Facelift/Necklift recovery AFTER 4 weeks

Thank you for your question.  Your recovery sounds normal.  The skin and muscles of your face and neck are adjusting and recovering from your surgery.  It makes sense that your discomfort increases with activity and during the course of the day.  Although the initial bruising and swelling and feeling of tightness take 3-4 weeks to resolve I tell patients not to expect to feel normal and social environments or at work for at least 6 weeks.  Of course it is important to discuss this with your plastic surgeon.

Hi @ Sydney_Sixty Thanks for the question and CONGRATULATIONS on the Neck & Face Lift !
At about 5 weeks you're pretty much fully healed and socializing, smiling etc will not hurt you and it's great that you are doing that.You cannot do any harmWith these types of activities.The swelling is worse in the evening But that is natural initially for the first 1-2 months you might expect a bit of swelling towards the end of the day. 
Many patients are surprised that there is not a lot of pain or discomfort after a true surgical neck lift. Milk house yesterday
Patients tend to feel pretty good and back to themselves in about 24 to 48 hours, but it’s extremely important to avoid any strenuous activity for at least one week after surgery. This means no exercise or activity that increases the heart rate, no sexual activity, no straining to use the restroom. 
Most patients are able to return to work after 8-14 days because the bruising has subsided and the swelling is mostly gone. Makeup can be worn after the first week to conceal any bruising or scars. 
It takes about 3 months for most of the swelling to resolve and for you to see your true results. Sometimes, certain areas of your skin may remain firm for 6-9 months and this can be improved with lymphatic massage or just waiting for it to subside. Swelling follows gravity, so the last area to stay a bit firm and swollen is typically the lower neck but this is barely noticeable and concealed easily with a scarf. 
 The scars fade by about 12 months after surgery. 
we often advise our Facelift Patients to take Arnica and Bromelin which have been shown to reduce the period of bruising and swelling.
If you’re slow to recover with swelling try adhering to a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, avoiding any salt whatsoever. This, combined with a few lymphatic massage treatments can do wonders for reducing facial swelling after a facelift.
Congrats again, 
Dr. Karan Chopra
Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon
Face Plastic Surgery Expert
Aesthetic Fellowship Trained
Johns Hopkins Plastic Surgery Trained

This is my routine with patients having a normal early recovery from a facelift or necklift: Starting at 3 weeks gradually and progressively increase your physical exercise daily routine with increasing  high repetition low resistance activities - e.g. walking, stationary bike without resistance, elliptical, stairstep.That is minimal lifting and no bending (keep head elevated). At 6 weeks there is no restrictions unless you feel discomfort in your activity or there is increased swelling.