Credit: Dave Starbuck/Geisler-Fotopress/Alamy
Alexis Bellino underwent a mid-facelift and neck lift earlier this year in an effort to obtain a “youthful and zesty” look ahead of her 50th birthday in January.
As she admitted her family, including husband John Janssen, 63, was against the procedure, spoke of her recovery, and showcased her plastic surgery journey, the 49-year-old Real Housewives of Orange County alum shared what she will have done next and looked back on her experience with Beverly Hills, Calif.-based surgeon Dr. John Layke.
“Why I went down this path is [because] a couple of my friends that are a decade older than me both had it done at 49, and they look amazing at 60. I kind of feel like, learn from people that are older and wiser than me,” Alexis explained to PEOPLE on August 2.
While Alexis was firm in her desire for the surgery, her kids “begged” her not to do it.
“They said, ‘Mom, please come on. Jesus Jugs, we’ve had enough of you and your stuff.’ And so I just said, ‘Guys, you’ll get it when you’re 50,’” she shared.
John, whom she married in October 2025 — and whom once sued ex-girlfriend Shannon Beador, 62, over a facelift he paid for, was also “against” it, but ultimately came around to the idea after attending one of her consultations.
During the seven-hour surgery, which Alexis paid for on her own, the former RHOC cast member opted for a mini facelift to address the midsection of her face, including her “laugh lines,” a neck lift, a brow lift, an upper blepharoplasty, and a CO2 laser resurfacing procedure.
After going under the knife, Alexis endured a “brutal” recovery.
“It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be, but it was not easy,” she said.
On Instagram on August 2, Alexis shared a behind-the-scenes look at the days that followed the surgery.
“I think a decade or two ago I would’ve been affected by comments, and now I just don’t care,” Alexis told PEOPLE of potential backlash, adding that her “approach to aging” is about building “thicker skin.”
“You’re just like, ‘Okay, take it, or leave it. This is who I am.’ You know who you love; your circle is very small. I want women to feel empowered,” she noted. “I don’t wear makeup now when I go out. I don’t worry about my laugh lines. If I feel better, then why not? That’s what the doctors are here for.”
Along with her post-surgery moments, Alexis also shared images from her own wedding and her son’s wedding on Instagram.
“[Nine] months, 2 weddings, 1 facelift….yep, it’s been a happy, busy stinking year,” Alexis captioned her post. “The photo on the left was my wedding to my love [John Janssen] in October. The photo on the right is my son’s wedding this July. Only nine months later.”
“My kids and husband all fought me on this decision saying ‘mom/wife you don’t need it, please don’t do it, what can we do to talk you out of it……’ But look at the results!!!! And now my husband and kids are all so happy with the results!!!!!! And truth is, it’s MY decision, not theirs. I’m turning 50 yrs in January (in 6 months) so this was my half year “happy birthday” to myself,” she added.
Although Alexis noted that she won’t be having anything else done for a “very long time,” she did confirm that she will eventually have her breast implants removed.
“That’s [a procedure] that I wished I hadn’t done so young,” she noted, giving a nod to past procedures, including an initial breast augmentation when she was 19 and a separate surgery last year to remove leaky implants.
In addition to her past boob jobs, Alexis also underwent nose surgery in 2011 to remove impacted tissue and addressed the “bump” on her bridge.