Some doctors do not recommend icing after mini facelift. Why the disagreement?

Ice packs in the very early postoperative period may indeed decrease swelling until the injured tissues Seal. After this icing is primarily for comfort.

Cold compresses help to reduce edema ( swelling) after facial surgery.  As some patients can be over aggressive with ice this can cause a frost bite and harm the surrounding tissue.  I recommend frozen peas in a baggy which I have my patients place in a terry holder limiting their exposure to the cold.  they place this for 10-20 minutes / hour.

Extreme cooling procedures can injure the tissue causing death of tissue. I would follow the instructions given by your surgeon. 

Choose a surgeon you trust and follow their postoperative directions.   The recommendation for using ice or not is usually based on experience, nothing really scientific.  Also using ice could cause a freeze burn of the numb skin.

Each surgeon has a slightly different protocol for after a mini facelift.  This is based on their unique technique, what was done after surgery, and personal experience.  Something such as icing after surgery does not really affect the quality of your outcomes.  There is no scientific study to say icing or no icing results in a superior result.  This is a minor point and you need not worry much about it.

I am not aware of anyone that doesn't support cold compresses after facelift. It definitely cuts down on any discomfort and can help reduce swelling and bruising. Will it be the end of the world, if you didn't ice? Not if the procedure was performed correctly and you were properly counseled about how to prepare for surgery and care for yourself afterward. However, most people do feel better and heal faster with generous use of cold packs. I hope this information is helpful for you.Stephen Weber MD, FACSDenver Facial Plastic Surgeon

Most doctors will recommend ice to minimize bruising and swelling. This is recommended because for the first three days or so after surgery the cell membranes have changes that lead to loss of fluid and increased swelling in the tissue. After the three days, the cell membranes have healed and this "leakage" of cellular fluid is gone.Hence, ice is most critical during the first three days. After that it becomes less important, but can be soothing and comforting.Ice can occasionally cause a problem when it is too much or comes in direct contact with the skin. This is like a frost bite. It is very uncommon on the face, however.I recommend that a wash cloth or other fabric be placed around the ice pack to stop direct contact. This essentially eliminates this problem.The ice is not recommended by everyone because of this reason and the fact that it is not essential to the healing process.I like it because it decreases swelling, is comforting, and minimizes bruising.Good Luck!Dr Chris Saunders

Personally, I think using ice packs to cool the face after a facelift can help to minimize bruising and swelling.  Some surgeons may feel differently, so it is just a matter of preference.  

Hi and thank you for your question and sharing your concerns. I am not aware of any research pertaining to icing after the facelift procedure, and it very well could be that "statistically", it didn't show to improve the severity or duration of swelling and bruising. In our experience, icing for the first 48 hours does seem to reduce the amount of swelling after a facelift and we always recommend it. It probably has something to do with reducing inflammatory surges in blood flow to the area thereby reducing how much fluid extravasates into the tissues causing swelling. After 48 hours, the effect is less noticeable and as other have mentioned, only used for comfort if need be. Hope that helps! Best, Dr. Roy. 

I personally do not like icing. It causes vaso-constriction and creates a compromise of blood flow and possible necrosis. Heat is not better. Neither cold nor warmth has an effect on healing.