Best Facelift Recovery Guide

The Day of Your Procedure

When you wake up after your facelift in Beverly Hills, you likely will not remember anything from the procedure. You will feel groggy, but know that we have given you pain medicine during and after the procedure to help keep you comfortable. You may feel constricted because depending on what treatments you have done, you can have bandages which help to keep swelling and bruising to a minimum. In some cases, patients also have little drainage tubes. The purpose of these tubes is to drain any fluid that builds up near the facelift site. We’ll remove these tubes within a few days. The sight of your face right now will not be pleasant, but remember, within a few weeks, you’re going to see major improvements.

Some people go home the day of their procedure, and some go home a day later. We’ll make sure you have set up a friend or family member to drive you home. This friend or relative will also sit with you while you receive instructions for your facelift recovery period.

The pain medication you take after a facelift will depend on how extensive your procedure is. Some patients take moderate pain medication for a few days, and others need a stronger prescription. We’ll speak with you about what medication makes the most sense during your facelift recovery.

First Few Days After A Facelift

During this phase of the facelift recovery, you will have some discomfort but should not feel significant pain. The pain medication you take should keep you comfortable, but swelling and bruising is normal. This is part of the healing process and is expected during facelift recovery. Do not expect to see the positive, youthful results of your facelift in the initial phase of the recovery. Some patients worry if the swelling seems more pronounced on one side of the face, but this is normal. You may also feel tightness in your neck. Remember, we have altered your skin, as well as muscles and fat in some cases, so your face needs plenty of time to heal.

During this time, it’s a good idea to be as calm and low-key as possible. Help around the house is great to have, although you can do some moving around. In fact, movement can help with facelift recovery, and we encourage you to walk around slowly when possible during this early recovery phase. Any activities like jogging, weight lifting, or any other type of moderate to significant exertion, should wait until you’re about a month out from having a facelift.

If you have drainage tubes or stitches, you’ll likely have at least one appointment with our office for removal of these during the first week after your facelift.

One Week After A Facelift

After a week of recovery from your facelift, you’ll likely find you’re able to stop your pain medication. You should be starting to feel better, and able to be a little more active around the house. We will ask that you do light exercise like walking but refrain from any more strenuous activities. At this point, you may still have bruising and swelling that makes you uncomfortable about appearing in public, but that will start to subside soon.

Patience is important during this phase. You’re still not going to be seeing the final results of your cosmetic procedure. You can use cool compresses but do not apply any heat to your face or incisions. The post-operative care instructions you’ve been given will still apply one week after a facelift, so remember to follow those routines carefully. A week out from your facelift, you will still be sleeping with your head quite elevated to help reduce swelling and promote healing. You will not have been able to drive while you’re on pain medication, but at this point, you likely can start driving.

Two Weeks After A Facelift

When you’ve reached the 2-week mark, you’re through the biggest part of your facelift recovery. At this point, you should be able to return to work as long as you have a job that is not physically strenuous. If you have a labor-intensive job, we may ask you to stay out of work for more time. Although you may still have some bruising and/or swelling, these should be more minimal. You likely can cover any bruising with makeup, if desired, and many patients go out in public without issue at this point in the facelift recovery process.

Because your face is healing and swelling is going down, you may feel sensations like tingling in your skin. This is a normal part of a facelift recovery, but remember, if you’re ever worried about a symptom, please call us. At this point, you may go back to taking regular medication we had asked you to avoid – like aspirin or other blood thinners. (Remember this is a general recommendation, but each surgeon gives exact instructions about medication to each facelift patient.)

One Month After A Facelift

You’re almost through your recovery and certainly through the hard part! After one month, you’ll be able to resume more of the activities we asked you to avoid – like moderate lifting and more strenuous exercise. You’ll want to pay attention to your body still and make sure to progress at a careful pace. At this point, you should be easily able to appear in public without using makeup to cover bruising, and most of the swelling should be gone. There may be certain areas where you still have isolated swelling, but this should be minimal. If you’re still feeling some tingling or tightness in your skin, this is generally nothing to be concerned about.

2+ Months After A Facelift

After a couple of months, you should be almost completely done with any side effects from your facelift. You should be enjoying your refreshed, youthful look and should not have signs of incisions or bruising. You can do all the activities and exercises you were doing before your surgery.

Ways To Help Incisions Heal And Scars Appear Less Noticeable After A Facelift

Remember, we are experts at hiding facelift scars. For the majority of patients, the scars are placed so well that they are not a major concern. Even so, it’s a good idea to any steps you can take to help the scars heal quickly and efficiently.

After your facelift, we’ll give you detailed and personalized instructions on exactly how to treat your incisions and what steps to take for the quickest and most successful recovery possible. Here are some general tips to promote healing after a facelift:

• Keep your head elevated, even when sleeping
• Take multivitamins
• Stay hydrated and eat enough protein
• Use all ointments we suggest
• Keep the incisions clean and dry
• Protect the incisions/scars from direct sunlight