What is the recovery time for face/neck lift?

Thank you for your question.  It is important to realize that the amount of time it takes to recover from facelift surgery varies greatly between individuals. Elevation of the head is extremely helpful in reducing the initial Postoperative swelling. You may also be advised to use ice packs intermittently.

You should avoid Aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications for the first few days after your surgery. Smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke should be avoided to prevent delays in the healing process.

Once the dressings and drains are removed, puffiness and discoloration may be more pronounced in some portions of the face than others. Do not be alarmed by any unevenness or temporary asymmetry. This is normal. Most swelling is usually noted in the first 24 to 48 hours, and most bruising resolves within two weeks. Concealing makeup is usually permitted after the first week. You may experience numbness to the face postoperatively, which usually resolves within several months.

Some patients find that mild swelling persists for many weeks. Most stitches are removed within a week of the surgery.

Of course, many of our modern mini facelifts, such as the MACS facelift, allow patients to literally be back in public or work in as little as three days with little or no bruising!

Straining, bending and lifting should be avoided during the early postoperative period as these activities may predispose you to bleeding.

We will give you specific instructions that may include caring for the dressings and incisions, directions for your analgesics and other medications, specific concerns to look for, and when to follow up in the office to monitor your healing process. It may take several months for the swelling to fully resolve, and up to six months for the incision scars to fully fade. Avoidance of factors that could reduce the benefits of the surgery, such as excessive unprotected sun exposure and cigarette use, is vital. Best of luck!Dhaval M. PatelDouble Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Hoffman Estates Barrington Oakbrook Chicago 

there is almost no bruising nor swelling after neck lipo since we use special foam pads to prevent this. Most patients go back to work in 24 hrs.

Typically, patients who undergo a facelift or neck lift
procedure can return to normal activities after two weeks. During this time you
may experience side effects such as bruising or a tight sensation on the neck. Scarring
can take months to recover depending on where the incision is made by your
surgeon. At my practice I have created a Rapid Recovery Face and Neck lift that
has a 7 day recovery period and virtually no visible scars by the 2 week mark.
In most cases your stitches are removed 7-10 days after surgery and you can
start wearing makeup 7 days after surgery. 

On average, the recovery time is about two weeks. An alternative is VASER/ThermiRF combination to get great results with very little downtime. Please see an expert. Best, Dr. Emer

This question will generate different answers based on each physician's experience and face/neck lift technique. On average, I find that my patients feel comfortable going out in public around 7 days after a face and/or neck lift procedure with some signs of mild bruising/swelling. It's always my patients that follow my postop instructions in detail that heal the quickest.  I offer my patients laser treatments to the bruises during that first week as part of their aftercare to help speed up the process if needed. Most patients are able to slowly start getting back to exercise at 2 weeks after an extended face and neck lift surgery. For important social events, premiers, or television appearances, I recommend 4 weeks in the rare event that there may be a delay in healing. 

Hello.  The answer depends on what kind of surgery you get.  A mini lift, or "lunch time lift" has a quick recovery and patients can return to work within the week.  Bear in mind, however, a mini lift means very minimal work is done, which may be adequate for early signs of aging.  If you have more advanced aging, then a mini lift may not be the best option.  Most patients who start thinking of facelifts benefit from a formal lower face and neck lift.  This will achieve the best results, but will result in longer recovery.  Typically, this lasts about two weeks, after which most of the swelling and bruising are gone.  Any residual bruising can easily be covered up by makeup.  Also, your occupation is an important consideration.  If you are doing a lot of physical activity, you definitely don't want to return to work before two weeks.  The best advice is to seek a board certified surgeon for formal consultation and discussion of options and outcomes. Take care.

Great question.  usually, 7-10 days and you can be in pretty good shape - depending on the amount of bruising you may or may not have you can be back on your feet at work.  that being said, in my practice we often say give yourself a few more days and take a full two weeks off. to be perfectly honest with you, there are a couple of variables at play here.  first of, what is being done?  if it is just a face and neck lift - that is not too bad of a recovery from a "get back to work" standpoint.  but if you are having adjunctive fat grafting, or laser resurfacing of your skin, then that will certainly mean you will need to take at least 2 weeks off. next, what do you do for a living? if you are a health trainer and have to exercise for a living, then your recovery will take longer, and you really should wait a full 3-4 weeks.  what's your skin like? are you a good healer? do you normally bruise easily? all these variables come in to play and can be discussed in detail during your consultation.  That being said, giving yourself a good two weeks to recover is adequate for most patients.  i hope some of this helps.  as i mentioned, the best way to figure out how long you may take to heal is during your consultation as you and your PS discuss what the procedure will be, what techniques will be done, etc.  hopefully some of this information can point you in the right direction.  best of luck!

Hello and thank you for your question. The recovery time for a facelift is usually 7-12 days for our patients. Bruising and swelling however is different for everyone. We have found that Bromelain and Arnica are very beneficial to reduce the time of bruising and swelling. I would consult with your plastic surgeon so that they can evaluate your specific needs and recovery time according to your health history. Good luck!

Hi Patrick,Recovery from neck lift surgery takes anywhere from two to four weeks in most people, though many patients go back to work in two weeks. Scars are usually not noticeable after enough time has passed for them to mature. In any case, they are easily disguised in natural skin creases, or by the hair. In persistent cases scars can be hidden with makeup until total healing has occurred. Bear in mind that the aging process continues after surgery and that some relaxation of tissues will occur over the first few weeks. It is recommended that even if very little pain is expected after surgery, you should still take pain killers.  Some degree of swelling and bruising is unavoidable; cold compresses will help keep swelling to a minimum.  If a dressing has been applied, it will be removed within one to two days.  You need to keep your head elevated when lying down, to avoid as much activity as possible, and to report any undue discomfort. In some cases, a drainage tube may have been inserted during surgery. This will be removed on the first or second day after surgery. All sutures and staples are usually removed within five to 10 days following surgery. Vigorous activity should be avoided.  

Thank you for your question. Postoperative recovery can vary but typically patients are presentable to be out and about within two weeks. That is not to say that all healing is complete at this point. Healing will continue for several months. By two weeks the majority of bruising has resolved and a significant amount of swelling has abated such that patients look well enough to return to work and social activities. Some patients will be out of this range and its important to adhere to avoiding certain things pre-op which can prolong healing: NSAID's. aspirin, fish oil, Vitamin D etc. Treatment with Arnica and Bromelain preoperatively can be helpful to reduce bruising and swellingBest of LuckDrG