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!

Dear NAFLN45,

 

Although anything is possible in theory, it is pretty unlikely that post-operative swelling will stretch your skin out so much that your final result would be compromised.  If you're really worried, you can wear a compression garment on your face/neck after a facelift procedure.  I personally don't use them in my patients, but as I said, it is an option.

Best,

Asif Pirani, MD, FRCS(C)

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).

Not to worry- while there is some swelling after a face lift, it is not nearly enough to problematically re-stretch the skin.  It's certainly a logical question but not one that you should be concerned about.

The edema that occurs after a facelift will NOT stretch out the skin and reverse the facelift.  The majority of the lift comes from tightening the muscles, not the skin

The skin has an amazing ability to accommodate swelling, and then contract once again.  Significant edema (swelling) that could disrupt the final result does not last for months.  Subtle amounts could persist for a longer time, depending upon the type of facelift.  Minimizing salt intake and using Arnica Montana will minimize swelling in most people

I would not be concerned that post-operative swelling would ruin the overall result of your facelift. The strength of a facelift is in the anchoring of the muscle underneath the skin. The skin has remarkable contractile properties and is rarely affected by immediate post-operative swelling.