Dizziness. Dizziness may occur during the first week following facelift/necklift surgery particularly upon rising from a lying or sitting position. If this occurs, extreme caution may be exercised while walking. Do not drive a car if dizziness is present.
You can resume light exercise after about 2 weeks, but you'll need to hold off on vigorous exercise until weeks 4 to 6. While some residual swelling may persist for a bit longer, most people look and feel “back to normal” after about a month.
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.
A collection of blood (hematoma) under the skin is the most common complication of a face-lift. A hematoma causes swelling and pressure. It usually forms within 24 hours of surgery. When a hematoma forms, prompt treatment with surgery helps prevent damage to the skin and other tissues.
Most patients begin to feel like they are really making progress during their second week of facelift recovery. Most fatigue should wear off by this point and patients should feel well enough to resume many of their normal tasks around the house.
One question I hear a lot from facelift patients is “how long do I have to elevate my head after facelift surgery?” While sleeping on your back is a must, keeping your head elevated for the first 2 to 4 weeks is equally important.
Fatigue is normal following surgery and should improve day after day as your body begins to heal itself. Some people have it worse than others due to age, health, and the type of surgery they had, but with time and proper care, most will be able to build up their strength and energy levels.
Facial nerve injury or weakness may occur along with numbness or changes in skin sensation. This may be temporary or permanent. Infection and anesthesia reaction. As with any type of surgery, there is a risk of infection and a reaction to the anesthesia.
In general, swelling and discomfort subsides within the first few days after a facelift. If pain worsens, or if swelling becomes more pronounced after the initial period of recovery, then seek medical attention right away.
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.
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. It will give you a surge of energy as well.
General Facelift Recovery
In general, the results from your facelift will look very good after about 1-month and you'll look your best at 6 months.
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. SLEEP WITH THE HEAD OF THE BED ELEVATED for 1-2 weeks after your operation.
Be careful, take it easy, and avoid any vigorous exercises for at least a few days after the procedure. If you feel pain or discomfort during an activity, take a moment to stop and rest to avoid injury to the face or body. After the initial recovery, you can slowly return to your daily routine to encourage blood flow.
Likewise, with Plastic Surgery, there are common emotional ups and downs that patients go through in the time period after surgery, illustrated above. There can include: Panic – “What have I done?” Anxiety, regret or remorse – this is a totally normal response to having a procedure done with downtime.
Research by Medical Accident Group found that 65% of people they polled regretted their surgery, though 28% were very happy with its results. According to the poll, 83% of people who had had plastic surgery wouldn't consider having any form of cosmetic procedure again.
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.
The tightness around your face comes from the swelling triggered by the procedure. Once the swelling wanes, that tightness feeling should dissipate in time. Your skin will also start to slightly stretch as it adapts to the new shape. You can expect the face to feel tight for a few months following the facelift surgery.
In most cases, a bad facelift can be corrected with a procedure known as a revision facelift. It is a more complicated procedure than a regular facelift since the surgeon faces more challenges due to the surgically altered structure of the face and the presence of scars.
Similarly, if too much skin is removed from the lower lid, the lash line will pull down and away from the eye. This results in too much white (sclerae) being seen below the iris and cause patients to have tearing and dry eyes.
Sleeping sideways after your facelift causes swelling. It can also irritate the healing facial tissues and cause friction on your facial skin. Sleeping on your side also puts pressure and weight on your facial tissues. This results in swelling and disturbance of the suture lines.
Tissue injury, whether accidental or intentional (e.g. surgery), is followed by localized swelling. After surgery, swelling increases progressively, reaching its peak by the third day. It is generally worse when you first arise in the morning and decreases throughout the day.