Before undergoing a facelift procedure, you may be curious about how to manage your pain post-op. Although most people describe feeling only mild to moderate pain after a facelift, you can expect your face to feel tight, bruised, and tender for several days.
Day one is usually when you most need pain medication to stay on top of discomfort. Day 2. Your surgeon will schedule a follow-up visit around this time. They will remove or change your surgical dressings and evaluate your incisions and swelling.
You will feel some pain for 2 to 4 days after surgery. You may have some trouble opening your mouth for several days. The skin around the incisions probably will be numb. You may have some itching or shooting pain as the feeling returns.
It does take several weeks after surgery for facelift side effects, like swelling and bruising, to dissipate. Our facility can offer medications to make you feel comfortable while resting at home. You should look and feel normal after 2 – 4 weeks.
A standard facelift surgery may take anywhere from two to six hours depending on the extent of your surgery. Scars from a facelift are hidden in your hairline and around your ears. Your specialist will tighten the skin and underlying muscle to create a youthful, fresh appearance.
A typical facelift will last 7-10 years, so ideally we recommend a first facelift in mid-40's to early-50's, with a secondary “refresher” facelift in your mid-to-late 60's.
Stage 2 (Post-Op Days 7-14)
During the second week post-surgery, you will likely still have swelling and bruising around the affected areas. Some patients report strange sensations, such as tingling, numbness, or tightness. These sensations are commons occurrences following a facelift and are not cause for concern.
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.
Research by Medical Accident Group found that 65% of people they polled regretted their surgery, though 28% were very happy with its results. According to the poll, 83% of people who had had plastic surgery wouldn't consider having any form of cosmetic procedure again.
The swelling will start the day of surgery and will not reach its maximum until 2-3 days post-operatively. The swelling will rapidly decrease after the 3rd day. The skin of the face may feel tight for a while due to the swelling. You may feel that it interferes with your smile; this will disappear within a few weeks.
Patients should expect to spend the first 1 – 2 days after facelift surgery resting in bed with some level of discomfort, swelling, and bruising. These symptoms can be controlled with medication and other recommendations provided by your surgeon.
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.
A dull ache around the ears and tightness around the jaw and neck can be expected for the first night after surgery but reduces significantly each day thereafter. Most patients transition from opiate medication to regular Tylenol within the first week. The feeling of tightness decreases over the course of a few weeks.
Many patients suggest that the Brazilian butt lift is the most painful surgery. This is followed by the tummy tuck, breast implants, liposuction, breast lifts and reductions, and jaw surgery. Dental implants can also cause much pain, as you still need to eat in the healing process.
Beginning on day 2 or 3, light walking is recommended to help promote blood flow which speeds healing. Short, easy walks is the only form of exercise that should be undertaken. Many patients start to feel less discomfort over the first few weeks as bruising and swelling subsides.
A number of patient complain about a feeling of fullness or pain in or around the ears for the first few days post-surgery, this is normal and is in relation to where the incisions were made during the surgical procedure. The pain is caused by swelling and should fade quickly.
Although most people tend to associated facelift surgery with people in their 50s or 60s, one of the main advantages of having a facelift while you're younger is that the results can be much more subtle.
Facial nerve injury or weakness may occur along with numbness or changes in skin sensation. This may be temporary or permanent. Infection and anesthesia reaction. As with any type of surgery, there is a risk of infection and a reaction to the anesthesia.
Candidacy and Good General Health Are Keys at This Age
If you are in good health and do not experience any kinds of health conditions that would make cosmetic surgery procedures a potential health hazard, then you ought to be a good candidate for various rejuvenation procedures.
Most people who have more invasive facelifts can return to work in two to three weeks. If you have a less invasive procedure, such as a mini-facelift, you can usually return to work after five to seven days.
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.
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.
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.
Another downside of performing a facelift when the tissues have poor elasticity is that the skin can end up looking pulled or with numerous ridges once the swelling from surgery goes away.