Will my face tighten anymore as it heals?

Usually tightness does not increase with time since tissues will generally relax with time.  However if swelling is the issue, some contours will improve as this resolves. 

After a facelift, the tightest that your face will appear is usually 3days after surgery. This is when I find that my patients are at the peak of their swelling. The muscles will not get any tighter than what was done surgically at the time of your procedure. What I find is that at three months or later, the result that you see  will most accurately represent  how things will look for the long term. It will not tighten as time goes on. 

While it takes between three to six months for a facelift to fully heal, the skin will not get tighter than it did immediately after the procedure. Swelling, however, will subside. If you feel your skin is still lax after your facelift, you may need resurfacing with lasers or a chemical peel. Your best course of action is to go back to your facial plastic surgeon to find out how you are progressing in your healing and if anything else needs to be done to get you the results you were hoping for. If the answer doesn't satisfy you, then I'd suggest getting a second or third opinion. I hope this helps.

Hello,No physician will disagree with the healing process taking 6 months to a year to see one's final result. A great deal depends on your age, health and what was performed. You can look at case # 0033 to see the evolution of the healing process in the link below. In terms of your skin becoming tighter after 3 month, this would not be normal. If you he concerns, you should speak with your surgeon. For sure there will be an evolution in your appearance but this is usually related to the reduction of swelling. Hope this helps!Sincerely, Dr. K

Thank you very much for your question and congratulations
on your recent facelift procedure. However, without photographs or additional
information, it is difficult to provide any meaningful advice. In general,
swelling will take from three to six months to fully resolve, so you should
wait before making a final assessment of your results. That being said, your
skin will probably relax and become less taut as the swelling resolves. I
recommend bringing your concerns to your operating surgeon, who may suggest one
of the many exciting, noninvasive skin tightening techniques available today,
such as a chemical peel or laser light therapy.

Thank you for your question.  Without a before and after photograph or description of the procedure, it is difficult to comment on your result.  That being said, my advice is to wait a full 4-6 months before considering your final surgical result.  Good luck.

After a facelift, you will have some swelling that can take weeks to months to completely resolve. Though the shape of the face will change a little and appear narrower as swelling resolves, you won't get any true tightening as this healing occurs. Discuss your concerns with your surgeon if you think it still needs more tightening.Andrew Campbell, M.D.Facial Rejuvenation SpecialistQuintessa Aesthetic Centers

Hi London9501.  Hard to answer without other information, but generally speaking, once the swelling has resolved, the skin is more relaxed, not tightened.  If you didn't have a skin treatment at the time of your facelift, this might be a good time to do so-check with your PS.  The Profound radiofrequency microneedling provides skin tightening, can be done under local anesthesia, and has a few days of potential bruising.  Other options include chemical peels, laser resurfacing, regular microneedling and topical Retin A use-since these are less strong they may need to be repeated/continued depending upon your skin.  Good luck!

Dear London9501Thank you for your question!  There is resolution of swelling and the healing process can take many more months.  The 'tightness" would be hard to determine BUT your facial shape will change, hopefully for the better!With Warm RegardsTrevor M Born MD

The full effect from a facelift normally takes several months to see.  Sometimes, it can take more than six months to see.  It is difficult to say if your face would tighten more with time, but it is possible that your appearance could still improve as the healing process continues.