How Long Will I Take to Heal from Chin/jawline Liposuction?

Chin (Submental) Liposuction: What to expect
There are many predictable portions of the healing process that ALL PATIENTS EXPERIENCE after liposuction. Temporary areas of firmness (lumps) can be seen early on but usually resolve on their own. Although both doctor and patients would like to not have this happen, it is part of the healing process. These Side effects refer to what you will be experiencing from the healing process: Here are some of the common things you will experience. The common side effects include: swelling which is maximum 2-3 days later, bruising (highly variable), numbness which takes several months to resolve,  tightness takes several days to months to resolve, discomfort (generally mild with this surgery, nausea (variable) and in some patients emotional labiality in some. Although most of the visible edema resolves in 2-3 weeks in mini-lifts and 3-4 weeks in traditional facelift approaches, residual firmness (edema you feel but don’t see) can linger for several months. Skin suppleness also takes a while to return as does scar maturation. I tell my patients it takes up to a year for final resolution of the healing process. A chin strap often hastens recovery after neck/submental chin liposuction. In my experience, the above rough time table is usually delayed in smokers, when multiple procedures are performed together and when resurfacing procedures are done at the same time as the lift. The same is true if complications occur such as infection, hematoma, skin loss or compromise, etc

Thank you for your question. Many of my patients are pleasantly surprised by how quick and comfortable recovery from chin liposuction really is. You can expect to have some swelling and bruising in the area for 2-3 weeks, although the worst of it generally subsides within the first week after treatment. Because I use the tumescent technique and micro-cannulas, some of my patients have almost no bruising afterward. The area will be sore for a day or two, but patients usually manage the discomfort successfully with over-the-counter pain medications. My patients are typically back to their regular activities within about four days.

Though recovery from a surgical #necklift varies from person to person, patients are generally presentable within three weeks from surgery. Generally, it will take approximately 7-10 days for the early healing in which many patients feel comfortable being in public at this stage. Most #bruising is low on the neck and may easily be covered by clothing. Also, wearing a #compression garment may be suggested the first week and then nightly for up to six weeks.
The #incision scars from a necklift can typically be hidden well and are not located within eye level to be immediately noticed. These #scars “mature” within six to twelve months from the surgery date. The term mature implies they will soften and fade away. During this time, the rejuvenating effects of the necklift will become most obvious and the neck feels the most normal (ex. little discomfort, soft, normal sensation, no more post-op firmness). Following this stage, the true restorative effects of your necklift result will be apparent. If during your healing, you have any concerns, it is suggested to call your board-certified surgeon or their medical staff and discuss those #concerns.

We recommend wearing a compression neck garment for one week, and then 1-3 small stitches are removed, and most patients look presentable. Minor neck bruising may be concealed. Many see improvement by one week postoperative, but the entire healing process may take 6-12 months. Hope this helps! Dr Joseph

The recovery for this is relatively quick compared to other surgeries. The main issue is having to wear the goofy garment for at least 3 days, preferably 5 days. This really decreases the swelling and bruising while allowing the skin to scar into position giving us the sharp neck and jaw angles we are looking for. If there is some bruising that can take 1 week to resolve but otherwise at the 1 week mark you should look pretty good.The true results take about 2 months to set in once the swelling is completely gone and the skin has scared into position.Hope this helps.Best of luck,DrC

You may look normal within 48-72 hours.  You'll typically start to enjoy your results 5-7 days after the procedure.  The results will improve over the next 3 months.  I find that after 3 months there is not much change so that is when I take after photos.  

Recovery following liposuction of
the neck varies from patient to patient and depends upon a variety of
factors.  We generally recommend
that patients take a week off from work following this procedure because of
swelling and bruising.  The
majority of patients feel good in about 24-to 48 hours, but may not feel
presentable for at least a week. 
Patients are able to resume most activities in about one to two weeks,
but heavy lifting and strenuous activities should be avoided for at least 4 to
6 weeks following surgery.

Even when patients are able to
resume a normal life style, the healing process continues for up to a year
following surgery.  During this
time period tissue remodeling occurs, swelling improves and skin tightens.  For these
reasons, it’s important to be patient following this type of procedure.

In general, my patient’s recover from this type of procedure within 5-7 days. Most are able to return to work in 3-5 days, but this depends on the individual, and the type of work they do. I usually have my patient’s wear a head wrap for at least 3 days. You should see an improvement once the swelling subsides—usually 1-2 weeks. The final results can take 3-6 months to develop.

This is the perfect example of a question you should be asking your doctor BEFORE you schedule surgery.  You need to know what you are signing up for.

Your recovery depends on how much work you need to get an improvement.

Your recovery depends on how experienced your physician is with that treatment.

Your recovery depends on the procedure performed.  (My SmartLipo patients recover much more rapidly than my tumescent liposuction patients.)

The chin and jawline respond well to liposuction when the skin is elastic and will tighten nicely after fat is removed. There is usually an immediate improvement in shape even with postoperative swelling. Any bruising resolves over two weeks and most of the swelling is gone within a month. Skin tightens and scars fade over a year. I usually tell patients to plan on taking 5-7 days off from work and return to a desk job after that.