I had a facelift with fat transfer a week ago. Can I still ice my face? (photos)

Thanks for your question. Fat transfer can
increase the bruising and swelling normally seen in a facelift. That being
said, fat grafted cells need small blood vessels to vascularize the newly
transferred fat cells; icing will constrict the blood vessels and decrease the
chance of fat cell survival. I do not recommend my patients to use ice after
fat cell transfer. For those combined procedures involving fat grafting,
sometimes bromelain (a supplement available at most health stores) helps, along
with sitting upright and sleeping with 3 pillows, with the head elevated. On
the other hand, for patients undergoing a facelift without fat grafting, icing
can be done in the first 24 to 48 hours. Any time you use ice after a facelift,
it's important to avoid direct contact with the skin because it is numb and
there is a risk of damaging the skin itself. Whether ice is useful after a week
is a question for your plastic surgeon. Surgeons have their own protocols for
the recovery process. I'm sure you can get a quick answer from the surgeon's
practice regarding your question. Good luck and stay positive!

Thank you for reaching out to the physician community on RS.  Unfortunately every PS has his/her own theory on icing after a facelift.  Most would agree that ice for the first two days is reasonable.  After that I personally feel that there is a greater risk of freezing and damaging the skin potentially since some patients use ice incorrectly (ie applying it directly to the skin without a barrier).  That said, if you are careful, there is probably no harm in icing for the first full week.  I would recommend sleeping with your head elevated for the next few weeks (to keep swelling down) and using topical arnica montana gel on the areas of bruising.  Hope this helps.  Best, Doc L.

Regarding the ice, I recommend asking your surgeon. I have two other suggestions that may help you. For facial surgery, I recommend that my patients take Bromelain for swelling and Arnica for bruising. Both of these are over the counter supplements. Arnica also comes in a gel that can be massaged into the bruised skin and help dissipate the bruise more quickly. Good luck!

I recommend that my patients apply light ice packs or swiss masks to the exposed
areas of the face to reduce the swelling after facelift and eyelid surgery. It is important to
ice for the first 72 hours after your surgery, but can be continued for as long as necessary and
comfortable. Please see your Board Certified Plastic Surgeon for post-op cooling
instructions.

Hello, Thank you for your question. I'd follow your Board Certified Plastic Surgeon's post-operative recovery/care protocol. I'd recommend booking a follow-up appointment with your Plastic Surgeon to discuss your concerns. Take care.

Recently Dutch researchers have shown that icing or not icing does not have a great deal of difference in the recovery from facial cosmetic surgery.  I tell my patients that it's ok to use ice if it feels better, but not to expect much from it.  Time is the best treatment.   Be sure to discuss with your own surgeon about how this applies to you, and whether they have any special concerns in your case.

I find icing to be most helpful the first 24-48 hours after surgery.  Beyond that point ice may still have a mild benefit but not significant.  If you have numbness just be careful applying ice to these areas and monitor the amount of time the ice is on the skin and make sure you have a protective cloth to avoid creating a frostbite injury.

My best advice would be ask your surgeon re: his or her post op protocol vis a vis ice. And Arnica is really good for bruising so you might want to give it a try. Best, Dr. Nazarian

Ice may have some therapeutic benefit in the first hours after a facelift. From that point on its primarily for comfort. Instructions for use should come from your own surgeon.

Ice causes modest vasoconstriction to slow blood flow. This is desirable after trauma or surgery to reduce leaking of body fluids into the tissues that results in bruising  and swelling. Bruising and swelling usually peaks by the second or third day after surgery. Conversely,  heat will increase blood flow and the can be beneficial to increase blood  flow and speed healing after the tissues have stabilized. Typically I recommend at least a week after surgery before starting warm (not hot) compresses to areas of bruising. In my opinion, there may be limited  benefit to icing after 3 days besides comfort.  There should be little harm as long as it is not applied continuously  without breaks every 15 mins, so the risk of frostbite is reduced.