Having a Facelift and Am Wondering if I Should Wear Cooling or Support Device Afterward?

Question

After facelift and blepharoplasty, would it be recommended to 1) wear a cooling mask and 2) wear a facial compression device? Thank you.

Andrea Marando, MD · Answer

Excellent question and from the answers of my colleagues you are now aware that there are personal preferences and different habits in the community of surgeons.

	I normally advise the patient that they will be wearing a support garment (provided by me) 24/7 for the first 10 days, supportive, not tight. Occasionally, as a cooling device, I provide an Icemask.   I believe that it also depends on the surgical technique used in surgery and the extent of the subcutaneous dissection.

	I would advise you to talk to your surgeon and ask his preferences.

	Good luck.

	Andrea Marando

Vivek Bansal, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. No, only a face wrap that is not too tight. No cooling to the face as circulation could be impeded and damage the face tissue. Too much compression can also cause problems. The skin is very fragile with a compromised blood supply so avoiding too much compromise is critical. I hope this helps.

Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD · Answer

All plastic surgeons have their particular way of managing patients after a facelift. There is no right or wrong way and you should subscribe to the methods of your surgeon.

Thomas Buonassisi, MD · Answer

Thanks for your question. Personally I provide a light compression garment for my facelift patients to wear for the first couple of weeks. Ice may be applied to the eyelid area if a blepharoplasty was performed but I dont recomend ice to the face or neck. This is not a hard and fast rule but is my general recommendation.

Ronald J. Edelson, MD · Answer

Each surgeon has his or her own preference regarding post surgical care and your surgeon will give you specific instructions. I wrap the face with a compressive dressing for the first three days. I use a removable compression garment on the face after that. Using cold compresses in the first few days after surgery may be helpful, but take the advice of your surgeon and follow their routine for the best outcome. Good luck!

Frank P. Fechner, MD · Answer

I recommend to strictly follow your surgeon's instructions.

	Most facelift surgeons use some form of dressing after the procedure. How long the patient should wear it varies quite widely. Our patients routinely wear a bandage for the first 4 days followed by night time use only.

	We do believe that cold compresses around the eyes are especially helpful during the first 48-72 hours. After that time, it will make no meaningful difference.

Robert L. Steely, MD, FACS · Answer

Good Afternoon!

	Cooling devices are kind of neat, and they may help a bit with swelling and perhaps with discomfort- but I do not think they speed along healing to any extent.

	I would follow the directions given to you by your PS- only he/she knows what they did and how to best care for it in the postop period.

	 

	I hope this helps

Paul Vitenas, Jr., MD · Answer

I do not use a cooling device nor a compression garment for my face lift patients after surgery. My patients do well without either device. I do insert two JP drains - one on each side of the neck but I remove them usually in 24 hours.

Michael I. Echavez, MD · Answer

It is helpful to have some sort of cooling effect to the face and eyes after surgery. This can be done with ice packs or a more sophisticated cooling mask. It is just a matter of preference. In regards to a compression device, some surgeons may use a compression dressing for the first day or so, and during this time, additional compression from another device would not be needed. Wearing a compression device after any dressing is removed would be possible but I have found that it is not a necessity. Again, I would feel it would be more a matter of your preference.

Karan Chopra, MD · Answer

That’s a great question and there seems to be a lot of confusion even among plastic surgeons about the optimal protocol after surgery.

I have studied this using infrared technology after surgery to assess bloodflow and healing and face-wraps or “mummy-wrap” dressings can worsen swelling, decrease blood-supply, prolong recovery and even hide a developing hematoma (collection of blood underneath the skin). Unfortunately, many plastic surgeons who were trained decades ago continue to follow old, dogmatic practices which have strong scientific basis and are not evidence-based. Be wary!

Gentle cooling, for the first 24 hours after surgery can help with swelling but simply ice-water cooled gauze changed every 10-15 minutes while awake is a simple, safe, and predictable solution. Since your face is temporarily numb after surgery, you want to avoid anything overly aggressive since this could cause a frostbite burn and lead to a poor cosmetic outcome.

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