Facelift is a major plastic surgery procedure that involves lifting the skin off the face to tighten underlying muscles and tissue, and remove or reposition excess fat and skin. Recovery in case of facelift will differ from one patient to another, depending on the extent of surgery performed, the surgical technique adopted by the surgeon, and the patient’s own healing ability.

Dr. V is a board certified facial plastic surgeon providing this procedure to patients in Chantilly, Northern Virginia, Loudoun County, Fairfax, Prince William, Fauquier, Arlington, Middleburg, Leesburg, Manassas, Warrenton, and other areas.

Key Aspects in Recovery

The recovery in case of a facelift procedure can have several forms, including physical recovery, emotional recovery, social recovery, and recovery of skin sensation. The procedure involves the face, which makes emotional and social recovery as challenging aspects of the overall process.

Basic recovery period can range between two and three weeks. The sutures will be removed within a week to 10 days, depending on the technique applied by the surgeon. Patients should allow themselves about two weeks at home, particularly if they are keen to keep their procedure discreet.

Minor residual swelling may show even after two weeks, which can be camouflaged with makeup. Bruising may occur in most cases, and will last for about one week. Patients with a thinner face will show the swelling as some kind of subtle fullness, which is acceptable. The treated areas will continue to mature and improve significantly going into the third week. Numbness of the skin near the ears can be expected, and will resolve over a few weeks. Areas with supporting sutures will have mild firmness, but it will usually not be visible.

The condition will continue to improve as the collagen matures in the new wound bed. The recovery does not involve much pain. Mild discomfort can be addressed with ice packs and Tylenol as per the surgeon’s advice. Dr. V will provide detailed instructions for care during the recovery period to his patients in Chantilly, Northern Virginia, Loudoun County, Fairfax, Prince William, Fauquier, Arlington, Middleburg, Leesburg, Manassas, Warrenton, and surrounding communities.

Tips for Recovery

Patients should avoid driving for the first four to five days. They are likely to feel mild stiffness in the neck, which can make driving more difficult because the patient may not be able to turn the head as far to look for other vehicles on the road. Driving should be started only when the patient is off the pain medications. During the first independent trip, the patient should have someone accompany them so that if they feel tired while driving, the other person can take over.

Patients with high social life will have to take a call on when they wish to resume meeting outsiders. It can take about two weeks before the patient can sit down to dinner with friends and not get queried about the face. However, the swelling is mostly hard to detect after two weeks. A minor change of hairstyle and makeup can help keep the appearance more discreet.

For more infomation please contact Dr. V. Dr. Trang Thuy Vo-Nguyen, known to her patients as “Dr. V,” is a board certified facial plastic surgeon providing the latest surgical and non-surgical aesthetic procedures in Northern Virginia, Leesburg, Loudoun, Fairfax, Warrenton, Fauquier, Arlington, Manassas, Middleburg, Prince William, and other areas. https://thevirginiainstitute.com/contact-us/