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

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.