Facelift

Arrange for someone to stay with you for the first 24 hours. Alternatively, we can coordinate an overnight stay in the hospital to provide you with around-the-clock care. Whether recovering in the hospital or at home, Dr. Reilly’s incredible team ensures that you have an open line of communication for any post-operative questions or concerns; there are surgeons on-call 24/7 for any medical emergencies.

Go to bed and rest, lying on your back, with your head elevated with 2-3 pillows.  Sleeping with your head elevated on two or more pillows (about a 45-degree angle or your head higher than your heart) can reduce swelling and bruising.

You may be up and around and able to go to the bathroom. You will be able to eat a light meal with assistance.

Take medication only as directed.

Some swelling, bruising and tightness of the bandages are a normal occurrence.

Place ice packs on the sides of the face and under the chin continuously for the first 48 hours (on for 20 minutes, then off for 20 minutes).

Avoid turning the head from side to side as this can cause tension on suture line and bleeding under the skin.  Turn head and shoulders together for the first 10 days.

Keep the incisions moist with petroleum-based ointment.  Cover any draining area with bandages.  If they loosen, secure them with more tape.  You can expect to have 1-2 drains in place overnight which will be removed the next day at your first post-operative visit.

You may be up and around as tolerated but expect to tire more quickly than usual.

Keep activity and meals light, avoiding meals that require significant chewing.

On the 3rd day, you can remove all bandages and gently shampoo your hair in the shower with baby shampoo.  It is advised to let your hair air-dry, but you may use a cool setting if you need to use a hair dryer.  I recommend applying Vaseline/Aquaphor on the incision lines twice daily after this initial bandage comes off.

You will also be provided with a machine-washable compression garment, known as a “jaw bra”, to put on after the dressing is taken down.  I recommend you wear this as much as possible during the first week.

Most patients report that the pain and discomfort immediately following surgery dissipates within just a few days. If prescribed, most patients will take prescription pain medications for 2-3 days after surgery, followed by over-the-counter Tylenol for pain management for the next few days.

Some patients may feel overwhelmed in the first few days, post-operatively. You may ask yourself why you underwent the surgery in its immediate aftermath while the swelling is at its height. Most commonly, patients report feeling varying degrees of anxiety and/or depression. Thankfully, most patients report the resolution of these mood changes within the first week after surgery. You may experience a second bout of mood changes about three to four weeks after surgery. At this point, the sutures will be removed, you’ll have stopped taking pain medication, but you may not be back to your pre-operative routine or energy just yet. Expect to continue feeling more tired and need more calories and more rest as your body recuperates from the trauma of surgery. It will take several months to fully recover, which can be frustrating for some patients.

You will come into the office for a post-operative check-up and suture removal.

No alcohol for the first 7 days after surgery, which can increase bruising and swelling.

At five-days post-op you should switch to warm (NOT HOT!) compresses over bruised areas until the discoloration is resolved.

Depending on your occupation, you may be feeling up to returning to work after that first week.

Your swelling and bruising will gradually fade over this time period, but it may persist for up to 3 weeks.

You may apply makeup to conceal bruising, but be sure to avoid anywhere near the incision lines for at least 10 days after surgery.

Most patients indicate that resting post-operatively is one of the hardest parts of the recovery process. You should expect to be taking it easy for the first two full weeks after surgery; Dr. Reilly recommends no heavy lifting or strenuous exercise for that time.

After two weeks, you should apply an over the counter silicone gel in a massaging motion to the incision lines twice daily and silicone sheets to the incisions lines at night.  Continue this for at least 4 weeks.

By 2 weeks after surgery, you’ll be out of the window for bleeding under the skin, so you may feel up to walking or light physical activity. You might feel up to getting back into an exercise routine, but find yourself tiring more easily; this is completely normal during recovery.  Avoid any rigorous exercise for at least 3 weeks after this facial surgery.

You will come in for another post-operative check-up on 4-6 weeks after surgery.

Rest and good nutrition are important healing factors, especially during the first 6 weeks.

Numbness, tingling, hardness, tightness, and bumpiness of the surgical area are common occurrences.  If any of these things do occur, they will gradually subside over several months. Patients report that the numbness or tingling is not painful, but just a strange sensation. Your skin may feel tight or uncomfortable to the touch, so applying moisturizer might feel bizarre. Most commonly, the numbness is around the front of your ear, near the surgical incision site, so it might be weird to be talking on the phone but not feel it pressed against your face. The numbness should subside within three months on average but may take up to six months to fully subside.

Bruising may persist for up to three weeks. If possible, consider taking up to six weeks off of work to fully recover. If that’s not reasonably possible, most patients can resume activities at three weeks post-op with minimal visible evidence of surgery. Incisions may need a full year of recovery. When needed, there are a variety of skin resurfacing techniques or scar revision that can aid in optimally concealing the surgical scars.