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Swelling 2 Weeks and 2 Days After Facelift, When Can I Expect this to go Down?
asked 5 months ago by swollen_and_bruised
Latest answer by Julio Garcia, MD
Question viewed 350 times
Tags: neck, 2 weeks post-op, swelling
It has been 2 weeks and 2 days after my facelift. Only my neck has a little bruising. The swelling in face has gone down a lot but there still some. My neck is more swollen and a bit lumpy. When can I expect my neck to be more normal? I hate turtleneck sweaters and I have to go back to work in a few days and I don't want to tell anyone. I want the "refreshed" and not the "surgical" look. Thanks.
22 answers to Swelling 2 Weeks and 2 Days After Facelift, When Can I Expect this to go Down?
+4
Swelling after Facelift Surgery
Hello,
Swelling after most facial surgeries takes a fair bit of time to completely resolve. I typically counsel my patients that after a lower lift, the most noticeable edema will resolve within the first few weeks. That being said, at six months there is still swelling which contributes volume to the cheeks which many patients find ideal. It is not until a full 10-12 months after surgery before I can confidently say that all of the postoperative swelling is gone...
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+3
Swelling 2 Weeks and 2 Days After Facelift, When Can I Expect this to go Down?
If you are only two weeks following a full facelift, it will take much longer for all of the swelling to subside. There is some swelling even at 6 months. However, practically speaking, you should be able to go out into the public with minimal evidence of having the surgery at 3-4 weeks, providing all of the bruising is gone. Still at this time there will be evidence for the observant friend. Generally, if a more advanced procedure is done, you can expect a longer recovery. The lumpiness...
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+1
Swelling 2 Weeks and 2 Days After Facelift, When Can I Expect this to go Down
It is common for the neck to take longer as the swelling on the face moves down towards the neck due to gravity, so the neck has to absorb more. Another couple of weeks should do it.
+1
2 weeks post-op
Two weeks post surgery is still very early for you to judge the results of your surgery - be patient and follow up with your surgeon
+1
Swelling after Facelift-what to expect after 2 weeks
Hello, thank you for your question.
Bruising and swelling are normal and should be expected. Most bruising lasts for 2 weeks but the swelling will last longer. The majority of the swelling will gradually disappear over the first 4 to 6 weeks. The times vary with each patient, but are reasonable averages. The time also varies according the procedure performed. There are shorter recovery times for more minimal procedures. The time estimates given are for full facelifts in which the deeper...
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Jay Burns, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon
Dallas Plastic Surgeon
+1
Facelift - Swelling 2 Weeks and 2 Days After Facelift, When Can I Expect this to go Down?
It takes several weeks for a lot of the swelling to go down but several months for all of it. At 16 days post-op it's entirely reasonable to still have some swelling but I would think that in the next week or so it will be reduced enough to allow you to return to work without too many unwanted questions. A few months for all of it, though.
And, ironically, sometimes that look before all the swelling has dissipated - from about 3 or 4 weeks, to 3 months or so - is when you...
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+1
Swelling after a Facelift
Some minor swelling 2 weeks and 2 days following a facelift is normal at this point. You should of course see your physician for an exam. Most patients look presentable about a week following a facelift but some residual and relatively minor swelling can be present for up to 6 weeks following a lift.
+1
Swelling 2 Weeks and 2 Days After Facelift?
Swelling 16 days after a Facelift probably puts you on the left side of the Bell curve (as far as healing goes), but isn't entirely unusual. Keep in close contact with your Surgeon's office for reassurance and cover-up tips during this healing period.
+1
Swelling after facelift surgery
In general, the majority of swelling will resolve in the first two weeks. However, you will continue to see changes over the following months. Most people are presentable after 5 to 7 days, but you may need a neck scarf or turtle neck to cover any residual swelling for minor bruising. Women usually have enough hair to help camouflage the incisions while they are healing. However, every patient is different. I have had patients host dinner parties 5 days after...
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+1
Facial and Neck Swelling 2 Weeks after Face Lift
It is not unusual to have some swelling and bruising 2 weeks after a face lift. Your surgeon may recommend treatments such as massage or ultrasound, but follow his instructions. Camouflage make-up is also helpful.
+1
Swelling in Normal 4 weeks to 3 months after surgery
Most of my patients experience bruising and swelling for at least 4-8 weeks that is noticeable enough that they feel the need to camouflage and cover up. Between 8-12 weeks the signs are less noticeable, but some swelling still remains. To lesson your swelling AVOID any strenuous activity and bending over...and be patient, it will resolve soon enough.
Best of Luck, Dr. Clevens
+1
Swelling can take time to resolve following a neck and facelift
Swelling can commonly last for 6-8 weeks following a facelift and it can take up to 6 months for the final outcome to show itself. Most people can get back to work 10-14 days after a facelift but it is very important not to over exert yourself. The more strenuous your activity level is following surgery the longer it will take to heal. I would be patient, continue to ice, and wear a compression garment at least at night as this can help.
+1
Swelling 2 Weeks and 2 Days After Facelift, When Can I Expect this to go Down?
If you had a full facelift than you should expect a full month of healing. Even at times 6 weeks is acceptable.
+1
Takes time for tissue to settle down after facelift
Certainly not unusual to have some residual swelling or irregularities of contour so soon after facelift surgery. can take weeks for some things to settle down. that said, your surgeon should still be following you closely and you should be asking questions about any concerns that come up. better to ask about something that is normal, than not making surgeon aware of something that turns out to be significant!
+1
Swelling following a Face Lift
It is not unusual to have some swelling after a face lift. Certain techniques, such as deep plane and subperiosteal face lifts seem to create more swelling. Using the high-SMAS technique that we employ, most of the swelling is gone by about 10 days postoperatively. There can be some residual swelling in the temples and at the lowest point of dissection in the neck that may take a little longer fo resolve. You may want to see your plastic surgeon to see if there is any...
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Michael Sundine, MD
Orange County Plastic Surgeon
Orange County Plastic Surgeon
+1
Swelling takes time from a face and neck lift
Generally I tell my clients that the healing from most facial plastic surgery procedures is 60% complete at 6 weeks, and 90% at 6 months. I tell them that swelling, healing, recovery and the amount of exertion you should do should be based on these numbers. For your swelling to speed it up, your physician can prescribe your oral steroids, inject steroids, and also you might want to try to wrap your neck and put extra gauze on the areas that are particularly swollen.
+1
Edema after facelift
It is completely normal to have some swelling after a face lift. Most of this resolves in the first week but some may remain for up to 6 weeks. More than that may be some other problem that should be discussed with your board certified plastic surgeon.
Jacob Freiman, MD
Miami Beach Plastic Surgeon
Miami Beach Plastic Surgeon
+1
Swelling after Face Lift
The swelling and bruising after a face lift depends on the technique used and somewhat on each individual patient. Since you are already seeing some improvement, you will likely continue to improve. However, it is best to ask your surgeon about his experience in patients with the type of face lift that you had.
Karol A. Gutowski, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon
Chicago Plastic Surgeon
+1
Swelling 2 Weeks and 2 Days After Facelift, When Can I Expect this to go Down?
There are several different issues here.
Swelling from a Face Lift varies with the invasiveness of the Face Lift technique and the individual. For example, 40 year olds generally recover faster than someone who's 60. Traditional Face Lifts can have significant swelling for several months with telltale lumps and bumps up to 1 year due their invasive nature. Deep Plane Face Lifts are even more aggressive and can have proolnged swelling for a year or...
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+1
Sometimes things are not right from the very start.
You may have a legitimate issue. However, it is normal to be swollen and yes, it does take many weeks for some areas to calm down. It is very common for the face to be bruise free following a face lift and this does improve how quickly the face recovers. When you are bruised, you will have more pain and take longer to heal. One common situation after surgery is lack of communication with the surgeon. Sometimes patients are only seeing a nurse for suture removal....
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+1
Swelling 16 days after facelift
Of course, it never hurts to seek additional opinions. But this is a question which should be directed at your operating surgeon. After all, you selected that person for a reason. Look to him or to her to help you get through your postop course. But please don't despair. It sounds like you are simply going through a normal recovery period. Things will be much better in a few weeks.
+1
Facelift Swelling
It takes several weeks for the residual swelling and bruising to clear in some facelift patients. Each patient is different, but at my Austin, Texas area plastic surgery practice I usually recommend that patients take about 2 weeks off from work. Some minor bruising and swelling might still persist for a week or two longer in some patients, but in general most areas can be covered with makeup at that point and look acceptable. Try to be patient, keep your head elevated, and...
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Mahlon Kerr, MD
Austin Plastic Surgeon
Austin Plastic Surgeon
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