What is the downtime after a facelift?

Thank you for submitting your question.  The downtime is 2 weeks for a facelift.  You may choose to return to work with makeup but ypur colworkers will notice the swelling.  Plan ahead and schedule your face lift and allow for sufficient time to heal.  Best Wishes. 

Facelift recovery is dependent on many variables. Patient health, age, anatomy, and lifestyle all play a role. Also the operative techniques, extent of Work being done, and surgeons experience can effect recovery time. 
It does not make sense to me that a comprehensive facelift surgery on a Monday would have you recovered by Thursday.  You will need to anticipate bruising and swelling that would be noticeable for several weeks. It is true that long hair can hide this, but potential for being noticed is very real. 
A quicker recovery can be expected with a mini lift. Perhaps that is what is being planned for you. However you must understand that even with this procedure the potential for noticeable bruising is still there. 
Best Regards, Dr. Weiss

Your instructions will vary from surgeon to surgeon, so it's important to discuss your surgeon's specific instructions to maximize your recovery.  I generally tell patients that they must avoid turning the head or stretching the neck for 2 weeks. When you turn, move the shoulders and head as one unit or as though you had a “stiff neck.” This is important to prevent stretching the healing incisions and causing the scars to widen, as well as to prevent putting tension on the deep sutures beneath the skin, which could cause them to pull loose.  Because of this risk, we advise patients to not drive for 2 weeks following surgery. In order to minimize swelling, you are advised to sleep with the head of your bed elevated or in a recliner for 2-4 weeks post-op.  With some make-up, your hair worn down, a neck scarf, and thick-rimmed sunglasses, you should be able to go out in public within a few days with minimal attention drawn to yourself. Most patients take 2 weeks off from work after a rhytidectomy and are able to resume their exercise regimen within 3-4 weeks.

First, I certainly hope your procedure goes well. As others
have indicated, if you undergo facelift surgery on a Monday and return to work
on Thursday, your co-workers will certainly notice. Virtually all
board-certified plastic surgeons would recommend against returning to work only
a few days after a facelift if you're concerned about privacy. Your stitches
should be covered by your hair, but you can expect to have swelling and bruising
for at least another week. Best wishes for your recovery.

The
downtime after a facelift is about 2 weeks, and you
can be back to your normal daily activities. At 4 weeks post-op you can resume
all exercise.

You may not want to go back to within a week. You still may be swollen and may want to stay home another week. You want to be able to give yourself time to heal. I would also speak to your surgeon and see what they recommend that is best for you. 

If you return to work within a week of surgery your swelling and potential bruising will be noticeable.  Makeup will help but you may get some impolite questions

Generally speaking 10-14 days-- then patients usually ready to go back to work. By that time stitches will be removed and most of bruising and swelling will be down.

The downtime for a facelift is variable and dependent on many factors such as the age and health of the patient, adherence to pre and post facelift instructions, the beginning anatomy of the patient, and the level of anxiety the person has about being seen with post facelift swelling and/or bruising--everybody has differing levels.In general, most patients will feel socially comfortable performing most of their daily activities in 2 weeks, if a deep-plane facelift is performed.  Most patients will be walking, speaking on the telephone, and capable of doing computer work days 2-3 days after the procedure, but ideally taking 10-14 days off for most jobs would be beneficial and prudent.     The following link provides more information.I hope this helps.

Down time depends upon many factors, surgeon factors and patient factors. Surgeon factors include the type of facelift technique used, the extent of dissection, whether there are more than one plane of dissection, whether you have residual blood or serum (fluid build-up) between the planes of dissection, whether there is any compromise in circulation, etc. Patient factors include your ability to resolve swelling, to heal your incisions, whether your blood pressure is under control, whether you bruise easily, etc. In general, because the bleeding risk does not extend beyond 2 weeks, most people can start exercising after 2 weeks. If you have a low key job, you may be able to return to work after one week.