How Much Bandaging from Facelift?

Thank you for your question.

Facelift surgery does not necessarily require use of bandages. Many surgeons do, however, used bandage aiming to reduce bruising. I personally do not use bandages for my facelift patients. Instead, I take a little extra time during the operation to ensure small areas of bleeding have been carefully cauterised. Bandages do not always necessarily prevent possible swelling. I do not use bandage or drains and have pioneered The Concept Facelift, having a 0% incident rate of hematoma. The Concept Facelift procedure I perform used techniques so people can continue with their lives and daily routine, which is very important in todays society.  This procedure significantly decreases any bruising or swelling as well.You will need to ask your plastic surgeon their protocol on recovery and whether their use bandages.

All The Best

A compression bandage is usually worn the first few days in order to help fluid accumulation and prevent post-operative complications such as a hematoma.  Most patients will find that the pressure and support that the bandage provides aids in increasing patient comfort throughout the healing process.  As your healing progresses, you can transition to less bandages.  You surgeon will provide you with post-operative care to ensure you heal properly and get the best results.

The amount of bandaging you'll have depends on the extent of correction you require and the type of surgery performed. As a result, you'll need to speak with a PS directly for a physical assessment to find out the answer.

After facelift surgery bandages are required to apply slight compression preventing hematoma. These bandages are removed the following day. Depending on ages of your children, you can communicate that with them. If they are too young, you may decide to stay with one of your friends the first night and go home the following day. keep  in mind that you're usually required to wear a light compression garment for a few days after.

Different surgeons vary in their use of post operative bandages.  The appearance usually is not as frightening as you may expect, however.  Using a scarf, sunglasses or hat can help make you look more presentable if you are afraid of what you will look like to others.

Bandages will vary depending upon the amount extent of work done and your particular surgeon.  The patients in our practice wear a small gauze under the chin and one in front of and behind each ear for 24 hours.  An ace wrap secures the bandages and wraps around the head and under the chin.  This ace wrap is worn for 3 days at all times and then at night for another week. I would advise you to choose a surgery time when you will not need to care for your children and have someone available to care for you for at least 24 hours.Best of luck,

The extent of bandaging that will be required after a Facelift will depend on the Surgeon you see and the extent of the "Facelift" that is performed.  Some Surgeons perform more comprehensive procedures that will necessitate some degree of bandaging and/or drains, and some perform more minimalistic procedures that do not.  Please bear in mind that more comprehensive procedures (in the right hands) are more likely to yield more impressive and durable results.  When considering that the ultimate goal for a Facelift patient is to have a pleasing result that lasts for a long time, a Surgeon's offer of no bandages and no downtime is somewhat meaningless.  Every Surgeon would prefer a minimally invasive, zero downtime procedure.  However, this usually not always feasible to meet the expectations of most aging face patients. 

In my practice I apply bandages for 48 hrs post op and I doubt that these would be very scary for middle school kids.

Depending on your plastic surgeon and the technique used most patients go home same day of procedure with a bandage covering the majority of your head and neck with your face exposed. Typically, this bandage is replaced the next day with a wrap (ace bandage) going under your chin/neck and secured at the top of your head. There are many ways to "camouflage” the wrap around your head such as wearing a scarf“Jackie~o”style leaving your face exposed yet covering the wrap. We can’t predict how your children will react, remember you will have swelling and bruising but, as far as bandages go…the wrap, after the initial bandaging (first 24 hours) is fairly minimal, not so "scarey". Please consult with a board certified facial plastic surgeon to see what type of bandage and wrap they use post operatively and if you are a good candidate.

Post operative care varies from patient to patient following facelift surgery. The extent of the post operative dressings is dependent upon the extent of the surgical procedure. Although not every patient requires bandages, the vast majority require dressings for about 24 to 48 hours following the procedure.

It’s important for patients to have a good support system in the post operative period. Having people around you who have knowledge of your operation can make this a much better experience. For these reasons, I feel it would be a mistake to try to hide your procedure from your family. It’s also important to understand that you will need a caregiver for at least 24 hours even if your family doesn’t know about your facelift. In the post operative period, any type of strenuous activity might increase your complication rate. For these reasons, make sure you have assistance in accomplishing daily activities including child care.