How long before I can mow my yard after lower facelift?

Question

I am planning for a lower facelift in mid-April and am thinking ahead of what I may or may not be able to do myself. Will I be able to resume (fairly) strenuous yard work such as mowing with a walk-behind mower for my small yard by 6 weeks after surgery?

Kyle Kimura, MD · Answer

Great question! 
While every surgeon is different and the recovery time may vary based on the surgical technique, I typically recommend no heavy activity (ie straining, lifting, pushing) for approximately 4-6 weeks after surgery. Even then, I like for patients to slowly return to activity rather than jump directly into the thick of things. 
Hope this helps and best of luck!Kyle Kimura, MD

David Rankin, MD · Answer

For my patients, 6 weeks is the magic number after facelift to resume normal activities. You can pretty much resume your normal lifestyle at that point.

Jacob Tower, MD · Answer

Hello, hope you are well. Very reasonable question to be asking. I generally advise 2 weeks of no strenuous physical activity after surgery, followed by 2 weeks of gradually returning to a full range of activities. Six weeks is a generous timeframe; by then you will reasonably be able to resume your landscaping duties.

Best,
Dr. Tower

Best,
Dr. Tower

Stephen Prendiville, MD · Answer

Although every surgeon will have a slightly different postoperative protocol, I think that mowing your lawn should be fine at about four weeks after surgery. However, this depends on what else you’re having done. If you were having some form of laser resurfacing at the same time, I would encourage you to stay out of the sun for at least six weeks. Definitely clarify this with your surgeon.

Tanveer Janjua, MD · Answer

You should be able to mow the yard at 6 weeks postop without a problem. I usually tell my patients they can do long walks at 1 week, brisk walk or light jog at 2 weeks and lift weights at 3 weeks. However, some might need longer to recover. 
Regards
Dr. Janjua

Rajaie Hazboun, MD, MBA · Answer

Thank you for posting your question here!For the majority of patients who have had an uneventful recovery 6 weeks should be enough time to be able to resume regular activities including yard work , but each surgeon is different and your surgeon might have different instructions so you might want to check with your surgeon. If your surgeon clears you for yard work then make sure that you are wearing a good sun protection, to protect your scars from the sun.I hope this helps, best of luck!

William Portuese, MD · Answer

You should be able to mow your lawn at three weeks after a lower face and neck lift procedure. More importantly is to seek out a facelift surgeon with extensive experience. Study your prospective surgeon's before and after facelift photo gallery to make sure that it is extensive with lots of natural results that you like.