Rehabilitation after facelift

Facelift is a plastic surgery to lift the skin of the face. By affecting the soft tissues of the face, the plastic surgeon performs aesthetic correction of its shape and surface. The successful elimination of any age–related changes on the face is the main goal of facelift. After the operation, the patient will have a guaranteed result – a young, clean, well-groomed face.

Facelift is a complex and often large-scale surgical procedure. The consequences, such as swelling and bruising, cannot be avoided in any case. Therefore, high-quality recovery after facelift is extremely important.

Standard rehabilitation

In all cases, rehabilitation after facelift includes several standard procedures.:

•  taking painkillers. Some patients can do without them, as the pain after surgery is insignificant, and a high pain defect allows them to be tolerated without discomfort.;
•  wearing a special compression mask. After facelifting, it is necessary to fix the facial skin so that the scars heal properly and quickly.;
•  special skin care. After facelifting, on about the second day, the skin is treated with special medications that accelerate healing. However, the use of cosmetics should be abandoned for the entire period of rehabilitation.

Postoperative complications

There are a certain number of complications that require special rehabilitation after facelift:

• internal bleeding. Within a day and a half after the operation, the patient may experience increased pain and swelling, which can develop into hematomas.;
• necrosis of tissues in the suture area. As a rule, this complication occurs in patients with diabetes and atherosclerosis, as well as in smokers. In general, skin necrosis is rare and resolves within a year.;
• facial asymmetry. Due to errors during the operation, the contours of the face may deform (for example, a hematoma has grown or one flap has dropped);
• the appearance of postoperative scars. In most cases, such scars are insignificant, but if they heal incorrectly, they can become very noticeable;
• infections. Infections can enter the surgical wound during surgery or accompany tissue necrosis. The result is inflammatory processes that require medical treatment.     

The elimination of all such complications is also part of the task of rehabilitation after facelift.

Recommendations for the recovery period

To speed up the rehabilitation period, the patient needs to follow a few simple rules. First, you should avoid any physical activity during the month. This is necessary in order to prevent an unwanted increase in blood pressure. For the same reason, it is worth abstaining from sexual activity for the entire recovery period.  

Secondly, you should not take aspirin during recovery after facelift. The fact is that because of it, blood clotting can slow down, which slows down the healing of scars and is fraught with bleeding. 

Thirdly, effective rehabilitation after facelifting also includes temporary abstinence from alcoholic beverages, sunbathing and tanning salons, hot baths and saunas.