How soon to see results?

By ktj on 30 Apr 2012

Hi all! I just had a mini/short scar facelift along with under chin lipo on Thursday. I do have some bruising and I was pretty swollen the first day, but it all seems manageable. I keep looking in the mirror to see a dramatic difference in my appearance and ...well...it doesn't seem all that dramatic. Do I have to wait until everything settles out or should I be upset that I have frankenstein stitches in front of my ears and kinda the same face? Thanks everyone.

Comments (5)

karen
21 May 2012

Hey ktj!!

That's great news and reassurance for everyone...Thanks for sharing your experience. I am excited for the new you!! :D

ktj
18 May 2012

Just thought I'd offer an update. I am 3 weeks and a few days post-surgery. My panic and initial "wth did I do to myself?" has passed. Swelling and weird lumps, etc. are almost gone. I look in the mirror and DO look refreshed, brighter...a better me, so to speak, which is what I wanted all along. The incisions are still red, but manageable and one required a cortisone shot (I'm allergic to EVERYTHING) as the doc felt I might be reacting to the sutures. I'm experimenting with different scar treatments and I'll let you know how it goes. I just want to thank you for your kind and supportive responses. It helped get me over my initial doubts. Best and thanks! Kt

karen
13 May 2012

Hi Ktj,

I agree..it's best to wait up to 6 weeks when most of the apparent healing will be complete. Once there, why not ask a family member or good, honest friend their opinion? Often times we don't see the improvements. Maybe we think we should look flawless like a 20 year old? Or maybe we weren't expecting just to look refreshed? Simply looking better than we did? A lot of Docs are opting for a very conservative approach to facial correction. Seems there's a consensus that a lot of people don't want to look like they had any thing done just a little more refreshed like they had a great nights sleep. SMAS facelifts and deep planes are more dramatic in their end results. Did your doctor discuss realistic results you can expect when your results settle down? After all is said and done, your confidant will probably make you feel better because all in all I am sure there is a definite improvement for sure, it's inevitable! BUT, what you are / were expecting can be two different things. Also, many woman after facelifts go back for fat transfers/fat grafting/stem cell facelift (it's all the same, just different names) to complete their look. Courtney Cox and Madonna did. P.S. Use scarless on our scars to make them disappear. Ask your Doc when to begin that kind of treatment. Love to you and happy healing...:D

Sharon at RealSelf (Community Manager)
3 May 2012

That's a tough one. You'll still have a lot of swelling, which may give you a "baggy" look. This can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to go away completely. The scars will definitely settle down some, too. Were you not expecting them in front of your ears, or just not so scary?

It's so easy to say "wait and see" when it no doubt feels much longer for you, but most of the time things do get much better after the first week. *hugs* and please keep us posted!

ktj
3 May 2012

Thanks for the reassurance. I really appreciate it and it was really sweet of you to respond. Like a lot of people, I guess I want perfection right away :). I knew there would be stitches in front of my ears, it was just very...dramatic at first look. Bruising is gone, so I don't look like I've been in a street fight anymore. Got the stitches out Tuesday (or most of them anyway). The incisions look like they will heal ok, although there is one tiny spot that looks "wider" apart than the rest. Deciding if I should obsess about it or not. :) Maybe I should just stay away from the mirror for more than an hour. Ha! I could probably organize myself to take pictures although I'm not sure how valuable that will be without the before. Thanks again!