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

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

The timing on suture removal after a Facelift varies from surgeon to surgeon. My personal timing is 4-5 days for the small sutures that are visible near the front of the ear. The others that are behind the ear or in the hairline are removed in 8 - 10 days. Hope this was helpful.

Best
Dr D

The timing of stitch removal after facelift varies between surgeons, the suture technique and the rate of healing observed.

However, to give you a rough answer, I remove the 'visible' sutures in 5-7 days and the 'hidden' sutures - those where some tension is encountered - at 10-12 days

In my practice sutures in the face are out in 5 days and staples in the scalp are ususally left for 10 days. That is in a young healthy patient without major medical problems and medications/ social habits that could complicate wound healing.