Whole grains, raspberries and apples, broccoli and spinach, and beans are high in fiber. Protein, found in eggs, fish, and chicken will help repair tissue, muscles, and the skin. Vitamin K promotes blood clotting and can be found in liver, fish, and leafy green vegetables.
Avoid salt, sugar, alcohol, caffeine, and refined carbohydrates after your surgery, as these foods can affect your immune system and make you more susceptible to swelling and inflammation. Consuming a high amount of these foods may result in a slower recovery period.
After 24 hours and if you don't feel sick to you stomach, you can eat soft, regular food. Avoid hot/spicy foods for at least 1 week after surgery. Adults should not drink alcohol for at least 2 weeks after surgery.
You'll likely feel the most discomfort your first day, so you should take pain medications to stay on top of it.
Avoid alcohol, smoking, nicotine, and caffeine, for these will dramatically slow down the healing process.
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.
In general, you can expect to make a full recovery from your procedure in about two to three weeks. A traditional face and neck lift addresses a larger area and a greater degree of skin laxity than other procedures, so recovery will take longer than more minimally invasive procedures.
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 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.
Plan on taking it easy for the first week. No strenuous activities, including sex and heavy housework, for at least 6 weeks. (Walking and mild stretching are fine.)
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.
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.
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.
After 48 hours, you can take the chin strap off to wash your hair. In the first week, only use baby shampoo and only apply conditioner to the ends of the hair so that you avoid the incision site. Use lukewarm water when you wash your hair. Usually, you can have your hair washed at the salon 1 week after your surgery.
First and foremost, drink plenty of water! Water serves a lot of functions in the body and will be particularly good to reduce swelling after surgery.
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.
The Ideal Sleeping Position
After your facelift procedure, you should lie on your back with your head elevated above your heart. If you are a side sleeper, this could be a big challenge. It would help if you started practicing sleeping on your back a few months before your surgery.
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.
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.
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.
Avoid Showers for First Few Days After Surgery
It's important for plastic surgery patients to avoid taking showers for the first 48 hours after their surgery. If water gets on the incision sites, it can lead to irritation and infection, making overall recovery longer and more difficult.
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 may start showering and washing your hair the day after surgery. However, because you will have numbness in the face and earlobes, DO NOT use hot rollers, curling iron or a hair dryer. If you must dry your hair set it on the cool setting. Do not color or perm your hair for at least 4 weeks after surgery.