Is there a lot of pain after getting deep plane facelift and necklift with chin implant?

Thank you for your question. In the majority of cases the patient do not required a very strong medication for pain after a face lift. Yes, if the deep plane in done they feel thight and can be uncomfortable but is not a constant pain.

As a general rule, all legitimate facelifts (deep plane or otherwise) create a fair amount of swelling, and hence discomfort.  In my experience, adding a chin implant usually adds about equal amount of discomfort that one feels on the sides of the ears and neck.  The total time of discomfort does not change, and in my experience most patient take low dose prescription pain pills for 2-3 days.  The amount of discomfort, and time it lasts, does vary on how much swelling one has, along as other factors such as how tight the headwrap is placed (and materials used).  I would mention that the surgeon's experience can also play a role in this as to how much unnecessary trauma is caused during the procedure (hence more pain), as well as his/her post-op protocols.

As with most things in plastic surgery, how much pain you have is usually related to how tight things are, and how swollen you get post operatively, as well as your individual pain tolerance. I find that most of my facelift patients describe similar complaints to what you have heard already. Most of them feel tight, especially if we have done extensive tightening in the neck. They generally describe it more as a feeling of tightness rather than severe pain as you might experience with something like a tummy tuck. As surprising as it sounds, a lot of patients only take pain medicine for a couple of days and then may just take Tylenol afterwards. Again, a lot of this depends on how extensive the procedure is. If you are going deeper in the tissue, there will usually be more swelling which oftentimes translates into more discomfort and pain. Overall though, most people are surprised once they get through the immediate postoperative period with the fact that they did not have as much pain as they anticipated. I hope this helps, and best of luck.  

Line all procedures, the recovery is like a bell curve. Some people, hear the tail of the curve, will report that it is the worst thing they every had. Rarely, people will say that they didn't feel anything at all. The vast majority are in the middle with mild to moderate discomfort. I find that the majority of patients with facelifts of all types don't list pain as a major complaint, but there is discomfort associated with the inflammation and swelling. A deep plane facelift may be associated with more swelling which may result in discomfort from significant swelling. If that is the case, we have very good protocols to improve the swelling.

In my experience, postop pain after a facelift, regardless of the technique such as deep plane or sub SMAS lift, is minimal.  Most patients take a prescribed pain pill the first night and then just extra strength Tylenol from then on.  Patients just don't seem to complain of much pain at all.  With a chin implant, there may be more of a feeling of tightness or pressure in the first day or two.

Everyone's pain tolerance varies, however we find that most patients are managed well with prescribed pain medication, taken as needed. Patients often describe mild discomfort, difficulty sleeping the first few nights and tightness around the lower face, neck and jaw.  At our clinic, our patients do return home following their Deep Plane Facelift and monitored recovery period after surgery. We have our patients return to our clinic daily for the next several days to monitoring their progress and manage their care.Dr. Philip Solomon MD FRCSCSolomon Facial Plastic, Toronto

Thank you for your question.  I would, in general, agree that a deep plane facelift does not cause a lot of discomfort.  You will feel tight afterwards, however.  Every patient is different, and everyone's pain level is different, as well.  Depending on the amount of work that you will be having done, this procedure can be done as an outpatient. Many of my patients can go home afterwards, and I see them the next morning.  It is also fine if you stay overnight, and some patients actually prefer this. Be sure to consult with a board certified facial plastic surgeon or plastic surgeon who specializes in facial rejuvenation and facelift.  Here you will have a full evaluation and be able to discuss your goals for your procedure. I hope that this helps!-David GilpinCertified, American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive SurgeryFellow (Member), American Association of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

It is not typical to have any significant pain after face/neck lift and chin implant. Some discomfort due to bulky dressing (overnight) and skin tightness is all one can expect.We do this surgery in twilight anesthesia and patient is discharged home 1 hour after surgery with a family member/friend to stay with patient overnight. Good luck.

In the right, experienced hands- facelift/neck lift is not a painful procedure even though it is a pretty invasive one. Every patient's pain tolerance is different - so therefore pain meds are avail as well. It is common to feel a tight sensation post-op which will resolve as the helming processes 

a facelift generally is not very painful even as a deep plane. The deep plane thing is no great shakes and has never been shown to be better. I would not select a surgeon solely based on that one factor.