Full Facelift Recovery Results. Healing Well, But Concerned About Results?

The 'Joker' or 'Black Orchid' line describes an unnatural sweeping crease from the angle of the mouth to the root of the ear that may arise following facelift often in the patient with thinner looser skin. It is a pitfall for the inexperienced surgeon who  might have obtained good results with a sharp upward pull of the cheek skin in a younger patient or one with a different skin type.

The look is avoided by modifying the vector of pull to suit the patient.

Having said this, I have no indication that you have this problem since there is no photograph. Furthermore, 10 days is far too early to evaluate a facelift. My advice is to discuss your concerns openly and honestly with your surgeon and allow several weeks to go by before making any judgement.

Only 10 days out from surgery is a time when there is still significant swelling. At about 1 month 80% of swelling is gone and the rest goes away over 6 months. Try to relax and see your doctor for his or her recommendations.

You are describing some normal aspects of the facelift healing process. You will appreciate significant changes over the next 5 weeks. Now is not the time to look at fine minutiae of your face but rather at the overall impressions of early benefit.

After a facelift, it is difficult to maintain the patience and confidence that most imperfections will improve with time.

Thank you for the question. Without pictures it is difficult to say exactly what happened, but only 10 days after a facelift is quite early. Many of the differences in swelling between sides, or slight irregularities, will smooth out over time. Make sure to stay in touch with your surgeon and discuss your concerns. Sometimes gentle massage or other techniques will be used to help. Best of luck!

Without pictures and without knowledge of your situation, it is very difficult to give meaningful advice.  However, 10 days after a procedure is too early to judge your results.  I would recommend a conversation with your Surgeon and a tincture of time.

   The joker line at 10 days following facelift may very well go away in a few weeks, particularly if you have cheek and lip swelling.   Your plastic surgeon is in a better position to answer whether this is normal or not.  Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Without a photo to refer to - its tough to give you opinion about what is going one - but it sounds like you have a mild traction line where the skin is under some tension laterally - creating a crease in the cheek. I think this crease will fade with time and massage. Talk with your PS about your concerns.

At ten days you are still in the very early healing phase. It is best to be evaluated in person once things settle down in a few months.

Your concerns are in line with what I hear a lot. First, you are 10 days post surgery which is so early in this process. You can expect months of healing to come. You will have lymphatic build up in the skin from lifting it and that can take up to 3 months to completely resolve. I have had a couple of patients have lymphatic swelling that once I sent them to a lymphatic massage specialist it seemed to resolve with just a few treatments. Some of the little lines and creases you speak of will resolve with time. Thinks won't heal in days or weeks. Months is what you can expect from this journey. In the end I am sure you will be happy. Just stay in close contact with your surgeon. The doctor being there for you is really what you need to reassure things are progressing normally.

Traction  or tension lines after a facelift seem to occur in those with very thin skin and can stand out for several weeks after facelift. Some however are operator dependent and most of us would wish to avoid the experience altogether. Stay in contact with your surgeon for advice.