Face care tips for recovery after a facelift

Face care before getting a facelift is important for recovery. A facelift, or a rhytidectomy, can enhance the most noticeable signs of aging caused by stress, gravity, and exposure to the sun. The procedure consists of removing excess skin and fat, tightening underlying muscles, and re-draping the skin of your face and neck. Knowing that plastic surgeons are doctors, not magicians, you should discuss your expectations with your facial plastic surgeon. And document your experience in your DiagnoStar Electronic Medical Record (EMR) platform.

Face care tips for recovery after a facelift

1. Anticipate looking worse before you look better.

This is normal. Don’t panic. You will experience swelling and bruising. As these fade, the results of the procedure will become obvious. Include this and other experiences during this stage in your DiagnoStar EMR.

2. Keep your head elevated for at least two to three days to reduce swelling.

Don’t misjudge the significance of this exercise. It will decrease your recovery time. Failing to elevate your head may extend recovery and may create troubling facial asymmetry.

3. Don’t shower or shampoo until after your dressings are removed.

After surgery, your whole head will be wrapped in bandages. At first, the bandage may feel tight because it is in place to apply even pressure to your face, neck, and head to minimize bruising and swelling. However, one day after the surgery, the bandages are usually removed.

4. Limit all physical exertions for at least one week after surgery.

Only resume regular activities slowly after one week. You will have received written instructions in your EMR for your post-operative care and activity. Do not exercise for two weeks, not even housework.

Additional face care tips:

Take the following precautions for two weeks before and after surgery.

First, abstain from taking over-the-counter products that can cause increased bruising or bleeding. So, products like aspirin and aspirin-containing products e.g.; Advil, Ibuprofen, Naproxin sodium, and other NSAID medications. 

In addition, remove garlic and dark green leafy vegetables from your diet, and stop vitamin E supplements if you take them.

Monitor your incisions for signs of infection: spreading redness, swelling, tightness, pus or drainage, excessive pain, and increasing warmth. A fever of 101 degrees Fahrenheit or more may also signify an infection.

You may feel some tightness and numbness on your face and neck. This tightness typically clears up within two months. The feeling of tightness is usually due to swelling. As the swelling goes down, your skin will loosen and then normalize.

Your facial plastic surgeon will tell you not to become upset that the facelift didn’t work. It is normal for the face to look less wrinkled initially after surgery due to swelling. The numbness may continue for several months and will slowly improve.