How Is The Recovery Period After A Facelift Surgery?

Facelift surgeries usually take 2 to 6 hours under general anesthesia. The extensiveness of the surgery and whether it is combined with other procedures affect the duration of the surgery. The healing process is also affected by these elements. However, usually the patient can return to their daily life in a short time, while being careful about the things they need to. It may take 3 months for the results to settle and maturely seen. Completing the healing process and occurrence of subtle changes can continue up to 6 months and sometimes more.

Pre-planning and organizing the area that the patient is going to be resting at after their surgery can be practical. It will be useful to arrange the things that the patient may need after their surgery beforehand. The patient can even select and prepare the movies they may want to watch while recovering. It will be helpful that the patient takes care of any errands that may require physical efforts before their surgery.

After a facelift surgery, drains can be placed if needed. If drains are placed, they are usually removed within 1-2 days after the surgery. Depending on the surgeon’s preference, the incision lines can be covered with special tapes, and the patient can take a short, warm shower with these tapes on one day after the drains are removed. After the shower, it is important to dry these tapes in the cool setting of a hair dryer.

In the operation area, the stitches in front of the ear are usually removed after 5 days and the stitches behind the ear are removed after 7 days. Stitches/staples in the hair are usually removed 7-10 days after the surgery.

After thesurgery, it is not unusual to experience swelling in the face with the possibility of the swelling extending to the neck. The swelling can be expected to start to decrease at the end of one week after the surgery, while showing an increase in the first days. Although some pain can be expected after thesurgery, it should be at a degree that can be managed with painkillers. Other prescribed medication should also be used as instructed.

Facelift surgeries do not prevent bodily movements, but it is recommended to avoid heavy sports for at least 4 months after the surgery. Excessive physical activity too early after surgery can impair the healing process. Increased blood pressure associated with too early physical activity may lead to risky conditions such as hematoma in the early stages of recovery. In addition, the edema may be prolonged. However, a little bit of mild exercise will be beneficial even in the early stages of recovery, such as a light walk. Intensive physical activity and heavy lifting should be avoided for at least 6 weeks.

In order to support recovery after a facelift surgery, drinking plenty of water and eating healthy is recommended. While smoking adversely affects a person’s overall health, it is something that should be also avoided especially during the process of a facelift surgery. It may adversely affect the results and the preservation of the results, as well as the healing process. Therefore, a patient who smokes should definitely share this information with their psurgeon and at least take a break from smoking in the pre-operative and post-operative periods for the minimum recommended time. The recommended sunscreen should be used as instructed for at least 6 months after the surgery. It is also important not to miss follow up appointments after a facelift surgery.