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In addition to the information below
that is specific to face lift recovery, be sure to read
the general
recovery and healing
information also provided for you at BeautySurg.com.
drains:
You may have one or two drains with a bulb attached
to collect excess fluid and blood; however, drains are
not always necessary. If you do not have a drain, then
your body will simply reabsorb any excess fluid. It
is important to keep the bulbs collapsed so that suction
is maintained. To do this, pull out the stopper, squeeze
the air out of the bulb, and then replace the stopper
before you release your hold (while the bulb is still
collapsed). While the drains help to prevent fluid accumulation,
they also increase your risk of infection so it is especially
important to take your antibiotics as directed. For
face lift surgery, the drains usually come out at your
first post-operative appointment.
hair/showering/hygiene:
Your hair will be matted down under the bandage and
covered with surgical soap, ointment, blood, and sometimes
even KY Jelly (used to keep your hair off your face
during surgery). Some doctors wash and even condition
your hair after your facelift before the bandages are
applied, since it may be a while before you're allowed
to do it yourself. Some doctors allow a shower the first
or second day after surgery, while some ask you to wait
for up to 2 weeks. This is to prevent bleeding and protect
the stitches from being disrupted. If you color your
hair, hopefully, you've done this before surgery since
it may be 4 to 8 weeks before your doctor gives you
the okay for coloring again. (Read
preparing for your facelift information). After
facial surgery, it may difficult to open your mouth.
A baby toothbrush and mouthwash can come in handy for
clean teeth and fresh breath. You should wait at least
4 weeks before scheduling any dental work.
food:
During your facelift recovery, your doctor will want
you to start with a liquid diet, and then progress to
soft foods, before moving on to a more substantial meal.
Especially if you have had incisions in your mouth,
your doctor may not want you to chew anything for up
to a week. Juice, gatorade, soup broth, jello, pudding,
applesauce, and yogurt are all good starter foods. (Yogurt
is especially helpful to balance the natural bacteria
in your gut that will be wiped out from the antibiotics).
Crackers, bread, toast, or rice are good to munch on
before taking your medications to minimize the chance
of nausea from the drugs.
activity:
Your doctors instruction to rest is an order, not a
suggestion. For your own sake, please take it easy.
Too much activity too soon into your face lift recovery
period will only cause problems and delay healing, unnecessarily
worrying both you and your doctor. No exercise, no sex,
no lifting, no driving, no cleaning the closets, no
playing with the dogs, no shopping, etc. until your
doctor says it's okay. When in doubt, clear it with
your doctor or nurse first. Engaging in too much activity
or getting bumped in the surgical site can cause blood
or fluid accumulation, ripped stitches, infection, and
even tissue death. You've made a big investment in your
appearance. Minimizing your activity will help protect
that investment.
swelling
and bruising: You may have very little swelling
or, on the other hand, you may be so swollen for the
first few days that you hardly recognize the face in
the mirror. Especially if you have swelling around the
eyes, this can be shocking. Do not be alarmed! The swelling
will usually get worse before it gets better. Usually
the first 3 days are increasingly swollen and bruised
due to the natural
healing response. Rotating cold packs (20 minutes
on, 20 minutes off while you're awake) can keep the
swelling down and soothe your discomfort. Do not put
ice directly on your face because numbness can prevent
you from sensing a freezer burn. Keeping your head and
shoulders elevated during your face lift recovery will
also help reduce swelling. Once you get up and move
around more after your first few days, there is a tendency
for some swelling to return as your blood pressure increases.
You may
notice an area of firmness in the cheek or under the
chin from a pocket of swelling. Do not worry, it will
likely go away. If it's turning purple or enlarging,
contact your doctor immediately to be sure it's not
a hematoma (blood collecting under the skin). The natural
course of bruising during a facelift recovery will take
you from red to blue to purple to green to yellow before
the bruise is gone. (Some lucky patients skip the rainbow
and go straight to yellow!) For some, arnica,
bromelian,
and vitamin K can reduce bruising and swelling,
but check with your doctor before taking any herbal
supplements or other medications.
Due to
the natural force of gravity, the blood will drain downward
through the planes of tissue. For facelift surgery,
this commonly means that your neck and chest can become
bruised in a matter of days. (Many patients have been
alarmed that the doctor operated on unauthorized areas
because of noticeable bruises on the upper chest). The
bruising will usually be increasingly noticeable over
the first few days as the blood is pushed from deeper
layers to the more superficial layers of the skin. Bruising
and swelling will dissipate in 1 to 2 weeks at which
time you should really start to like what you see in
the mirror. At 4-6 weeks you'll be very pleased with
your new look, although some swelling can persist for
months.
stitches
and scarring- Some stitches by your ear will be
removed after 5 days. Stitches or staples in the hair
can stay in longer and help to provide additional support
without risking visible scarring from the sutures. The
scalp can keep stitches up to 10 or even 14 days since
any scarring will be less visible beneath hair. The
facelift incision is pretty well healed after 2 weeks,
but the scar will remain pink for months. Once the incision
is healed and any scab has fallen off, the face lift
incision can be covered with camouflage makeup and of
course, with strategically styled hair. Now is the time
to watch for hypertrophic scarring. It's easier to treat
it in it's early stages, rather than wait until it's
very thick, raised, and itchy. (read
more about scars)
nerve
sensation- After a face lift, you will have some
areas of numbness on your cheeks. This will gradually
return in the weeks and months following surgery. Be
careful as decreased nerve sensation puts you at risk
for burns from cold packs, curling irons, and hair dryers.
Many people experience discomfort or ringing in the
ears. It is possible that some blood traveled into your
ear during surgery and needs to be cleaned out. Sometimes,
irritation of a nerve on the cheek that goes to the
ear (the greater auricular nerve) can cause uncomfortable
sensations after surgery. This will almost always resolve
over time. Specially designed pillows with a hole cut
out for the ear can help you sleep more comfortably
once your doctor gives you permission to sleep on your
side. As the nerve sensation returns, you may feel itching,
shooting pains, or shock like sensations. This is normal,
and can sometimes be minimized simply with aspirin.
(Check with your doctor before taking any medications).
pain
and discomfort: Recovering from facelift surgery
is usually not very painful. Most people get by with
some narcotic pain pills for a few days, and then Tylenol
while many just use Tylenol without the narcotics. (If
you've had facial implants or rhinoplasty at the same
time you will experience more discomfort). The deeper
facelifts (subperiosteal, deep plane, and composite
lifts) also do tend to create more discomfort because
several layers of tissues have been manipulated including
the muscle, and swelling is more pronounced. (read
more about types of facelifts) The most common complaint
after a facelift is discomfort, tightness, or pulling
behind the ears. As your skin relaxes slightly, swelling
subsides, and as you become used to the tightness, this
discomfort will dissipate. If at any time you have significant
pain, increasing pain, or pain that seems out of proportion
to what you expected, call your doctor. (read
more about warning signs)
misc:
You may be pretty "out of it" after your face
lift, especially if you're having deeper anesthesia
so it's important to have someone to take care of you.
Your vision may be blurry from ointment that was placed
during surgery to protect your eyes during the operation.
Although you'll be sleeping alot the first few days,
some people enjoy books on tape to help pass the time
without straining the eyes. Antibiotics can wreak havoc
with some women's gynecologic systems. If you develop
a yeast infection, don't be shy about asking your doctor
for treatment. If you know that you're prone to this
problem, your doctor can even prescribe some medication
ahead of time for you to have on hand.
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