Deep Plane Facelift Recovery

Make sure to take antibiotics and pain medication as prescribed.  For severe pain or allergy, contact your plastic surgeon immediately.

After surgery, a facial bandage and dressing will be applied to help minimize bleeding and swelling. These may be removed after 24 hours. Once the dressing has been removed, take clear photos of the surgical area and send them to your plastic surgeon for postoperative monitoring. You may then gently wash the area with mild soap and water, pat it dry, and apply the prescribed antibiotic ointment at least 3x a day. To further reduce swelling, you may continue wearing the facial bandage as recommended by your surgeon.

Apply cold compresses for 10–15 minutes every hour while awake for a week to reduce swelling and bruising.  

Keep head at neutral and elevated while sleeping, using 1-2 pillows for the first week. Do not sleep on your side for 3-6 months to avoid the scars from widening.

Avoid strenuous exercise, heavy lifting, bending over, and activities that increase blood pressure for at least 3 weeks or as advised.

Avoid smoking, vaping, and alcohol during the early healing period, as they can delay recovery.

Attend all scheduled follow-up appointments for wound assessment and suture removal for best scar outcome.

Bleeding or hematoma formation is a possible complication after facelift surgery, although careful surgical technique and proper postoperative care help minimize this risk. It may happen if blood pressure is above normal or may occur due to straining, carrying heavy load or stooping down.  Alway keep your blood pressure in check and keep head elevated above the heart.  A hematoma occurs when blood collects beneath the skin, causing increased pressure in the surgical area. Symptoms may include sudden or rapidly increasing swelling (often on one side of the face), increasing pain or tightness, significant bruising, firmness beneath the skin, or bleeding from the incision sites. If these symptoms occur, patients should contact their plastic surgeon immediately, as a significant hematoma may require prompt evaluation and treatment to protect the healing tissues and achieve the best outcome.

Infection after facelift surgery is uncommon due to the excellent blood supply of the facial tissues, but it remains a possible complication after any surgical procedure. Patients should monitor the incision sites for signs of infection, which may include increasing redness, warmth, swelling, worsening pain, tenderness, foul-smelling drainage, pus, or separation of the wound edges. Fever or feeling generally unwell may also occur. If any of these symptoms develop, it is important to contact your plastic surgeon promptly for assessment and appropriate treatment.  To prevent it, avoid touching the stitches with unclean hands.  Always keep the incision moist with antibiotic ointment and make sure to complete your oral antibiotics dosage.

Wound dehiscence, or partial separation of the surgical incision, is a possible complication after facelift surgery. It occurs when the edges of the wound do not heal together properly, which may be related to tension on the incision, delayed healing, infection, smoking, or other factors. Symptoms may include a small opening along the incision line, separation of the wound edges, increased redness, drainage, tenderness, or delayed healing of the surgical site. If wound separation is noticed, patients should inform their plastic surgeon promptly so that appropriate wound care can be provided to promote proper healing and minimize scar formation.  To avoid wound dehiscence, always sleep with head at neutral.  This will ensure that the sutures are not accidentally removed or stretched out during sleep.

Scars usually fade and soften with time, but individual scar formation varies.  Post-operative scar management with silicone gel is advised.

Temporary weakness of a facial muscle or facial numbness can occur from nerve irritation. Permanent facial nerve injury is uncommon.