Usually, after a traditional SMAS lift, 40-50 stitches are used to cover the residual scars located close to the incision site at the hairline, in front and behind the ears. These stitches are removed at the fourth day after the surgery to avoid railroad track scars along the incision line.
Currently, there are 2 types of barbed sutures available for use in plastic surgery: bidirectional and unidirectional.
While you are sleepy (sedated) and pain-free (local anesthesia), or deep asleep and pain-free (general anesthesia), the plastic surgeon will make surgical cuts that begin above the hairline at the temples, extend behind the earlobe, and to the lower scalp.
Ordinarily, ALL SUTURES are removed within two weeks from the day of your surgery. During this interim, do not disturb them yourself. Occasionally, crusting will occur around the sutures; we will soften and remove some during each office visit.
The sutures in front of the ears will be removed 4-6 days after your facelift surgery. If you have had an incision made under your chin, those sutures also will be removed 4-6 days after facelift surgery. The staples within the hair and the sutures behind the ear are removed 9-12 days after facelift surgery.
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.
Your face likely will be bruised and swollen. The swelling may get worse before it gets better, but it will probably go away in 1 to 2 weeks. After a few days you may get some bruises on your neck and chest. This is caused by gravity, which pulls the excess blood and bruising downward.
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.
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.
With proper aftercare, the majority of facelift swelling should resolve after about 2 – 3 weeks, with the remainder of the swelling continuing to subside over the next several weeks and months.
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.
How long do ears hurt after facelift? Some patients may experience pain or numbness in the ears after their facelift, which can persist for 1-3 months.
There is usually very little actual pain following a facelift, but you may experience a deep bruised sensation as a result of the swelling, and your face may seem heavy. The bandage you will wear the first night may seem quite snug under your chin. Rather than make you feel restricted, we hope it makes you feel secure.
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.
The one stitch face lift, despite the name, does not use threads or barbed sutures but the patient's own skin which is de-epithelialized and used as a handle to move up the sagging jowls and cheeks into a more youthful position. It is done under local anesthesia through a tiny incision in the sideburn area.
In general, you may shower and wash your hair 48 hours after facelift surgery. Use a mild shampoo and be particularly careful around the surgical area. You can also blow dry your hair on a cool setting. Be gentle when brushing or combing your hair so that you do not catch your comb in the suture lines.
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.
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.
When performed correctly by the hands of a skilled surgeon, facelift results can be some of the most natural looking of any cosmetic procedure and can leave you with a rejuvenated and more youthful facial appearance. Your skin produces less collagen each year as you age.
Because the facelift requires anesthesia, you'll be sleepy and groggy after your surgery. This means you'll need to have a close friend or family member bring you home. You'll likely feel the most discomfort your first day, so you should take pain medications to stay on top of it.
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.
Avoid alcohol, smoking, nicotine, and caffeine, for these will dramatically slow down the healing process. Take medications as directed by your prescriptions.
The discomfort that most patients feel is usually a pulling sensation from the swelling and from the sutures, which are used to tighten the neck. This type of pain typically subsides within a couple of weeks. It's important to remember that bruising and swelling in the affected area are normal and are to be expected.
Motakef. The majority of patients are able to return to work or non-strenuous routines after about 7 – 14 days, though exercise and other physical activities will be off-limits for a minimum of 4 – 6 weeks in most cases.
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.