“Lower facelift for premature aging”
Lower face lift: Worth it
Pain: Severe
I am 45 years old and have needed a facelift since my 40th birthday. That was when my age caught up with me and I experienced the sagging jowls, loose chin, and wrinkling skin typical of women 10-20 years older than me. It was like it happened all at once.
I had a facelift in April and I can now safely look back on the “former me.”
My doc did a lower facelift and gave me extensive aftercare instructions. It is important to follow these because many people, not just doctors, who have been there before you have had input. So what they say about bromelaine, arnica montana, sodium intake and bags of frozen peas are all true.
The first five days post-op I was horrible. I couldn’t eat or even sip through a straw without pain. I also had a greater sensitivity to hot and cold. After that first weekend my pain cleared considerably and I could start chewing enough to eat again. Throughout this I was also having panic attacks and regret about what I’d done to myself. Not the best time.
I looked like I’d been though a war with all the bandages. When those came off and the stitches came out I felt much better about myself. Also, that was when I began to see the results through the swelling. I think that was my biggest fear: that I had done all of this and put myself through the pain and it wouldn’t have made a difference. I aged early. Why wouldn’t I believe it was permanent?
Now I have the neck and chin of someone half my age and do feel it was worth it.
May 16, 2007Comments and replies (7)
9 posts
9 Jun 2008
I just read the post above. Yikes! "Severe pain"....now, I'm even more nervous! I've scheduled a brow lift, upper eye lift and lower facelift and I don't think I have a very good threshold for pain. The pain is one of the biggest worries I have. I'm prone to anxiety anyway so I guess I'm glad to know that someone has had these kind of issues. I'll have to make sure to stock up my valium! ;) It's wonderful to hear that you're so happy with your results. If you're still reading the boards, I'd be interested to know how long it was before all of the swelling went down and your real final results showed up. Since it's been over a year since your surgery, I'd love to hear how you feel about it today.
1 post
19 Mar 2009
Robin, don't make me get up! Who was your surgeon??
1 post
12 May 2009
I am in the recovery phase of a lower facelift, upper/lower eye lift. It has been 4 days since surgery. I have taken 4 vicodin. Mainly to relax and sleep sitting upright at night on pillows. I have slight discomfort around my ears only 3/10.I don't want to take alot of medication as it slows healing some. The drain was removed yesterday and that eased the chin pressure. The surgery is not really painful. I am still swollen but my neck is definitely tight and the jaw line seems very defined. The hard part is staying still 24 hours a day. I am active and a clean freak. I also have 4 spoiled dogs to care for. I had twilight sleep for the procedure and felt nothing. Woke up easily. Nausea slightly when I first walked. However when you lay down it subsides as it is related to a fluctuation in b/p. Recline the car seat on the way home. Get right into bed! It was the way to go....I came home after surgery. I had my husband help a little initially walking with me. I had prepared the room and bed with pillows, eye moisturizer drops,trash can, dry gauze. Set up a sterile bowl of iced saline gauze for my eyes, in another larger bowl of ice and just reapplied my own iced compresses and emptied my own drain 3x a day. I don't think you need to stay in the hospital post procedure. Have a resource available, I did most everything myself. Drank 7up/water and had chicken broth with a beaten egg in it the first night. You don't chew much the first few days as it pulls on the jaw and the dressing is tight. I am also on arnica and lots of vitamin C, B, calcium, magnesium as well as antibiotics.
7 posts
7 Sep 2009
What kind of arnica did you have face cream arnica or pills?