when can you walk after a face lift?

You will be able to walk after a brief recovery period following your facelift. Mostly, however, your recovery period is a time for resting. We discourage any exercise that increases your blood pressure and heart rate for 2 weeks after your surgery.Be sure to follow your doctors instructions. 

Unless otherwise instructed, I like my facelift patients to walk on the day of surgery, *with assistance* in case they are not as alert due to medications or anesthesia still in their system. The reason I like patients to walk after surgery is to prevent blood clots or atelectasis (closing or collapse of small lung passages when you aren't taking deep breaths, that can lead to fever). This does not mean walking for long distances or power-walking for exercise, but simply walking around the house, and to and from the bathroom. Once anesthesia has worn off, and you understand how pain medication affects you, you may no longer need assistance and can walk on your own. The time it takes for this is different person to person. The actual instructions therefore will vary for each patient, and you should ask your surgeon for his or her recommendations for you in particular.

I permit my patients to resume walking for exercise immediately after facelift. Restrictions particular to a patient should be given by their own surgeon however.

Patient should follow their plastic surgeon’s specific post-operative
instructions to achieve a uneventful recovery. Walking after a facelift would
be safe in most of the cases. However, surgeons may require their facelift patients
to refrain from walking in certain cases. Facelift patients must always clarify
any questions with their surgeon or surgeon’s nurse team.

We encourage early ambulation following a facelift in our practice. We find that this is helpful not just in preventing the development of deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary atelectasis, pnuemonia, etc. It also improves a patient's mood, and makes her feel less "sick" .  The key is that in the immediate postoperative period, the walking be at an easy pace and not strenuous, i.e., no walking up stairs, no carrying of heavy things as you walk, no "speedwalking", etc. There is no need to rush, or push things. The patient will be able to return to her normal return before she knows it.