When Are Sutures Removed with a Full Face Lift, Forehead Lift and Small Chin Implant?

   Convention would dictate about 7 days for sutures in front of the ear.  Staples or sutures in the scalp or behind the ear could be removed at 10 days to 2 weeks.  Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

In my practice, after a full facelift or face and neck lift with chin implant sutures can be safely removed between 5 and 7 days. If staples are used  in the hair bearing areas which is often the case with of a full face and neck lift then staples are removed based on the level of healing up to 10 days after surgery.

Various areas of the face and body heal at different rates allowing for differing times for permanent suture removal based on the strength of the repair. I for example use rapidly dissolving sutures so that no sutures have to be removed on my facelifts, chin augmentation, and blepharoplasty patients. Patients love that ! The only exception is in the hair bearing scalp where clips are used and removed in 10-12 days. There are other factors - for example if buried sutures  are used holding the skin edges together, the skin sutures can be removed earlier. Lastly some surgeons like to remove some earlier than others. In general eyelid sutures are removed in approximately 3-5 days, facial sutures in 5-7 days for most surgeons. Your plastic surgeon will tell you the right answer for your particular surgery