To enhance and prolong your facelift results, it is highly recommended to maintain a regular regimen of skin rejuvenation therapies and injectables, such as fillers and BOTOX.
It is important to give your face enough time to heal and recover after a facelift before undergoing any additional treatments. You should obtain clearance from your doctor before resuming BOTOX injections after a facelift, which can usually be done around 4 –6 weeks following surgery.
Fillers are Valuable for Facelift Patients
A facelift cannot eliminate all lines and creases, nor can it replace fullness where fatty tissue has diminished. It is for this reason that most facelift patients continue to obtain injectable treatment to enhance and maintain the successful results of their surgery.
Apply ice bags or Swiss eye masks (keep them cold or in ice) to the exposed areas of your face for the first 72 hours to reduce swelling post-operatively. If you have pain or discomfort, take the pain medication every 3 hours. It is best to take the pain medication with crackers, jello, etc.
Once the swelling wanes, that tightness feeling should dissipate in time. Your skin will also start to slightly stretch as it adapts to the new shape. You can expect the face to feel tight for a few months following the facelift surgery. The tightness can last for about 2 – 3 months.
In general, you should expect to look ten years younger and see dramatic, but natural-looking, anti-aging of the face and neck. Facelifts don't stop the aging process, but results are permanent. That means ten years down the line; you can still look a decade younger.
Drooping skin, creases, and wrinkles are the most common complaints. The benefits of a facelift last an average of 8 to 10 years. After that, some men and women begin to see signs of aging. Drooping skin, creases, and wrinkles are the most common complaints.
Why? When the facelift is performed, the skin is tightened and it can flatten out the jowls because the skin is tighter. However, over time as the skin relaxes, the full fatty jowls will restretch out the skin and the jowls will reappear.
AVOID BENDING OVER OR LIFTING heavy things for one week. Besides aggravating swelling, this may raise the blood pressure and start hemorrhage. AVOID HITTING OR BUMPING YOUR FACE, HEAD AND NECK. It is wise not to pick up small children and you should sleep alone for one week after your operation.
You may have some itching or shooting pain as the feeling returns. It may take several months for the numbness to go away. Most people recover in 4 to 6 weeks.
Brush teeth gently with a soft toothbrush only. Avoid manipulation of upper lip and cheeks. You may have difficulty opening your mouth wide or turning your head. As healing takes place and swelling subsides this will improve.
Technically, there is no limit or “magic number” when it comes to how many facelifts can be performed. But as we mentioned, we want to make sure your results remain as natural as possible. Too many surgeries can make your face appear “pulled” or “worked on,” which is not always desirable.
A facelift often will enhance the appearance of your cheek, jaw line and neck region but is considered major surgery. You should think carefully about your specific expectations and communicate your goals to your plastic surgeon.
Plastic Surgery in Fall. After the summer, many people use the changing weather as an inspiration to schedule a plastic surgery procedure. As you begin to wear bulkier, looser clothes, the fall can be an excellent time to schedule breast procedures, body contouring and major facial procedures.
The primary benefit of massaging the face after a facelift is to expedite the healing process. Massage improves blood circulation, which carries nutrients to the skin and prevents the buildup of toxins. It also reduces scarring by lessening tissue buildup and softening the skin around the scar tissue.
By injecting Botox into specific nerves that supply these muscles, the jawline will become visibly lifted and more contoured. It is important to realise that Botox injections will need to be repeated every 4 months or so depending on individual circumstances if you want to maintain the same results.
Swelling Recovery Timeline After Facelift
Most of your swelling, up to 60 percent, will disappear in the first couple of weeks after surgery, but then the wait begins for the remainder to subside. After three months, 80 percent of the swelling will be gone. After six months, 90 percent of the swelling will be gone.
A collection of blood (hematoma) under the skin is the most common complication of a face-lift. A hematoma causes swelling and pressure. It usually forms within 24 hours of surgery. When a hematoma forms, prompt treatment with surgery helps prevent damage to the skin and other tissues.
Generally speaking, most patients will need to sleep on their back with their upper body slightly elevated for about 2 – 3 weeks after facelift surgery.
Motor nerve damage affects the movement of the face. Damage to the nerve that moves the lower lip is most common and can lead to a crooked smile, though this only occurs in less than 1% of patients. Full facial movement usually returns within a few weeks.
When a face lift looks unnatural, it's usually because the patient's skin actually looks like it's been pulled up or to the side, almost as if their skin is being blown back by a heavy wind. The reason this looks odd is because our underlying facial structure itself changes with age.
The formation of tiny lumps that occur along the site of the incision is often reported by many patients. The causes of these bumps are varied and fluid retention, primarily from the lymphatic fluid, can cause these bumps.
Most people who have facelifts are in their 40s, 50s, and 60, which is when facial aging becomes more apparent. Deep wrinkles, lines, and sagging skin happen with aging as the skin's collagen production drops.
Most people interested in drastic cosmetic results undergo facelift surgery during their 40s, 50s, or 60s. Having a facelift during the 40s may yield more subtle results, as the signs of aging may not be as drastic as they would be in your 60s.