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Steroids Injections to Reduce Swelling After Facelift?

asked 2 years ago by dave1012 in tennessee
Latest answer by Larry S. Nichter, MD, MS
Question viewed 3,037 times
Tags: face, neck, swelling

Postop 7 weeks facelift, and necklift. Still have swelling near earlobe. My PS wants to wait 6 more weeks, before steroid injections. What is you opinion, should i give it more time to heal? Are there any side effects of steroids?

16 answers to Steroids Injections to Reduce Swelling After Facelift?

Steroid Injections if and only if adequate time has passed

Your surgeon has given you very sound advice. Steroid injections can be useful in areas of excess incisional inflammation, but should only be used when acute and subacute inflammation have subsided. The form of steroid used (usually kenalog) works via a catabolic mechanism, breaking down tissue. This catabolic nmechanism is non-selective and can affect normal tissue also. Allow a tincture of time to pass and don't watch the water boil!

Stephen Prendiville, MD
Fort Myers Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.drprendiville.com

Facelift and steroid injections

I would tend to agree with your plastic surgeon's reccommendation to wait 6 more weeks. The scars are immature and the swelling in that area sometimes takes 3 months to resolve on its own. Massage may help. One thing about facelifts: they look better and better with time as the swelling goes down. The trouble is that we want to look better yesterday!

Burr Von Maur, MD
Orange County Plastic Surgeon

Steroid injections for facelift swelling.

I agree with your doctor. Steroid injections for swelling "lumps" after a facelift can cause the surrounding fat to sink in. If it becomes a persistent lump then it should be injected carefully to avoid this.

Toby Mayer, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Steroid Injections - use as a last resort

Short answer: Give it more time to heal Steroid injections are not commonly used for postoperative swelling. I think your plastic surgeon has given good advise to wait. Steroids like most medications have side effects and complications such as hypopigmentation, fat atrophy, increased suggestibility to infection, potentially wider scars, and so on.

Larry S. Nichter, MD, MS
Orange County Plastic Surgeon

Steroid Injections after a Facelift

I would follow you plastic surgeons advice. It is not clear from your question if there is a distinct area of swelling, such as due to a tiny hematoma, or if the scar in the incision line is thickened. Either of these generally resolve on their own over time. If they don't then steroid can help but it must be used very carefully. Steroid injected below the skin can cause fat atrophy and a depression it the skin. Steroid injected into a scar can result in an atrophic scar which is... more

Braden Stridde, MD
Federal Way Plastic Surgeon

Steroid injections for swelling

Steroid injections will help soften scar tissue, but it will not make swelling or fluid magically disappear. Injecting into scar tissue might help, but it has to be scar tissue and not just fluid.

Julio Garcia, MD
Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon

lvcosmeticsurgery.com

Face Lift, Mini Face Lift, The Palmer Celebrity Face Lift, Beverly Hills Face Lift

Typically not because steroid injections can also dissolve the fatty tissue, of the face, causing indentations and depressions that may be permanent. You may be referring to the immediate post op use of a steroid anti-inflammatory oral medication course called a Medrol dose pack. While these are more common after Rhinoplasty, they are sometimes used for Face Lifts during the first 5 post operative days.

Francis R. Palmer, III, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Facelift healing

I agree with your surgeon it is to early for incision evaluation and I would generally wait as long as possible before using steroid injections. You do not want to have atrophy from the injections, which is a side effect of steroids. I would wait the time period suggested by your Plastic Surgeon. I would then try a small amount of kenalog and wait for further evaluation.

Michael Elam, MD
Orange County Facial Plastic Surgeon

Prolonged swelling after facelift: what to do with it?

Dear Facelift patient from Tennessee, I agree with your PS regarding your treatment. Conservative treatment is the right choice for you at this point. Treatments like scar creams and topical steroids on incision lines, as well as warm pad with tissue massage will help to reduce scar formation and to reduce tissue swelling. Please be patience and follow your surgeon’s advice. Good luck and good healing

Kevin Sadati, DO
Orange County Facial Plastic Surgeon

Steroids injections to reduce swelling after facelift

Guess you have read the consensus of the expert posters here. I totally agree with a delayed treatment by steriodal injections until even 3 months after the operation. But in the mean time use scar creams and maybe external ultrasound therapy. From MIAMI Dr. B

Darryl J. Blinski, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Steroids in facelifts should be avoided

Be patient, massage the tissues and wait for nature to reslove all swelling. A steroid injection could cause atrophy of the fat and make a dent in your face. Don't have one done unless there is a thick scar being injected.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Steroid injections after facelift

Steroid injections at the incision lines to reduce swelling after a facelift can be done at anytime. However, there are only a few facelift patients that need them.

William Portuese, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.seattlefacial.com

Steroid Injections AFTER Facelift to reduce pockets of Swelling

The use of corticosteroids after surgery should be carefully considered for a handful of narrow applications. Because of the significant wound healing complications and fat dissolving effects of such steroids they should NOT be used in the near peri-operative period.

Peter A. Aldea, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon

Healing after a facelift

Wound healing takes longer than most people realize. The body has amazing healing powers and it is wise not to rush it at times. Overzealous treatment to reduce swelling could increase the risk of improper wound healing and even infection. Your surgeon will know the best time to intervene.

Ronald Shelton, MD
Manhattan Dermatologist

Avoid Steroid Injections After Facelift

There are always areas of hardness or pockets of swelling after a facelift. You should try to massage a lot i.e., 30minutes every night with a moisturizer. If it still persists after 3months from surgery then try small amount of Kenalog. The risk is too much skin absorption causing a dimple in that area. Regards see video

Tanveer Janjua, MD
Bedminster Facial Plastic Surgeon

Steroids for face lift scars

I agree with your surgeon as well. Scars hit their peak at about 6 weeks after surgery and then begin to subside. Your scars should start to soften on their own. Steroids have side effects of telangiecatsias (spider vein, discoloration, and atrophy).