1 week post-op. Will wearing my compression garment for more than 3 hours be better? Is sleeping with the garment a good idea?

Dear asperbeck,Thank you for your great question. I just saw one of my facelift patients today who was also one week out. I took out her stitches and she had some swelling at her cheeks. I told her to wear her compression garment as much as she can tolerate, but of course if she wants to go out or take a break that is fine. In my opinion, the more you wear the garment the first 6 weeks the better. Of course there are surgeons who may disagree with me. Every surgeon's protocol is unique and based on their training, technique and experience. You do have to be careful if you are wearing the garment all the time to so put it on too tight otherwise you can get some skin damage. Often times my patients will pad the garment with foam or gauze under the chin.Hope this helps,Nirmal R. Nathan, M.D.

Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery

Member, American Society of Plastic Surgeons

ACGME-Trained Craniofacial Surgeon

Different surgeons have different opinions about wearing a compression garment after facelift surgery. You should follow your surgeons recommendations, your surgeon knows you best. Good luck.