Facelift Recovery: The First Weeks

September 23, 2019

One of the biggest concerns that most patients have regarding cosmetic surgeries is the amount of time that they will have to be away from work and other activities as they recover. This unknown keeps many men and women from having such surgeries as facelifts, tummy tucks, and eyelid surgeries because they cannot get past their concerns. However, if you know what to expect before you even have your facelift, you can feel more at peace before your surgery and less stressed as you recover.

The First Few Days

The first three days after your facelift surgery will be the most difficult, which is when you will need to take the most time to rest and may also need to take prescription pain medication. Although you will already be at home by your first night, you will need to rest most of the time. In fact, you will probably feel quite sleepy and nap through most of this day. Additionally, you will need to take prescription or over-the-counter pain medication regularly to stay on top of your pain.

Your surgeon will normally schedule a follow-up appointment on the second post-operative day. This will give him a chance to see how your incisions are healing. You will probably get a new dressing on the area and be given some additional at-home care instructions. Around this time, you may see plenty of bruising and swelling around the surgical area, and this will continue for the next several days to weeks.

The Next Week

By your second week, you will still feel as if you are recovering quite a bit but may be able to start doing a few easy tasks around the house. After this time, you will probably feel better about returning to work. Of course, keep in mind that everyone’s surgical recovery period will feel a bit different. While some may feel great after the first week, others need a full month before they can really feel confident about re-entering society and getting involved in their favorite activities again. Your recovery period will be based on your overall health, the extent of your surgery, the incisions your surgeon makes, and the effort you put into following your surgeon’s post-operative instructions. However, by taking some time to rest, caring for your incisions well and returning for your scheduled follow-up appointments, you can expect to recover quickly and experience virtually no scarring.