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

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.