Tips for a Successful and Comfortable Facelift Recovery

Aging, gravity, a loss of skin elasticity, and environmental factors all play a role in creating loose skin, fine lines, and creases on the face. Many of our patients are surprised to see that these effects show up much sooner than they would have anticipated, leaving many to feel that they look years older than they feel. A facelift addresses the signs of facial aging and refreshes patients’ appearance so that they look younger and feel more confident. While Dr. Ken Smart has a history of successful facelift surgeries, it is important for patients to understand that in between surgery and these surgical results is a recovery period. Dr. Smart provides his Dallas patients with facelift recovery tips that will guide them through a successful and comfortable healing period, ensuring optimal surgical results.

Recovering from Facelift Surgery

In most cases, Dr. Smart’s patients are cared for in the hospital overnight following facelift surgery. While we supervise this initial stage of care, patients should anticipate a minimum of two weeks of at-home recovery following a facelift before they are ready to resume work and other daily activities. Below are some tips and post-surgical instructions that will help patients ensure that this recovery period is as comfortable and successful as possible:

• The first couple of days at home are likely to be the most difficult. It is a good idea to have a friend or family member stay with you to assist with care for the first 24 to 48 hours at home.
• Create a comfortable place to rest and recover following surgery. Be sure to have plenty of pillows so that the head can remain elevated and make sure there is easy access to water, food, and medication.
• Keep the incision sites clean and change bandages as instructed by Dr. Smart to avoid infection.
• Some pain and discomfort is likely but should be controlled by oral pain medication. Take pain medication as prescribed by Dr. Smart to improve comfort.
• Bruising and swelling are common and normal side effects of facelift surgery. Patients should drink plenty of water, avoid high levels of salt, and use cold compresses frequently in order to keep swelling down.
• Keep all scheduled post-surgical appointments. Dr. Smart will schedule periodic appointments so that he can remove sutures in stages and also keep an eye on how recovery is progressing.
• Ease yourself back into your routines and physical activity. Light walking should begin as soon as possible after surgery. Other activities can be gradually resumed as the patient feels better. While most are ready to return to work within two weeks after surgery, it is still important to limit strenuous activities. Patients should avoid exercise or heavy lifting for at least six weeks.
• Be patient with results. It will take quite some time for the incision site to heal completely and for all swelling to subside, but rest assured, when the final results of surgery are noticeable, it will be well worth the wait.

Schedule a Consultation

If you are considering facelift surgery to refresh your appearance, you want to know that you are being cared for by a skilled surgeon. Dr. Ken Smart has years of experience and an artistic eye for detail. Under the care of Dr. Smart, patients can feel confident that they will get the surgical results they desire. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Smart at your earliest convenience to discuss your cosmetic goals. We look forward to meeting you!