Woman, 43, Let Longtime Friend Perform Cosmetic Procedure on Her to Address 'Lizard' Neck (Exclusive)

Michelle LeeSun, June 7, 2026 at 9:00 AM UTC

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(Left) Swan Huntley after undergoing her cosmetic enhancement; (Right) Swan Huntley and Dr. Safa Elizabeth SharabiCredit: Swan Huntley/Instagram -

A Los Angeles woman underwent cosmetic work performed by a friend she met in middle school

At 43, Swan Huntley called up her longtime pal and plastic surgeon Dr. Safa Elizabeth Sharabi to tweak her "lizard" neck

Huntley opens up about getting the procedure done by her friend decades after spending their young adult years together

Swan Huntley and her childhood friend Safa have been leaning on each other since they met in middle school.

The pair crossed paths at Muirlands Middle School in San Diego, Calif., and bonded as members of their school's seminar program — or what they called "the semi-nerd program." They also worked together at Gap Kids in downtown La Jolla.

One particular memory strikes Huntley when she reflects on their friendship. "I remember later, in high school, looking at a page of our AP Biology textbook about photosynthesis and thinking, I absolutely cannot compute this. I  Safa's homework a lot in that class."

Swan Huntley in bandages after undergoing RenuvionCredit: Swan Huntley/Instagram

Some things never change. Decades later, when Huntley — who is now a writer and illustrator based in Los Angeles — decided to undergo a cosmetic procedure for her neck at 43 years old, Safa was one of the first people she called.

Recently, Huntley texted her personal doctor contact about how her neck had taken on a "lizard-like quality" over the years, which is when Safa — who opened her plastic surgery clinic as Dr. Safa Elizabeth Sharabi in Santa Monica, Calif. — suggested she come in for a consultation.

"I was always sure Safa would become a doctor," says Huntley, "because she was always sure she'd become one." She was the perfect candidate to offer Huntley the guidance she was looking for, even though she never predicted this exact situation.

Safa approached the session with honesty and said she felt Huntley was "too young" for a neck lift. Instead, she recommended Renuvion, a body-contouring technique that uses helium gas and radiofrequency from a thin wand inserted under the skin to tighten from the inside out.

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Huntley got the treatment done two months ago. Even though it's non-invasive, she still needed an anesthesia injection to get through it. "I felt nothing, and I saw nothing because my eyes were closed. It took about 20 minutes. I clutched the egg-shaped crystal Safa had given me the whole time," Huntley shares.

Everything went smoothly, so much so that Huntley went to Erewhon for a "celebratory smoothie" with her face still wrapped in bandages.

Renuvion results are gradual and take a few months to settle in. "But I can already see the difference," says Huntley. "I look less like a lizard now, and I am extremely grateful."

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The entire experience was "wonderful" for Huntley because of her bond with Safa. "I really trust her and I know she has steady hands. It was also just fun. We got to hang out, I met her nurse and it was cool to see her at work. I felt proud of her."

Her feelings were mutual. When Huntley announced the news of her enhancement on Instagram with a photo of her all wrapped up, Safa commented, "Us driving around in your 1985 Volvo in high school smoking cigs would be SO proud of us today."

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”