Dry, flaky skin post facelift.

The physiologic changes to the skin cause the epidermis to the produced exuberantly after a facelift. This can be treated by thorough cleaning, exfoliation, and a good moisturizer. Overtime skin physiology will return to normal.

It is normal to experience changes in your skin as part of the healing process. As the swelling and inflammation subside and as the skin reestablishes its normal physiology, these side-effects will disappear. In addition to appropriate skin care, many of our patients find regular lymphatic drainage and moisturizing/ oxygen facials very helpful at expediting this process.

I appreciate your question. Changes can occur to the skin as a result of surgery that can create the side effects you are currently experiencing. Changes in blood flow and skin tension due to swelling are just two of the factors that contribute to this issue. The good news is that your skin will return to normal eventually, so this dryness and flaking will likely be temporary. In the meantime, talk to your plastic surgeon about switching your topical skincare to a product that offers more hydration power. There are some different options available. Rest assured that in the weeks ahead, you should see improvement in the dryness as your skin returns to its original state.

There are a couple of reasons we see this after a lift, even as late as you are post op.  All of them resolve with time.  One is that the surgery disrupts normal skin physiology, even if it's in a subtle way.  Alterations in blood flow, inflammatory cell response, change in tension all take some time to return to normal.   In general the normal maturation cycle of skin cells needs some time to reset.  The second issue is swelling, which initially causes the skin to be tense and expanded.  As that resolves, the body tends to more rapidly shed the outer skin layer that was stressed or disrupted by the original swelling.  The result again is a period of time where the skin is dry and flaky, until the majority of the swelling resolves, the skin cycle resets, and the normal physiology returns.The key is hydration without too much occlusion.  The SM dermal repair is reasonable, but other options like Obagi's Hydrate or SM TNS are also office fav's.

Dry skin after a facelift is not uncommon. In your case I would suggest changing what you have been using to see if that is part of the problem. Skin Medica's TNS is a good way to hydrate and rejuvenate your skin. Since you also have dry lips and live in an area that is dry in the winter/early spring, I would try drinking more water. In any event it will lessen and stop soon.Best of LuckDr. JA. Dean Jabs M.D. Ph.D. FACSBoard Certified Plastic SurgeonBethesda MD/McLean VA