What to expect during neck lift recovery? Does it take a long time to heal? Will I need a lot of help around the house?

Very hard question to give a definitive answer. Some can recover in days others at least 6 weeks. There are so many intervening factors that is why an in person evaluation from a boarded surgeon is in order. Best of luck!

Great question. The usual course is similar to many of the other procedures we do. After 6 weeks there are no restrictions and you can do whatever you want, but in the first few weeks there are gradual milestones that let you do more and more. If you don't do any heavy lifting at work, you can return to work in 1-2 weeks depending on how you feel. After 2 weeks most people won't be able to tell you had any surgery, but if working from home you can return sooner. Walking is ok the day of the procedure, but heavy exercise is not good for 4-6 weeks, as you don't want to raise your blood pressure and lead to fluid buildup or bleeding.
-Dr. David Mattos, New York Plastic Surgical Group

Hi and Thanks for the question!
Many patients are surprised that there is not a lot of pain or discomfort after a true surgical neck lift. I do think you will want to have a surgical nurse or family member stay with you for at least two nights after surgery. 
Patients tend to feel pretty good and back to themselves in about 24 to 48 hours, but it’s extremely important to avoid any strenuous activity for at least one week after surgery. This means no exercise or activity that increases the heart rate, no sexual activity, no straining to use the restroom. 
Most patients are able to return to work after 8-14 days because the bruising has subsided and the swelling is mostly gone. Makeup can be worn after the first week to conceal any bruising or scars. 
There may be a small drain tube left in place after surgery that comes out behind your ear and it's usually very small. Like the size of a small piece of spaghetti. This allows any excess fluid to come out so the skin can heal up to the tightened neck. The drain comes out on the morning after surgery by your surgeon.
If you do experience significant pain then you should definitely get in touch with your surgeon immediately and let them know. Typically, you can expect the initial swelling to increase for a few days with the peak being postoperative day number three. After that, it dissipates over the next two weeks. An easy way to remember it is that there's typically one week of bruising followed by one week of swelling.
By the end of the first week, most of the sutures will be removed, but a few may need to stay in place for another week depending on how you’re healing. This is completely normal and nothing to worry about. 
It takes about 3 months for most of the swelling to resolve and for you to see your true results. Sometimes, certain areas of your skin may remain firm for 6-9 months and this can be improved with lymphatic massage or just waiting for it to subside. Swelling follows gravity, so the last area to stay a bit firm and swollen is typically the lower neck but this is barely noticeable and concealed easily with a scarf. 
 The scars fade by about 12 months after surgery. 

we often advise our Facelift Patients to take Arnica and Bromelin which have been shown to reduce the period of bruising and swelling.
If you’re slow to recover with swelling try adhering to a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, avoiding any salt whatsoever. This, combined with a few lymphatic massage treatments can do wonders for reducing facial swelling after a facelift.
Congrats again, 
Dr. Karan Chopra
Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon
Face Plastic Surgery Expert
Aesthetic Fellowship Trained
Johns Hopkins Plastic Surgery Trained