3 days post-op lower face lift surgery - one side swelling more than the other.

 Hi, I have performed facelifts for over 30 years and have performed many minimally, invasive type facelifts.  Depending on how invasive the facelift was, the degree of swelling, bruising and therefore recovery time will vary.  It's not uncommon for one side of the face or even one area of the same side of the face to take longer to heal.  This is a consequence of what was done to the skin and tissues at each separate location of the face during the facelift procedure.  You should discuss this and all your post op concerns with your Facelift Surgeon.   
 Patients want to have a more rapid "recovery" with less "downtime" and telltale signs of having undergone surgery (swelling and bruising.  This is the main reason that the minimally, invasive SMAS facelift described below is the most common type of facelift that I perform.  
 Following the beauty principles that I have developed over 3 decades, women look the most feminine, youthful and attractive with heart shaped faces.  Heart shaped faces have cheeks that are full and round in the front.  Cheek augmentation with a dermal filler or using cheek implants for a permanent enhancement will create full, round cheeks that will feminize the entire face.
 When the chin is weak, this creates an imbalance making the nose appear larger, the mid face top heavy and the lower face look short that de-emphasizes the lips and allows early formation of a double chin.  Chin augmentation using a chin implant will add projection to the chin creating harmony and balance to the lower face.   I have found that placement of a silastic chin implant, through a small curved incision under the chin (also allows excess skin removal) to be very safe, quick and highly effective.
 If you have "jowls” these are sagging facial tissues and an indication for some form of a SMAS facelift.  The underlying SMAS layer, of the face, must be dissected, lifted, trimmed and re-sutured (not merely folded or suspended with threads or sutures that will not last).  The excess skin is then removed and the facelift incisions closed.
My most popular facelift is the minimally invasive, short incision facelift that has all the benefits of more invasive facelifts (traditional, mid-face, deep plane, cheek lift and subperiosteal facelifts) but with these added benefits:
very small incisions and no incisions extend or are placed within the hair.
minimal tissue dissection = less bruising and swelling = rapid recovery ( several days instead of weeks or months with the more invasive type facelifts mentioned)
can be performed in 90 minutes or less, with or without general anesthesia
no incisions within the hair = no hair loss
excess fat can be removed
excess skin removed
cheeks, chin and jaw line can be augmented with dermal fillers (I prefer Restylane Lyft) or facial implants
most patients fly back home to parts all over the world in as little as 3 days post-op

I combine facial shaping with every facelift procedure.  When jowls are present, these should be done in concert and not alone or separately in order to create a naturally, more attractive face.
Hope this helps.