How long does it take for the sutures under the skin to gel completely after a neck and facelift?

Thank you for your question. There are two answers you may be looking for.  One is how long it takes until the strength of the tissues replaces the hold of the sutures and the lift is where it will be long term. We typically think of it taking 6 to 8 weeks for tissues to gain most of the strength that they will have long term. So by two months, the sutures that are placed deep have done their work.The other part of this is how long do the deeper sutures remain. This really depends on which type of suture the surgeon uses. Some sutures may dissolve in a matter of weeks, others months, some are permanent. This would really be an excellent question for your surgeon.Hope that helps-

Most surgeons use long-lasting but absorbable sutures under she skin during a facelift.  These usually take about 9 months to dissolve. 

I assume the question is how long it takes for sutures to dissolve after facelift/necklift surgery. Skin sutures need to be removed, typically after 7-10 days. The sutures under the skin do not get removed. Whether or not it dissolves depends on the type of suture used, which only your surgeon knows. There may be some sutures that are non-absorbable although most sutures utilized are absorbable and dissolve after a few months. I suggest you ask your surgeon if you underwent surgery already.Best regards,Thomas Walker, MD, FACS 

I am not sure if you are asking how long it takes sutures to dissolve after a neck and facelift or something else.  If you are wondering about how long it takes sutures to dissolve, the answer is that it depends on the type of suture used.  Some sutures may be placed on the skin and some of these would need to be removed and some may dissolve over time.  Usually if a dissolvable suture is used on the skin, it will dissolve within a week or so.  There are also normally sutures used under the skin in a neck and facelift.  These could dissolve or not.  If they do dissolve, they normally last longer than those used on the skin and could last for several weeks to months.  

Hello zibaroo5,Thank you for your question though I am not totally clear what you mean by gel.  If the question is how long it will take for the sutures to dissolve it will depend on the type used by your surgeon.  Some dissolvable sutures would be mostly gone in a few weeks while others could take up to a year.  Some surgeons use permanent sutures that will not dissolve.  If you are asking how long for the tissues that were separated during facelift to stick back together and "gel" it likely takes a few weeks for the tissues to be solidly reintegrated and fused.Best Dr. L

Dear zibaroo5, Great question as it is confusing to patients and physicians alike. Most surgeons use a variation of a "longer lasting" but dissolvable suture in face and neck lift surgery. Most of these are to suspend the SMAS and fatty soft tissues. Such sutures called vicryl, pdo or monocryl start to dissolve slowly but immediately and retain 50% of their strength between the 2nd to 3rd week. The rest of the string may take 3 months or more to fully dissolve. The knot is the same suture wrapped 3 to 4 times and will therefore obviously take longer to dissolve so you may feel a small granule under the skin up to 4 to 6 months.Skin sutures typically are thinner and will begin the process of non-support sooner. Your question is intuitive because these types of sutures while dissolving are also stimulating the healing process to form added collagen. The longer they stay, the more "scar" or collagen is processed and therefore the longer duration and tissue firming of the lift. The reverse concern is that a longer fibrosis phase in healing and therefore lumps and/or mild distortion under the skin.Short answer: 3 weeks of "gelling" to do their job, and 3 to 6 months to dissolve. I hope this is helpful. All the best!

This will depend on the suture material.If it is absorbable it may take several months or if it is permanent then it is there forever.

The sutures used to support the underlying structure of the face will dissolve over a few weeks.  Ask your surgeon what type of sutures he uses, if this is a concern for you.