Facelift

Recovery from facelift surgery.

Recuperation from facelift surgery begins immediately after surgery is completed. Your assistance is required from the very beginning. It is important that you follow all of our instructions. You should review these instructions with the responsible adult that will be assisting you after surgery. You must be driven home by a responsible adult. If you do not have someone to drive you, you may not be released. They may also pick you up the next day if you plan to stay overnight. You should get up and walk regularly, at least, 3 to 4 times a day after surgery. This helps the circulation in your legs tremendously.

Bring pillows and a blanket for the ride to make you more comfortable. Have some water and crackers. Studies show that patients with increased pain heal slower when compared to those who are not in pain. Pain associated with facelift surgery is usually not severe, but only mild to moderate. Appropriate pain medications will be prescribed for you. However, you may become groggy from taking too many medications. Sleeping with your head elevated will reduce swelling and pain.

Your face will be more swollen through the first week. It will not be extremely swollen, until the next day after surgery. By this time, you should already be taking a prescribed medication to reduce swelling. As the days go on, the swelling will dissipate. Bruising will be noted, but this will go away. Make a mental note that swelling, bruising, tightness and discomfort will occur, and are normal, so that you are not shocked with your initial appearance. Bruising and swelling are a normal part of the facelift experience. It may help to avoid looking at yourself in the mirror for the first 5 days.

A simple advise, that goes a long way after facelift surgery, is to keep your face and neck as still as possible during the first week. Excessive talking and movements of the face and neck create tension and pressure at the suture points that maintain your face at its new youthful location. In other words, constant stress at these points from excessive activity could decrease the effectiveness of your facelift. Therefore, we recommend a peaceful and quiet recovery without a lot of visits from friends and family. Maintaining a soft diet that prevents you from fully opening your mouth during the first week is also important.

Recovery tips for after the first week.

Mild bruising can be covered up. At the AB Guerra Plastic Surgery Center, we carry a specially formulated brand of makeup for facelift surgery patients. You can begin applying this 7 days after surgery. It is normal for sensory nerves of the face to have been disrupted during surgery. When applying make up, numbness in certain areas, close to incisions, may be noted. Numbness is normal until these return to full function.

We advise you take it easy for several weeks after surgery. Do not bend over or lift heavy objects. Do not work out or run or do any activity that raises your blood pressure or heart rate (above 100) for 2 weeks after surgery. High blood pressure is related to a higher risk of internal bleeding after facelift surgery. Do not participate in contact sports for at least 6 weeks. We recommend you avoid steam rooms, saunas, steam face masks, or any product that promotes flushing of the skin. No supplements containing niacin, which can also cause flushing and make your face red, should be used until 12 weeks since surgery.

Avoid alcohol and products containing aspirin or ibuprofen for several weeks. Smoking impairs your circulation and decreases your ability to heal. You should avoid smoking, first and second-hand, for as long as possible. It is normal for you to notice a change in your smile, sensations of tightness, tingling, occasional sharp shooting pains, pulling, burning, and even cold sensations during the recovery period. These symptoms are usually mild and subside within the first 6 weeks. A gentle massage with an Arnica-based ointment is extremely helpful in reducing these symptoms.

As the swelling subsides, a more defined and youthful version of yourself will be revealed. This takes time and you should prepare yourself emotionally. It is normal for some patients become depressed during the recovery period. Maintaining a positive attitude, eating a sensible diet, concentrating on re-establishing your normal routine, and beginning outdoor activities as soon as you feel up to it, will help you to get through the recovery period.

Realistic expectations of facelift surgery.

The amount of improvement from facelift surgery depends on how much wrinkling and sagging you have. If wrinkling, sagging, and jowls are minimal, then the changes may be subtle. With surgery, it may appear the aging process has slowed down. If wrinkling and sagging is great, then the results can be dramatic. However, some people seek plastic surgery when extreme aging is set in place. In such cases, it is difficult to reduce or reverse those changes with current surgical techniques. A facelift can improve your appearance and give you a more youthful look. The results may be dramatic. The results may be subtle. Risks are part of every surgery.

Facelift surgery can improve most visible signs of aging by lifting the deeper structures, re-draping the skin of the face and neck, and contouring selected areas of fat. A facelift can be performed alone, or in conjunction with other procedures. You cannot go from looking age 65, to looking like you are age 25. Only a reasonable age reduction in your physical appearance can be expected. Having a facelift does not change who you are. You must tell your surgeon the amount of change you expect, but also listen to what he or she thinks, may be realistically possible for your specific situation. We all have different tissues and results vary from patient to patient.

Dressings after facelift surgery.

At the completion of surgery, a comfortable and supportive dressing will be applied on your face and head to protect your incisions, apply some pressure to minimize swelling, and allow the area to begin healing. The dressing is created by initially applying a non-adhesive dressing in front and behind the ears. A double layer of soft dressing gauze follows. The dressing is topped with an elastic wrap. This dressing goes around the top of your head to under your chin. Some patients may feel pressure with the dressing and it can be alleviated by loosening the elastic wraps. The entire dressing should only be taken down in clinic the next day after surgery.

After surgery, patients will awaken in the recovery room. The nursing staff in the recovery room will monitor you carefully until you are released. Patients are kept under observation for 1 to 2 hours. Your face may feel tight and quite tender as you awaken. Feeling emotional, cold, and shivering are normal reactions to anesthesia. A warm blanket is provided if you are cold. Medications to counteract nausea and pain are given when necessary.

Limitations of facelift surgery.

There are limitations on how much the human body can be manipulated with surgery. These limitations are significant and cannot always be exceeded. Not every imaginable result can be realistically achieved. A facelift result may not meet your expectations if you set these too high. A facelift cannot stop the aging process. The best candidates for facelift surgery have a face and neck line that has begun to sag, but whose skin elasticity and whose bony structure is maintained. The more severe the aging signs have set upon your face, the more difficult it is to reduce or reverse those changes with surgical techniques.

A facelift begins with carefully placed incisions. Facelift incisions allow us to visualize the underlying facial structures and fat before sculpting the face by repositioning muscle, skin and fat to a more youthful location. Asymmetry of the face and neck may persists and be more noticeable after surgery. Each side of the face is different from the other, and there is no way to obtain perfection with facelift surgery. A facelift is not the fountain of youth. Only a reasonable age reduction in your physical appearance should be expected. Results will vary from patient to patient. There are risks in association with every surgery, including facelift.