Can Swelling Ater a Facelift Stretch the Skin Back Out?

        The swelling after facelift will improve the appearance of the skin temporarily and may be a look that some patients like.  However, the skin will not be stretched to any appreciable degree during these first few weeks.

Once your swelling goes down following facelift surgery, your skin will not stretch back out, and there will not be excess skin as a result of the swelling. I would recommend discussing any concerns with your surgeon ahead of time before having surgery performed. I hope this helps, and best of luck to you.  

Depending on the type of facelift, post-op swelling can be very mild, or severe. For most modern SMAS based facelifts, the swelling peaks at 72 hours and then gradually subsides. The reconstructed face is not compromised by this swelling, and the tissues return to normal within a few weeks. Personally, I have seen patients with heavy and fatty necks retain swelling for months - but these are isolated cases.

During the wound healing process, the swelling (edema) and contraction occur at completely different times.  Swelling occurs in response to surgery and is at it's maximum at 72hrs ( 3 days ).  The recoil properties of the skin, or the "contractile" properties of the skin will occur much later.

We do facelifts all the time in patients who have lots of excess skin - either from the aging process or even extreme weight loss.  They all do great!

The key is to find a good person who specializes in the aging face.  Best of luck to you!

Just as the swelling is temporary, the expansion of the skin surface area is also temporary.  The elsasticity in your skin will allow it to recover from the few weeks to months of swelling.  If there is excess of skin after the swelling goes away, it would be more likely the result of insufficient lift from the surgery for your face (and not from the swelling per se).