How Should You Sleep and Take Care of Your Skin After a Facelift?

Thank you for your question.  This is my aftercare protocol I will give to my patients to advise you, however please ask your plastic surgeon to guide you.


Aftercare in the first 24 Hours post procedure In the first 24 hours post procedure it is important to follow these simple steps


Sleep with your head up as much as possible. This can be done be propping yourself up in bed with 2-3 pillows. This will allow any residual fluid to drain away and will ease the feeling of facial Fullness.Drink plenty of fluids and eat well the evening of your procedure.Avoid showering until the morning after your procedure. We then encourage you to shower and wash your hair as normal. Once you have done this, you can then gently blow dry your hair and the area around your ears with the hairdryer on its cool setting.Avoid putting any cosmetic products including cleaners, moisturisers and make up on or around the incisions.You may require some mild painkillers in the first few days post Concept Facelift, We would recommend a combination of Ibuprofen and Paracetamol- providing you are not allergic to either of these medications.You will have been provided with some protective pads which are to place on your pillow case at night and will absorb any residual oozing.Some oozing is common in the first 24-48 post procedure and we provide you with some sterile gauze so that you can dab any drips. Mild oozing is nothing to be alarmed about and is a normal part of the healing process.After care in the following days and weeks post procedure You will already have received your follow up Consultation appointment for approximately 5-7 days post procedure. However it is important to continue to follow the subsequent “Do’s and Don’ts”.

Do use a cool pack on the incisions as this will help reduce any residual fullness.Do continue with painkillers if required, as around 5% of patients will have some ear pain which will settle within a week or two. Do shower and hair wash daily.Do resume normal activities however avoid vigorous exercise or heavy lifting for 2 weeks post procedure.Don’t apply any make up, moisturiser or oils to the incision line until advised by us. Don’t allow pets of any variety to share a bed with you and avoid allowing pets near your face for the first four weeks after your procedure. Allowing pets near your face has the potential to result in an infection. However being vigilant will help reduce this risk.Do be vigilant with hand hygiene.Do notify us immediately if you have any concerns or notice any increased redness, heat around the incision or if you have any discharge from around the ear.Once we have seen you at your follow up Consultation, we will then advise on when you can start massaging the area around your ears and the best technique to use. We recommend the use of scar improvement oils such as Bio-oil.

For the first 2 nights it is recommended you sleep with your head elevated to minimize swelling. You may use a travel pillow to support your neck or a soft towel. This will help decrease the amount of post-operative swelling while healing. You may shower approximately 48 hours after a facelift but it should be kept brief. Using a gentle face wash once a day will keep your skin clean until you are able to resume your skin care regimen.

With respect to sleep, I recommend that patients sleep on their back with their head elevated at a 30 to 40 degree incline for the first few weeks after surgery. This may decrease bruising slightly, but will decrease swelling significantly. Patients often find that one side of their face will swell tremendously if they sleep on that side with their head flat.
Skin care varies from one patient to another. I generally have my patients refrain from using any makeup or skin care products until the incisions are healed. At that point, makeup can be used to help cover incisions and any lingering bruising, and a medical grade skin care regimen can resume. 
I like to get patients on an aggressive skin care regimen preoperatively and postoperatively. Preoperatively, a medical grade skin care regimen can help give the surgeon a better canvas to work with at the time of surgery and give better results. Postoperatively, professional skin care helps to polish off the results of surgery and optimize the overall facial appearance. It also helps to maintain surgical results and slow the aging process further.
All the best,

It's best to sleep on your back with your head elevated at least 30% to reduce excessive swelling to the face. Post-surgery, you will want to continue to eat well and stay hydrated to ensure optimal healing as well as be compliant with any additional post-operative care instructions from your surgeon.  I recommend an anti-aging protocol of ZO Skin Health products to my patients in order to help them protect their investment and enhance the results of their surgery.

It’s best to sleep with your head elevated following facelift surgery. Make sure you have either a thick, firm pillow or multiple pillows that will keep your head elevated approximately 30 degrees while sleeping. This will help to prevent undue swelling. As for skin care, it’s important to try to stick to a healthy diet and lifestyle, which will help keep skin in good shape, and at my office we offer a variety of effective skin care options that we can tailor to your specific needs. Your surgeon should go over post-operative care instructions with you to ensure a good result and recovery period.

In my practice, I emphasize the
importance of patients keeping their heads elevated for at least 2 weeks after
facelift surgery, even overnight. This reduces unnecessary swelling, keeps
patients comfortable, and improves scar development. It's very important to
keep your head elevated above your heart. Most of my patients achieve this with
the aid of plenty of pillows or a reclining chair with a U-shaped travel
pillow. When it comes to skin care, I give specific instructions based on the
individual needs of the patient. It's important to leave your incisions
undisturbed until you get the go-ahead from your surgeon — this includes the
use of any creams, lotions, or ointments. Most plastic surgery practices either
sell or recommend high-end skincare products and are happy to make tailored
recommendations for you. Thanks for your question!

Sleeping in a reclining chair is the best position with your chin up by using a U shaped airplane pillow works best in my practice. See the below link for addtional suggestions for a fast recovery including skin care.

We generally recommend that
patients sleep on their back with their heads elevated 30 degrees for
approximately two weeks following surgery.  This is most easily accomplished in a
recliner chair without the use of a pillow.  This maneuver minimizes swelling, bruising and venous
congestion in the post-operative period. 
It also makes patients more comfortable following surgery.

In the immediate post-operative
period patients are instructed to apply bacitracin ointment to the wound.  This is followed by the Obagi skin care
program when wounds have healed adequately.

Optimal skincare is to wait 3-4 weeks before you resume any
post operative skincare, including medical grade skin care regimen of
sunscreen, pigment controllers, and Retinols.

Sleep with your head elevated above the level of the heart and make sure you do not damage the incision line during sleep. I recommend the Melarase AM and Melarase PM creams for healed incisions and face care after a facelift or surgery to improve results and the quality of the skin.