If you think that having a facelift is incredibly painful and takes months to recover from, you’re wrong. Did you know you can go back to work about a week after the operation? Dr. Thomas Liszka runs Ballantyne Plastic Surgery in Charlotte, North Carolina, and does lots of facelift operations every month. Here, he talks about why it’s considered a relatively painless operation that is simple to recover from.
Most patients who have a facelift will be out of the public eye for about 7 to 10 days only. Beyond that period, they will probably have some swelling, but it will be so minor that only people close to them may notice, such as spouses and close family members. They themselves may notice some swelling for about a month, and while there will be some bruising as well, if you still have it after the 7 to 10-day period, you can use makeup to cover it up.
No Pain, Lots of Gain
Believe it or not, facelifts are not painful at all. Compared to the other procedures we do, such as body contouring or breast surgery, they are among the least painful of all our procedures and require a minimum amount of pain medication.
I usually do not allow my patients who have had facelifts to exercise for about two weeks after the operation. Early exercise can increase swelling and bruising. We also recommend a relatively low-sodium diet. People retain salt, so any type of processed or fast food we recommend they avoid.
Back to Work
People can go back to work in about 10 days. You probably will not notice the swelling at all after that period unless you are a spouse or family member, so you could go back to work with confidence. People would notice something different, but you’re not going to look hideous or anything like that because of the swelling or bruising.
Within two weeks of having a facelift, you can resume swimming and sports, as everything will be healed by then. Usually we have patients dye their hair prior to surgery, and wait two weeks after surgery before they dye it again. Just so they do not have any injury to the skin because of the dye.
Proper After-Care
We see our facelift patients a day or two after surgery, one week after the surgery, and then weekly thereafter for about a month. Things that would be a red flag back to the doctors that something could be wrong include swelling on one side more than on the other, which would mean a hematoma or collection of blood under the skin; or if the skin appeared dark or what we call in an s- scar form, which means it is not healing properly.
However, we need to stress that it is rare to have an infection with a facelift. The reason for that is that the blood supply to the face is so good that it is extremely unlikely you will get any infection at all.
Despite the technique used, most facelifts leave barely noticeable scars that are hidden in natural fold lines or at the hairline. These scars become almost invisible over time. You are left with a more youthful appearance of the face and neck and a fresh appearance to the skin overall.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
