Neck Lift Recovery. What is the Real Downtime? (photo)

Neck lift recovery, on average, takes 12 -14 days. The first night you will have a dressing on around the neck that will be removed the next morning. At that time, in our office, we allow you to get in the shower.  Afterwards, we have our patients wear a light elastic band around the neck the first week as much as possible. Also, the first week, we recommend no heavy lifting, working out, or bending over. So, this week, you can't lift your kids or your pets or tend to your garden. You really want to take it easy otherwise you'll worsen the bruising and swelling.On day 7, the stitches are generally removed, you're allowed to wear makeup in our practice, and we allow you to start working out. The problem with the second week is the bruising and swelling. You can do things around the house but you may not want to be seen at work or by your friends until day 12 after surgery.

Recovery has various components. Most patients are off narcotic pain medication within 24-48 hours. Sutures are removed at one week but strenuous activity needs to be avoided for 2-3 weeks to avoid prematurely stressing the wound leading to setbacks. Bruising is variable and there are many factors that can be the cause. Although makeup can be worn,  often times a significant bruise can be the main reason that someone would not want to be seen in public within the first couple weeks. Those that do not have higher risk factors and follow directions often have markedly less bruising. Icing after surgery and avoiding things that increase circulation to the area can make a significant difference. Incisions become early scars by the second to third week and continue to mature and fade over several months.  With proper care, they can look reasonably good within a month (with makeup if necessary) and many times can also  be hidden by hair .  Males with shorter hair can grow a beard to help avoid obvious attention to any facial incisions and bruising.
My best to you,
Dr. StephenFink

Recovery time after a neck lift will depend on the individual, as well as the extent of surgery. Typically, patients return to daily activities, including a return to work, within 2 weeks after surgery. Expect your neck to feel tight for a few weeks, and know that bruising and swelling are normal.

You need a lower face lift as well as your neck lift, but you are an excellent candidate and at the right age. My neck lifts usually go back to non-strenuous work between 7-10 days, maybe with a little makeup. We take every known precaution to minimize bruising and swelling, which are the two factors that increase your recovery time. Meticulous surgery performed quickly by experienced surgeons results in less bruising and swelling. Drains are a hassle but they also decrease bruising.
Take a week and hide, it will be worth it!!

Rejuvenation of the neck requires lifting the skin, removing fat, tightening the platysma muscles, and removing excess skin. When combined with jowl tightening, the surgery is called a facelift--although it is really a lower face and neck lift. In my practice, all sutures are removed by postoperative day 10. Usually patients can return to work at 10-14 days after surgery. There still may be some mild swelling and bruising, but patients do look "presentable". I take the first set of photos at 6 week postop.

The recovery after a face lift is defined as what activity are you going to be engage .  Normally I tell my patients that 2 weeks after surgery you can be involved is social activities and also driving and be presentable with minimal detectability.    It is important that the results and care change dramatically from  doctor to doctor so be sure your clarify that with our surgeon.

This is really a wonderful question and one that I get asked all the time.  For most patients, recovery from a neck lift can vary widely and it really depends on which procedures they get done. If we are just talking about a short scar neck lift, this can typically be done in the office under local anesthesia. Usually there are no drains, no outside stitches, and patients can go out in public the same day, although I usually recommend they low for the first couple days. Most of the initial swelling is from the numbing medicine and your body absorbs it within the first 4-6 hours. Obviously the body heals with swelling and inflammation and usually that maxes out at two days and then starts getting better. Most of these patients take no pain medicine and usually feel very comfortable going out in public within a few days.  I usually call my patients the night of surgery and check on them the next day. If everything is fine the next day, I then let them shower and they do not need a dressing over their incisions. They can usually start using make up after a few days.  At the two week check up, I usually have people start working out and then after six weeks they can do whatever they want. I routinely tell people to take a few days to a week off work and to hide out but some people are very nervous especially celebrities and I usually tell them to hide out for two weeks. As with any scar on the human body, initially scars are red, hard and raised and it typically takes six months to a year for them to become a soft thin white line. Additionally with recovery, there're many things we do to expedite healing such as nerve blocks during surgery, oral supplements, skin care and scar therapy recommendations, lymphatic massage sessions that are included in our pricing.I strongly feel that it's very important to have an honest conversation with your surgeon about your particular situation, lifestyle, work environment and specifically which procedures you're having done so that you both have the most honest answer about your recovery and are realistic with expectations and results.I hope this helps. If it does, please take a moment to up vote this answer on the “respond” button on the top right.  

Neck lift recovery is rather straightforward. It may vary somewhat depending on the specific surgeon and technique that is used. In my practice, patients are instructed to avoid driving for two weeks while the incisions heal due to the need for head turning with driving. Strenuous activity, exercise, heavy lifting, etc should be avoided for two weeks as well. There is a small amount of wound care involved, but this is fairly minimal. Most patients will have some bruising and swelling, and the amount of bruising can vary widely from one patient to another. Numbness of the neck is to be expected. There is some level of discomfort, but this is usually relatively mild, and most patients report a tightness sensation rather than pain after the first day or two. The incisions are typically healing very nicely by the 10-14 day time frame, and most patients are starting to get back into their normal routines by about two weeks.All the best,

Thanks for your question. In general, "downtime" is 1-2 weeks. Most patients can be back to work in this amount of time and are able to cover any residual bruising with makeup. The first few days you will be sore and a little tired (healing is hard work!). After that you will start to get your energy back. Also, you wont want to do any heavy lifting for about 2 weeks.  So, you might want some help around the house for the first few days. All in all, it is very manageable!

Although, recovery  from a surgical #necklift varies from person to person, patients are generally presentable within three weeks from surgery. Generally, it will take approximately 7-10 days for the early healing in which many patients feel comfortable being in public at this stage. Most #bruising is low on the neck and may easily be covered by clothing. Also, wearing a #compression garment may be suggested the first week and then nightly for up to six weeks.The #incision scars from a necklift can typically be hidden well and are not located within eye level to be immediately noticed. These #scars “mature” within six to twelve months from the surgery date. The term mature implies they will soften and fade away. During this time, the rejuvenating effects of the necklift will become most obvious and the neck feels the most normal (ex. little discomfort, soft, normal sensation, no more post-op firmness). Following this stage, the true restorative effects of your necklift result will be apparent. At any time during your healing, you have certain concerns about the #healing process, it is recommended to call your board-certified surgeon or their medical staff and discuss those #concerns.

not all neck lifts are the same. Therefore not all recoveries are the same. For a patient that has significant excess adipose tissue which means excess fat in the neck region there will be significantly more dissection and soft tissue redraping. This will clearly result in a longer recovery period. In terms of the excess skin for patient to have much more loose skin due to animation deformities the recovery will  also require a significantly more extensive dissection and tissue  redraping with more tension put on the wound closure. Often drains are used to help remove postoperative fluid accumulation for the first 24 hours. Surgeons who use concomitant lipo suction techniques with tumescent fluid will note a decrease in the postoperative ecchymosis or bruising.  The bruising is often what extends and pro long is the recovery period. As this often is a noticeable side effect of the surgery. While this can be disguised or hidden with make up it can be long-lasting. In terms of recovery we often share with patients that full recovery will be achieved by one month but many simple activities can resume in 1 week.