Answer: You should be able to move your head up and down day after facelift. You should have a full range of motion of your head and neck the day after facelift. However expect your neck to feel tight. It is important to AVOID quick, stressful movements, lifting and vigorous activity for 2-3 weeks.
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.
AVOID turning the head or bending the neck. When you must turn, move the shoulders and head as one unit or as though you had a “stiff neck”. There is usually little actual pain following a face lift, but you may experience a deep bruised sensation as a result of the swelling, and the face may seem heavy.
Facelift recovery time
You should look and feel normal after 2 – 4 weeks. Keep in mind that facelift surgery cannot stop natural aging, so we encourage patients to continue to take care of their skin and make healthy lifestyle choices.
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. For patients who undergo a less extensive procedure, such as a mini facelift, it may be possible to return to side-sleeping sooner.
In general, the results from your facelift will look very good after about 1-month and you'll look your best at 6 months. A facelift can produce long-lasting results for years to come. And while everyone has a unique aging process, many of my patients don't feel they need more work for 12-14 years.
1 Week Post-Op
During the first week after your facelift, you can expect swelling and bruising around your lower face, ears and neck. Swelling may be uneven, so don't be alarmed if your results don't look perfectly symmetrical at this stage.
The corner of the mouth/lower lip is pulled down by the depressor anguli oris muscle, which is innervated by the marginal mandibular nerve. This nerve is one of the branches most commonly weakened after a facelift. Usually movement will recover in 6 to 12 weeks, although complete recovery may take longer.
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.
You must wear the chin strap continuously for the first two weeks after surgery except while eating and showering/cleaning incisions. The strap helps fight the forces of gravity immediately after surgery and helps improve any swelling.
A Facelift Does Not Address Your Smile
For some people, teeth whitening can help with this, but for others more extensive treatments, such as veneers or crowns, are necessary. But it's not just the color of your teeth that can make you look older, it is the length.
With a facelift it is also important to have enough looseness in your neck for you to move it freely. Certainly this will occur by ten days, but many patients can drive by about a week, but usually not before.
Modern facelifts tighten and smooth the jaw-line and neck by lifting the SMAS; then the skin can be lifted and smoothed, removing excess skin without tension, so no distortion is produced and scars can be hidden.
Avoid alcohol, smoking, nicotine, and caffeine, for these will dramatically slow down the healing process. Take medications as directed by your prescriptions.
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.
The first seven days after a facelift is rest time. Swelling and pain will be most acute during this period. Take any prescribed medications on schedule and keep the head elevated. During this period, bandages are applied to the face to ensure equal pressure to bring about reductions in bruising and swelling.
In some cases a facelift can be done early in life but, in most cases, a facelift works best for people who are in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, when the signs of aging begin to appear more prominently on your face. Those deep lines, wrinkles, fine lines, and sagging skin you see are indicators of the aging process.
Bruising and swelling usually reach their height around day 3 and 4, but both will likely be present for several additional weeks. Continue to take medication if you experience discomfort. Days 4-6.
Windblown Look: caused when the surgeon stretches the facial skin beyond a natural point, making the face look pulled back and unnatural. Visible Scars: poor technique could lead to visible scars near the hairline or the ear, which can be hard to cover with makeup.
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.
Patients were highly satisfied with their decision to undergo a facelift (90.5 ± 15.9). On average, patients felt they appeared 6.9 years younger than their actual age.
Post-Plastic Surgery Showing Tips
While recovery is unique for each individual, it is generally recommended that showering be avoided for 48 hours after plastic surgery. This allows your incisions time to begin the healing process and helps prevent premature scab removal.
Most patients can expect the majority of their swelling to dissipate after 3 – 4 weeks. A facial plastic surgeon like Dr. DeRosa can explain different ways to decrease swelling so you can enjoy a smoother recovery after facelift surgery.
How much younger does a facelift make me look? According to a study in the February issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (the American Society of Plastic Surgeons). Patients who have undergone a facelift rate themselves as looking at an average of 12 years younger after facelift surgery.