After Surgery Instructions: Facelift

NORMAL THINGS: You will have a loose netting around your face which is used to hold gauze in place. The gauze is to collect any oozing from the incisions. You may change the gauze as needed. If the netting feels too tight you can cut it with scissors to loosen the fit. Once the incisions have sealed, usually the next day, you may remove the netting. Keeping hydrated is important, so take plenty of fluids. A small amount of oozing is normal from the incisions the first couple of days. The face and neck will swell from the surgery and is usually the most severe the first morning after the procedure. The swelling should be soft, however. If the swelling in the face or neck is firm and painful, please call our office. Do not be alarmed if one side of your face is slightly more swollen or numb than the other. This is common and usually disappears within a few weeks after a facelift.

MEDICATIONS: All of the medications you have been prescribed are very important. Please read all the directions carefully, and call us if you have any questions. REMEMBER TO EAT BEFORE YOU TAKE YOUR MEDICATION.

ACTIVITY: Keeping your head and shoulders elevated helps with reducing the swelling. Sit with your back and feet elevated on the couch. Sleeping in a recliner chair for the first 2 nights will help decrease swelling. Walking is important to keep from getting blood clots in the legs so try to get up and walk every couple of hours while awake. Light activity can be performed as tolerated but strenuous activity must be avoided for 3 weeks or bleeding may occur.

ICE and HEAT: Ice may be applied to the face and eyes the first night and off and on the next day. After that, ice will not make much difference. Never put heat on your face after a facelift. Heat will make you swell and you may burn your skin where it is numb.

SHOWERING and WASHING YOUR FACE AND HAIR: You may wash your face the night of surgery if you desire. Bland soap and water is acceptable. Remember that your face will be numb in places so be careful with the water temperature. You can shower the day after your surgery and wash your hair. We suggest use your fingers so that you will not break the delicate sutures around our ears. You may shower with the drains in place – just be careful. You can clip the bulbs to something placed around your neck while you shower.

MAKEUP and SKIN CARE: You can wear makeup 2 days after your surgery, but avoid getting makeup near the incisions. If you are using Obagi: this cleanser, toner and sunscreen can be used after the first week, but wait for 4 weeks for the Retin – A and Clear.

DRAINS: You may have one or two drains from the surgery. If you do, empty the drains in the toilet when the bulbs become half full. Squeeze them to put them back on suction. If a drain comes loose and falls out, don’t worry, your body will resorb the fluid.

SUTURES: We only use dissolving sutures in facelifts. However, sometimes even the dissolving sutures will create a small area of irritation. We occasionally need to remove a suture in the office.

THE HEALING PROCESS: The first night and the following next day are the most difficult. After that, you should start feeling better. The swelling takes a good week or so to decrease with a minilift and longer with a full facelift. Bruising is usually more noticeable several days after the surgery and then subsides. You may notice it hurts to chew, because a facelift works around the chewing muscles. Feeling “down” after a facelift is common. Just know the feeling will go away with time. Call us if you have any concerns at any time. The full healing process from a facelift takes many months for all of the swelling to resolve, the numb areas to return to normal and your smile and facial muscles to fully return to normal.

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