I'm planning to have a face & eye lift in the next month or so but am receiving conflicting advice about being in the sun.

Sun exposure is one of the main causes of facial aging, as it weakens the skin's structure, leading to wrinkles and sagging. I would recommend you stay out of the sun before and after your surgery. After surgery, it's very important to stay out of the sun because tanning can lead to permanently darkened scars.

 It is
important to never have direct sun exposure and always
wear a UVA/UVB type sunscreen with or without surgery. If you are having a
facelift you
should definitely not be out in the sun for at least 2-3 months and if so, wear
sunscreen.

Hi Donna,Let me start by saying, the #1 cause of facial aging, by far is Sun exposure.  Not only does it significantly increase your risk of skin cancers it will cause significant skin aging. You will get more brown spots, more flaky skin and more wrinkles. In fact, nearly 80% of abnormal skin aging is due to the sun. Also, the irritation will affect your scars and can result in more red, thicker scars. Think about your facelift as an investment in a nice fancy car. Would you buy a 100,000 luxury car and then ride it on dirt roads? You need to protect your investment. The only way to do this is with sun avoidance and wearing sunscreen. James P. Bonaparte, MD, MSc, FRCSCHead and Neck Surgerypracticing in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive SurgeryAssistant Professor, University of OttawaOttawa, Ontario, Canada

Thank you for your question about facelift.It is best to keep your incisions out the sun and protected for one year after the procedure.To be sure, see two or more experienced, board-certified Plastic Surgeons for a complete evaluation to make sure you are a good candidate and that it is safe for you to have surgery.I hope this helps.

 Staying out of the sun is a long-term strategy to maintain as much use in the skin as possible. Perioperative sun exposure will have no effect on the operation.

Thank you for your question.You should avoid sunbathing before and after a Facelift procedure. Protection of the scars from the sun and avoiding sun exposure to the rest of the face for the first several months after the procedure is even more important. All The Best !

The most important thing is to avoid direct exposure to the scars as they mature over the first few months, because UV light can be irritating especially to healing areas. Long-term, recognize that sun exposure is a major contributor to aging, and your facelift will hold up better with regular use of sunscreen and sensible precautions.

I tell my patients that they can go in the sun after facelift but not to have prolonged sun exposure. If one is getting out of their car and being in the sun that's fine but one would not want to lie on the beach for a couple of hours in full sun.       

Aside from all the cogent remarks so far and the harmful long term effect of sun, remember that  heat causes swelling and what you want after surgery is for the swelling to go away fast. So avoid heat (I.e. Sun).

It is acceptable to go outside and be out in the sunshine after your eyelid surgery and a facelift surgery, as long as you are being reasonable and put sunscreen on. It's important not to get a sunburn either on the  incisions or in the immediate area of the surgery for the first few months after the surgical procedures.