What to expect following a facelift surgery will vary from patient to patient, however a general guideline outlining the post-surgical process can help make the decision to have a facelift, easier to decide.
Immediately following your surgery, you will be in recovery for 2 hours before heading home. You will be wearing a compression garment around your head and it’s common for your face to look a bit squished and puffy. Pain medication is prescribed and taken only if needed. We suggest you rest and sleep with your head elevated to help reduce swelling.
The next 48 hours includes a visit to our office for a post-op assessment and to have your bandages removed. At this point swelling and bruising is expected on the face and neck and you may find your incisions to still be oozing. This is normal. After the first 48 hours, you will begin to clean your wounds with hydrogen peroxide and polysporin. Make sure to wash your hands prior and to be very gentle while cleaning.
In the following days, you can sleep more comfortably, you can have a bath as well as wash your hair. We recommend using baby shampoo, to refrain from using a hair dryer or hair products, as well as a round brush and even perfume. You can begin to wear makeup, however not on the incisions.
Around 7-10 days post-op, you will begin to have your sutures and staples removed, which may be done over the course of a few visits. By approximately 2 weeks, all sutures should typically be removed and a majority of the bruising and swelling should be resolved. You may now feel comfortable to return to work and resume your normal beauty routine, including the use of your hairdryer and your favourite beauty products.
At one month post-op, you will return to our clinic to be assessed and to make sure that you’re healing well. You will also start to look and feel more like yourself again and your natural glow will have returned. Any numbness that you may have experienced around your ears or the side of your face, should be gone by now. You can now colour you hair if you so chose, however we still recommend you refrain from exercise until the 6 week milestone, but leisurely walks can be surely be enjoyed.
Please remember, healing is still taking place, numbness around your ears and the side of your face is normal and could last a few months. The incisions will continue to fade over time and the definition along your jawline will keep improving every day. Patience is very important as it can take up to 3-4 months for your swelling to go down and for your results to become fully visible.
Aug 09th 2017