Facelift Recovery — Princeton Post-Operative Care
When considering a facelift one of the more critical phases of the process is often overlooked. The recovery period is a vital time that begins as soon as the surgery is complete.
You can expect to have swelling and perhaps some bruising as well. Expect to have some “social downtime”. You will look worse than you feel. Usually the period of maximum swelling is the second and third day; then you begin to see some rapid improvement. You can help by icing and keeping your head elevated. Sleeping in a recliner or with your head up on two or three pillows helps. By the end of the first week, you should be able to venture out in public and look pretty good.
Caring for incision scars is one of the various aspects of facelift recovery. Initially the incisions around your ears from the facelift are pink and still healing. If you have long hair they are easily hidden while they heal. They will be sensitive to sunlight so keep them covered and try not to expose them to sunlight for very long. If you must be in the sun, protect the incisions with a hat or garment of some kind and/or sunscreen. After they have fully healed they are very hard to see. They will be almost invisible.
Most people look good in a week, great in a month and stunning in three.
Avoid smoking. This can prolong healing and result in complications like infection and poor scarring. It’s also important to preserve your long lasting results with good skin care. After investing so much to look so good, you should be using a medical grade cleanser, moisturizer, and toner.
For further details on facelifts and more post-operative care instructions, contact board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Adam Hamawy at his Princeton office in New Jersey.
