Facelift Recovery: What to Expect

By: Dr. Paul Pearce

6/21/2023

If you’re putting off a facelift because you’re worried about a long or complicated recovery, learn what recovery is really like in the weeks after your procedure.

If you’re planning to undergo facelift surgery, you may wonder what your recovery will be like and how long you’ll need to be off work and other activities. At Pearce Plastic Surgery, skilled plastic surgeon Paul Pearce, MD, offers comprehensive facelift care before, during, and after your procedure. 

Dr. Pearce’s attention to detail ensures the best possible outcome, and his after-care services support a safe and healthy recovery. Before your surgery, Dr. Pearce will discuss what happens during your recovery process based on your overall health and the extent of your surgery. 

Here’s some insight so that you can familiarize yourself with facelift recovery: Immediately after facelift surgery After your facelift surgery ends, you will feel sleepy and not coordinated as the anesthesia leaves your body. For this reason, you need someone to drive you home from your appointment and stay with you to help you take your medications and care for you. 

You should rest as much as possible. Dr. Pearce may also want you to come back for a follow-up visit within a few days of your surgery to assess your incisions. The first week In the first week, rest is still necessary to help you heal. You may start to feel better by day three or four, and you can start moving around. 

Typically, people need fewer medications to feel comfortable by day four, and you can start doing some light activities to stay active. the second week.

By day seven, you’ll probably still have swelling and bruising in your face. It’s also common to feel some tightness and tingling in your skin. People often feel like they’re back to normal by the end of the second week after surgery. Dr. Pearce can determine if it’s safe for you to return to work and your usual routine. The third week In week three post-surgery, you may be ready for your sutures to come out. By this time, you may start to see the benefit of your facelift as swelling and bruising continue to resolve. 

During this time, you should be able to resume exercising, and your incisions will be less noticeable to others. Typically, incisions appear pink for a while but naturally fade over time. In one month Within 30 days of your facelift, you should be back to your full scheduling and enjoying your facelift results. It can take up to a year for all swelling and bruising to go away, but these issues will be less noticeable every day. 

Final tips for facelift recovery It’s important to remember that everyone heals in their own time. Your healing time depends on the extent of your surgery and your overall health. To ensure the best outcome after a facelift, you need to follow Dr. Pearce’s guidance throughout your recovery process. Going back to work and other activities too soon can cause complications. If you’re ready to achieve your cosmetic goals, schedule a facelift consultation online or call Pearce Pl

astic Surgery in Austin, Texas, today.

* All information subject to change. Images may contain models. Individual results are not guaranteed and may vary.