How long should a person keep wearing a head strap after a facelift? What happens if you don't wear it?

I've been doing facelifts for over 20 years now and have used a head strap on patients for about one year during that time -- way at the beginning of my career. The head strap was annoying, irritating, rubbed areas that were sensitive or delicate and perhaps reduced blood and lymphatic flow from areas that were healing, therefore interfering with the normal healing process. However, the most important point is that I saw absolutely no advantage to wearing one, in terms of healing, swelling or results -- and my results are good enough to be considered some of the best results in the country, as determined by NewBeauty magazine. So I'm not sure what benefit other surgeons find in using them.Regardless of my experience and opinion, your surgeon apparently believes there is benefit, so I would discuss this with him/her and follow their directions.

Thank you for your question.Please get your plastic surgeon to advise on their recovery protocol and voice your concerns.  I do not used chin compression garment as I strap my patients chin up using a technique which is as effective as a compression garment.  This reduces any sign of seroma.  My patients will wear this until they return for their follow up appointment (7 days later).All The Best 

Most important is to listen and follow your Plastic Surgeon's instructions.In my practice my patients are have a light supportive dressing placed in the operating room following their neck lift or face lift and worn for 2-3 days. I do not require a chin strap for all but if there happens to be excessive swelling then I will occasionally suggest its use.However when just liposuction is performed in the upper neck, a compression garment is recommended for the following reasons::It restricts the amount of edema that forms and hastens its resolution by mechanical pressure.It decreases the amount of bruising.It assists the loose skin in retracting or shrinking.

Thank you for your question. If you do not wear it, you may have more swelling in the neck area. Some do not. The swelling does delay healing, and this is what we are trying to prevent. We like to see people wear it for 4-6 weeks, with the last few weeks, wearing it during the evening, and off during the day. I hope this helps.

I recommend that my patients wear their head wrap (compression garment) fulltimefor the first week and just at night during their second post-operative week.The head strap keeps firm pressure around the head and neck enabling the neck and skin to heal more favorably.A compression garment can also diminish swelling.Your surgeon may have specific recommendations for your particular case and I would recommend discussing this with him/her.

Neck strap after a faceliftNeck strap helps to diminish swelling and increases rate of recovery in the
neck, after a facelift. In my practice I ask the patients to wear the neck
strap for 3-7 days, depending on the extent of neck correction performed.
Ultimately, it is not the neck strap that will determine the final result, but
the quality and the techniques used by the surgeon.