SMAS sweling: How long should one expect swelling after SMAS lift?

A SMAS jawline lift typically includes tightening of both the muscle layer (SMAS) of the jawline along with the excess skin.  Most significant swelling occurs during the first week and then typically subsides completely over the next few weeks.  Women with longer hair can cover the sides of their face (in front of the ears) even after just a week's time and look quite good and presentable.  Other than internal factors based on the patient's own body chemistry, the method and timing of how the lift is wrapped after the procedure can effect recovery time.  The type of compression and the length of compression contribute significantly to the overall recovery time.  Seeking a practice that specializes in this procedure should have their protocols down to a science, thus giving you the best chance for the quickest recovery.

Thank you for your question. In my patients,  80 % of the swollen subsides about the third week after surgery and then slowly will despaired over a period of 2 to 3 months after the surgery.

Everyone heals differently, but most of the swelling will resolve in 7 to 10 days. There can be residual swelling that is barely noticeable but can take several weeks to be completely gone.

Hi Cosmeticon,Thank you for sharing your Question,Dependent on each individual, the swelling increases after surgery, usually peaking about 5-6 days after surgery. After that, the swelling will subside, rapidly at first, and then gradually. After one month, you’ll think the swelling is gone, but it will still go down more at three months, and even more at six months and even a year, though at that point changes are subtle.  Keep up your follow up appointments, so your Surgeon can best advise you on your Progress.Wishing you a good recovery, and all the best

Usually after a deep plane facelift (includes SMAS)  you will look normal after about 3 weeks. This is not the final result however! You will look better every month as you continue to heal. Typically around 3 months you will be very happy with the results. I hope this help. Dr. Ardeshirpour

 Hi, I have performed many SMAS facelifts for over 30 years and have performed many minimally, invasive SMAS facelifts on women in their late twenties and early thirties.  Non smiling photos of your face from the front and side would help in the evaluation.  Post-op swelling, bruising and recovery time are directly proportional to the degree of tissue dissection (invasiveness of the facelift) and the amount of time the facelift surgeon takes to perform the facelift (how long the tissue is being disrupted).  
  The reality is, there are many different ways to perform a facelift from incision length, incision placement, level of tissue dissection (skin only, SMAS, Deep Plane, Subperiosteal), different degrees of tissue undermining, how to lift and support (imbrication versus plication of the SMAS layer), how much excess skin to trim, is excess fat going to be reduced and finally will the overall shape of the face be made more feminine or masculine (while avoiding the over pulled, windswept appearance).  Price is determined by the reputation, location and experience of the Facelift Surgeon.
 In my humble opinion however, there are some basic requirements that must be met in order for a facelift to be "effective", yielding "aesthetic pleasing" and "naturally attractive" results.  These include: 
 1. Some type of incision either curved around the front (preferred) or straight in front of the ear.  This is how excess skin is removed which is not possible with an incision behind the ear alone.  If you have so little excess skin on the face that "none" needs to be removed you are not a candidate for a facelift in the first place.
2. The facelift must address correction and softening of the "jowls" using a long lasting and effective technique.  If you have "jowls” these are sagging facial tissues and the main indication for some form of a SMAS facelift.  The underlying SMAS layer, of the face, must be dissected, lifted, trimmed and re-sutured (not merely folded or suspended with threads or sutures that will not last).  The excess skin is then removed and the facelift incisions closed.
3. Facial shaping must be combined to properly shape the cheeks, chin, jaw line and lips for feminizing or masculinizing the face as the case may be.
 Following my beauty principles, women look the most feminine, youthful and attractive with heart shaped faces.  Heart shaped faces have cheeks that are full and round in the front.  Cheek augmentation with a dermal filler or using cheek implants for a permanent enhancement will create full, round cheeks that will feminize the entire face.  A weak chin creates an imbalance making the nose appear larger, the mid face top heavy and the lower face look short that de-emphasizes the lips and allows early formation of a double chin.  Chin augmentation using a chin implant will add projection to the chin creating harmony and balance to the lower face.  I have found placement of a silastic chin implant, through a small curved incision under the chin (also allows excess skin removal) to be very safe, quick and highly effective.
 If you have "jowls” these are sagging facial tissues and the main indication for some form of a SMAS facelift.  The underlying SMAS layer, of the face, must be dissected, lifted, trimmed and re-sutured (not merely folded or suspended with threads or sutures that will not last).  The excess skin is then removed and the facelift incisions closed.
 My most popular SMAS facelift is the minimally invasive, short incision SMAS facelift that has all the benefits of more invasive facelifts (traditional, mid-face, deep plane, cheek lift and subperiosteal facelifts) but with these added benefits:
very small incisions and no incisions extend or are placed within the hair.minimal tissue dissection = less bruising and swelling = rapid recovery ( several days instead of weeks or months with the more invasive type facelifts mentioned)can be performed in 90 minutes or less, with or without general anesthesiano incisions within the hair = no hair lossexcess fat can be removed from the face and neckexcess skin removed from the face and neckcheeks, chin and jaw line can be augmented with dermal fillers (I prefer Restylane Lyft) or facial implantsmost patients fly back home to parts all over the world in as little as 3 days post-op I combine facial shaping with every facelift procedure.  When jowls are present, these should be done in concert and not alone or separately in order to create a naturally, more attractive face.
 Along with the minimally, invasive SMAS facelift described above, some of the excess skin below the chin can be removed using a small, curved incision under the chin.  This along with skin removed in front and behind the ear will tend to reduce the skin excess by around 70% or more.
 If anterior platysmal bands are present or the maximal amount of neck skin is to be removed, a "formal" neck lift can be done.  In this procedure, the face and neck tissues are elevated using a curved incision around the front (explained later) of the ear that continues in the crease behind the ear and then 3 inches into the posterior hairline.  The tissue is dissected from that point all the way across the entire neck to the same position on the other side of the head in a dissection that is as long vertically as the entire neck.  The Platysma muscles are tightened using a curved incision under the chin and each side is pulled upward and back again being tightened at a line behind each ear (under the tissues).  Since the skin flap pull is up and back, this will pick up any tissue laxity along the jaw line or "jowls" which must be dissected and flattened out using a lower facelift (incision around the front of the ears).  If this isn't done, pleats of excess skin will appear below each ear.  This is an extensive surgery taking 4 1/2 to 5 hours with large incisions, requires placement of drains, possible hair loss and months of recovery.
Hope this helps.
 Tweet