VIP Plastic Surgery

In General most of your swelling should resolve by three months, fat stability will also be seen at this time, and sensation can take on average 3-6 months in most areas and 6 - 12 months in the area in front of the ears.  

Your most lasting treatment option would be a facelift.  But other options exist such as thread lifts, RF Skin tightening, Fat Reduction, and certain fillers may be helpful.  Consult with an experienced plastic surgeon to learn about the pros and cons of each.  

It looks like your surgeon did a MACS type facelift using a purse string type suture for resuspending your cheek tissue.  When the face was swollen the underlying irregularities were not obvious.  Massage can help, but I would not be too aggressive as you may break the suture before the tissues stabilize, or you may tear the tissue.  You may eventually need a revision, fillers, or fat grafting in the area, if it doesn't correct over time.  

This is a direct question for your own plastic surgeon as each of us has a different protocol, and that protocol may vary based on what has been done.   A simple phone call to their office should clear things up.

The return of these bands can come from a number of reasons.   If a platysma plasty in this area needs to be corrected, it can be performed under local anesthesia.  However you would want to wait several months to allow the tissue swelling from your first surgery to soften, if the neck was previously dissected.  If it wasn't, then you may be able to go back sooner.