Bruising and swelling will reach their height around day 2 or 3 and should begin to subside after that. In the first few days, avoid even moderately strenuous movement, including bending over and inverting. Beginning on day 2 or 3, light walking is recommended to help promote blood flow which speeds healing.
Walking is hands down the best form of exercise to do post any kind of surgery including a facelift. Walking in the initial phases of recovery will promote blood circulation, prevent blood clots and promote healing. It will give you a surge of energy as well.
You can go for short walks three days after facelift surgery, but you should not walk for more than 30 minutes at a time and should focus on building up walking distances slowly over the first three weeks to minimise the risk of complications.
Cold Compresses can help Minimise Bruising and Swelling after Facelift. There is a reason behind using cold compressions and it is not limited to feeling comfortable. Using ice packs on your face can minimise bruises and inflammation. Freezing temperatures fight against swelling by constricting the blood vessels.
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.
General Facelift Recovery
In general, the results from your facelift will look very good after about 1-month and you'll look your best at 6 months.
Any swelling and/or bruising will peak three to four days following your surgery. It is recommended that you sleep on two pillows for the first two weeks following your surgery to help alleviate swelling. Do not underestimate the importance of keeping your head elevated.
You can typically expect the worst of the swelling and bruising around day 3-4, after which you will start to see incremental improvements over the course of several weeks.
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.
Most people recover in 4 to 6 weeks. But it probably will take 6 months or more to see the final result from the surgery. This care sheet gives you a general idea about how long it will take for you to recover. But each person recovers at a different pace.
You may feel that it interferes with your smile; this will disappear within a few weeks. The swelling may became more pronounced along the jaw line and is generally worse when you first arise in the morning. The swelling itself is not serious and is not an indication that something is going wrong with your operation.
You may begin light aerobics after two weeks, but no head- or neck-turning exercises for four weeks.
In other words, while the newly enhanced skin, muscles, and tissues may feel tight or artificial, the patient's face won't look that way. For most patients, this sensation goes away after about 6 – 8 weeks, though it can take up to 3 – 4 months in some cases.
Most patients return to a normal diet after surgery, but it is important to eat foods that are soft and easy to chew. Below, Dr. Raj TerKonda explores the details of facelift surgery and aftercare, including the importance of healthy eating.
Massage after a facelift can help to:
Ease pain. Gentle, upward massage can limit your pain receptors sending signals to the brain. The warmth of the masseuse's hands can also improve circulation, decreasing the pain in the affected area. Decrease swelling.
Vegetables and fruits. As with any diet, fruits and vegetables are recommended, especially dark leafy greens. Other good foods include red onions, broccoli, pineapples and apples, and capers to decrease swelling faster. These provide your body with essential vitamins to help you heal and fight infection.
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. Weight loss prior to face lift surgery is very important for these people.
Fatigue is normal following surgery and should improve day after day as your body begins to heal itself. Some people have it worse than others due to age, health, and the type of surgery they had, but with time and proper care, most will be able to build up their strength and energy levels.
Lumps, bumps, or nodules, if present, are often temporary and fade with time. These issues are usually due to swelling. Small blood clots, stitches, or scar tissue are other possible causes, which also resolve gradually.
Visible scars, pixie ears, alteration of the natural hairline and an obvious pulled skin appearance are easy to spot. Once you find the surgeon whose facelifts are so natural you wonder if surgery was even performed, you've found your doctor.
Facelift recovery Week 2
During this week you'll likely still have some swelling and bruising around the affected areas. Swelling and bruising can also cause some people to experience some numbness, tingling and tightness. These are all common occurrences after a facelift and should not cause concern.
Your face may be swollen and bruised. It may take 5 to 7 days for the swelling to go down, and 10 to 14 days for the bruising to fade.
You should feel some gentle pressure, but never so much that it is painful or causes a loss of circulation. The garment should also fit smoothly against your skin; if the fabric bunches or folds, this is a sign that it is too tight.