Do you think it's a good idea to massage your face and neck after a facelift? What are pros and cons of massaging at 4 weeks?

I encourage my patients to massage after facelift as I feel this helps with swelling.  We treat patients to lymphatic massages in our skin care center to assist with drainage.  Each physician has different views and you should follow the postop instructions of your physician.

Hello,
As after care solution massaging certain areas in an upward circular motion to help reduce swelling can be done in early healing phase. Howeveri each surgeon can have different techniques and ideas, you need to follow up your surgeon.
Best of Luck

I do encourage massaging certain areas in an upward circular motion to help reduce swelling. No harm can be done.

I would see no harm in massaging the face and neck 4 weeks after a face/neck lift, but I do think it is best to follow the instructions of your particular surgeon.  Massage can help with lymphatic drainage.  

We incorporate lymphatic massage with all our facelift patients as part of our preoperative protocol.  We have found it beneficial in many regards to patient care.  Our patients often continue this technique to the four week period as you mentioned in your question.  I always suggest checking with your primary surgeon before any manipulation of the surgically treated areas.

In my practice, I encourage patients to not massage their faces and necks.  This is because the substructures under the surface of the skin are adhering to each other, and this “shearing” that is caused by massaging can undo your result!  So, in my opinion, massaging is the opposite of helpful!  The only exception is that I will sometimes prescribe a lymphatic-drainage massage administered by an operating-room nurse in my practice, as she was present during your surgery and knows exactly what was done.  For safety’s sake, I do not recommend that the lymphatic drainage massage should be performed by anyone outside my practice, as it is possible the masseuse or masseur is not aware of the complexities of surgery, and what to do to speed (rather than hinder) healing . A lymphatic drainage massage, when done correctly, will promote healing and decrease facial swelling. For best results, please consult with a board certified plastic surgeon with decades of experience.

Massaging the face after facelift surgery promotes healing.  I have my patients massage the face and neck usually about 4 to 6 weeks post op.  Follow your surgeon's post operative instructions.