Facial massage/exercise after facelift. What is and isn't safe to do and when?

Question

When is it safe to massage face after face and necklift? Can massage undo or alter facelift results? If so, what about plyometric excercise, or even sleeping on my side? My PS told me that I could massage away my facelift, his words. Now I'm concerned as to what exactly is holding my face together and supporting the tissues?? I'm a runner an I normally do regular HIIT workouts with a lot of jumping, will it ever be safe to do these things again?

Jordan Cain, MD · Answer

Restrictions after face and neck lift are most important in the first few days and weeks after surgery. During that time, tissues and incisions are still healing and are more delicate. Typically, I don't have patients start to massage anything until at least 4-6 weeks after surgery if any massage is indicated, and massage should always be gentle and performed in the appropriate way. Early and aggressive massage could conceivably cause an incision to open or a suture to break, and this may be what your surgeon was referring to regarding "massaging away your facelift." Increasing your heart rate or blood pressure significantly with exercise such as HIIT workouts in those early days can also increase swelling or even cause blood vessels in the area of surgery that are still healing to rupture and cause bleeding underneath the skin. I have patients wait for 2 weeks before restarting any exercise, and I tell them to slowly work back up to their previous activity levels over a period of 1-2 weeks. At 6 weeks after surgery, most tissues will have healed with enough strength that restrictions should be minimal. In the long term, a facelift that was done appropriately by repositioning the correct tissue layers with the right technique should not be affected by sleeping position, running, jumping, plyometrics, or any other form of exercise. Each patient heals at a different rate, and it is important to always follow up with your surgeon regularly in the postop period for advice specific to your case. Hope that helps!

Ronald J. Edelson, MD · Answer

Facial exercises will be of no benefit and potentially could stretch out the skin faster than it would on its own

William Portuese, MD · Answer

In our practice, we allow patients to start exercising at two weeks after the procedure. Regarding facial massaging, it's probably best to wait at least 3 to 4 weeks. Also important to post a full set of facial photographs to make sure you're a candidate for the procedure.

Facial massage/exercise after facelift. What is and isn't safe to do and when?

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Facial massage/exercise after facelift. What is and isn't safe to do and when?

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Everything you need to know about Facelift

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