How Long Does Swelling Last After a Deep Plane Lift?

The deep plane facelift is a type of facelift that addresses the midface and cheek area as well as the jowls and lower face.  This technique is carried out at a deeper level of the face and often has less swelling and bruising associated with the surgery and recovery.  You are correct that smoking can impair your healing.  Smoking constricts the blood vessels leading to decreased blood flow and decreased nutrient delivery to the healing facial tissues.

 

Hello! Yes, smoking does delay healing, which is unpredictable, asymmetric and annoying. It typically takes 6-12 months for final healing post facelift, during which time areas of swelling can come and go and small lumps/bumps are not unusual. Everyone is different with regards to water retention and healing times, so averages may mean nothing if you are a slow healer! Good luck.

If done by experienced surgeons deep plane facelifts can heal very fast. Smoking is probably the worse thing you could do for a facelift its almost a guarantee you will have a problem after surgery

   Healing after deep plane facelift can take 6 to 12 months, and smoking will definitely impair the process.

In general, the recovery from a deep plane lift is longer than with other type of facelifts.  I have much more experience with extended SMAS lifts, which can provide impressive results yet have a shorter typical recovery time.