery"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/191057","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=191057"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/191057\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/191058"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=191057"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=191057"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=191057"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}