Avoid alcohol, smoking, nicotine, and caffeine, for these will dramatically slow down the healing process. Take medications as directed by your prescriptions.
The recommendation is to avoid regular and decaf coffee for 2 weeks before your surgery and no regular or decaf coffee for 1 month after surgery.
After examining the data, Vanini and team found that extended wakefulness prior to surgery significantly enhanced postoperative pain behaviors and extended recovery time after surgery. Caffeine helped to mitigate this effect. "Caffeine blocked the increase in surgical pain caused by previous sleep loss," Vanini says.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Researchers found that caffeine restricted cell proliferation, suggesting that it may inhibit wound healing and skin growth over the wound. Collagen helps promote cell proliferation, and thus the inhibited production of collagen by caffeine may slow healing of cuts or scrapes.
Excessive caffeine can dehydrate your body which is never a good thing for post-surgical swelling.
What kind of fluids are we talking about that are OK to consume before surgery? Clear liquids—something you can see through. Some options include water, apple juice, Gatorade, black coffee, or tea without any milk or cream. Liquids should not contain alcohol.
At weeks 3 and 4, you may still have some residual swelling (this is normal and will dissipate), but for the most part it is at this point patients often begin to see real improvement in their face. You will look and feel much better three weeks after your facelift.
Most patients return to a normal diet after surgery, but it is important to eat foods that are soft and easy to chew.
After your facelift, you'll be advised to refrain from drinking for one to two weeks. This is because alcohol thins your blood. Drinking alcohol can also inhibit your healing, as well as increase bruising and swelling.
It is quite common to feel fatigued after surgery, regardless of whether it was a minor or major procedure. This is because your body expends a lot of energy afterward trying to heal. There is an immune response that kicks in, which can be physically draining as well.
Most patients are able to return to work somewhere between 10 and 14 days after their facelift procedure. At this point, you may still have some swelling, bruising, and scarring that will impact the way you look, but a solid application of makeup should adequately disguise any signs of surgery.
You'll likely feel the most discomfort your first day, so you should take pain medications to stay on top of it.
Most patients will be able to take showers again a week after their surgery. This will vary from patient to patient, however, so be sure to follow the instructions provided by your plastic surgeon. If you have drainage tubes in place, you may be asked to avoid showering until the drainage tubes have been removed.
Will I be able to smile after a facelift? Yes. Your face will feel somewhat tight for the first week or two after the surgery, and you may have some difficulty smiling. This will go away, and patients will be able to expose their smile and enjoy their rejuvenated appearance.
Patients do complain of a feeling of fullness in the ears or pain in the ears for the first few days after surgery. This is caused by swelling, and improves fairly quickly. Most of my patients take prescription pain medication for the first couple of days before transitioning to Motrin or Tylenol.
Winter is the perfect time for a facelift. It's easier to avoid the sun, which aids the healing process. Bandages can be more easily hidden under layered winter clothing.
(b) Don't TURN THE HEAD without turning the neck and shoulders as one unit, when you must turn, do so as if you had a “crick” in the neck, for 4-6 weeks.