Is it necessary to massage your face after a facelift?

You would not want to massage post facelift early on as you could possibly loosen some of the deep sutures that are holding the tissue in place.  After 2-3 weeks, if there are areas of edema that concern you, some gentle massage may help with the lymphatic drainage.  Always massage from the central area outward since the pull of the facelift is in that direction and the lymphatic drainage also goes in the direction. 

Without pictures, it is difficult to determine. Swelling and bruising vary from patient to patient. I find that in most patients, it peaks around day 3 or 4. It’s normal to have more bruising or swelling on one side than the other. Lumps and bumps are normal and will usually improve over the course of 1-2 weeks. I find that on average 70-80% of the signs of surgery improve in the first week and 90% by the second week. Depending on what other procedures are performed at the same time, most of my patients feel comfortable out in public with makeup at about 7-14 days. The face will still feel firm and start to soften around 6-8 weeks after the procedure. Gentle massage, lymphatic massage, and or facials can help move this normal process along, but you must speak with your surgeon to get approval first. Usually by 3 months, the majority if not all of the firmness has resolved. There is still healing that will continue under the skin (which is not visible) for another 8-9 months. That being said, be sure to stay in touch with your surgeon. He or She is the one who performed your procedure and is the only one who knows what is normal and what is not when it comes to how you are expected to heal after the procedures that were performed.  

Based on our own experience , we find lymphatic facial massage facilitates reduction of swelling and improved lymphatic flow. Usually, 10 days postop our trained staff will proceed with lymphatic massage treatment once a  week.Patients find this very appealing and often have lymphatic massage sessions  several weeks following their surgery. Some patients are then comfortable with self facial massage with instructions by our staff.

Great Question.  Every Plastic Surgeon has his own treatment protocol that works best in his/her hands.  I would follow your surgeon's advice.In my practice, we have patients start doing some mild massage to the neck at day 5.  It is a type of lymphatic massage that moves fluid laterally to the lymph node drainage basin.  Our Aestheticians have a postoperative Post Face lift routine and do it for many patients.  As time goes own, one does the cheeks and the incisions in front of the ear to improve the scars.Your surgeon will teach you what to do - don't be afraid - you will not hurt anything.

Surgeons have different opinions on massaging after a facelift, some recommend it others do not. If your surgeon wants you to do it and you are uncomfortable, maybe a nurse at the office will be able to do it for you, or they can recommend where you might get it done. Good luck.

This is really a wonderful question and one that I get asked very frequently.  For most patients, recovery from a facelift can vary widely and it really depends on which procedures they get done. It is best to talk to your surgeon because everybody has different techniques and recovery time is usually based on a number of factors. 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.  Yes Massage is key.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.

Great question!
Massage and lymphatic drainage therapy are mainstays in Facelift management. In my practice I don't commence this treatment for 3 weeks when all the wounds and sensitivity has settled. It is important to demonstrate correctly how to do it and you can see a video that I will be posting soon on how to do it.

Everyone's protocol is different and I usually prefer to wait on massage in the early post operative period.  If you have questions or concerns about your doctor's directions, its best to go back and ask how to do it, how often, and where.  Hope this helps.

Thank you for your question.Every surgeon is different in what they recommend after surgery. I typically suggest that patients have a lymphatic massage after the sutures come out. This helps to decrease the swelling faster and get them feeling better sooner.

Usually we tell the patients to try not to touch their face after face-lift. Their face is traumatized and it would be very painful to touch. It also can cause more bleeding than it should. We have the patient to have the dressing on for 5 to 6 days. take the dressing off everyday and clean the suture lines with hydrogen peroxide and apply Vaseline or any ointment (could be Bacitracin if there is no allergies).