Facelift, Rhytidectomy - Recovery

What Kind of Recovery Follows Facial Cosmetic Surgery?

Facelift and other major Facial Surgeries are usually performed under light general anesthesia. Most people don't remember their experience in the operating room because of the amnesia effects of the sedatives.

After your surgery, you will spend some time in the Recovery Room of the surgical facility.

• When you wake up, you will have a cold compress gauze dressing over your eyes. Don’t be alarmed if your eyes are covered and you cannot see. There is always a nurse available to assist you. Just ask for anything you need!
• Your face and neck will feel very tight and swollen due to surgery. Your neck and face will be wrapped in soft bandages that at times might make you feel confined. Some patients perceive this as choking or not being able to breathe. As long as you can talk you can breathe; therefore don’t get overly anxious!
• Your vision will also be blurry for one to two days after surgery because of the medications that were placed on your eyes, as well as, eyelid swelling.
• Don't panic even if your eyes are closed shut the day after surgery. This might be caused by swelling and or bruising. As long as you have some vision, there is no cause for alarm.
• Wear your dark sunglasses or keep your eyes coverd on the way home to avoid bright sun irritation.
• Once you go home, make yourself comfortable in a couch or a bed, with your back up, and your head elevated. Start using, the cold packs over your eyes right away and continue at least for the first 48 hours.
• You can drink liquids and most types of foods as long as they are not too spicy or greasy.
• We encourage you to walk a bit at home and to not be sedentary.
• Continue to take your usual prescription medications, exept those that we have specifically intructed against.
• You can slightly loosen up your neck and facial dressings but you cannot remove them until you return to doctor’s office.

Facelift Recovery Instructions: Dos and Don'ts!

• After surgery, the best position for the first 2-3 days is to be lying semi-reclined. Elevation of the upper body and head reduces the swelling and aching of the eyes and face.
• The application of cold packs, wet compresses, or frozen peas over your eyes are of the most benefit, especially during the first two days.
• DO NOT put ice or very cold compresses directly on your face, because it can cause frostbite and even loss of facial skin.
• Take your pain medications routinely because any increase in pain can increase your blood pressure and cause more swelling, bruising, and prolonged healing.
• Routinely, use the lubricating eye drops to keep your eyes moist, and use other prescribed drops and medications as directed.
• Gentle outward massage and blinking can also help to rid you of the swelling.
• It is very common not to be able to completely close your eyes for weeks after double eyelid surgery. To protect your eyes during sleep, cover them with a moist clean cloth and/or apply lubricating eye ointment (Lacrilube, Duolube).
• Although it is good to gently and sparingly apply some Vaseline on your eyelids to keep them moist, DO NOT use Neosporin or other antibiotic ointments or lotions because they can burn your eyes.

"The first day after surgery, my mouth felt sandy, and my face was numb. I was not in pain, but I did feel hot and confined." — Jane, age 46

• If you just had eyelid surgery, you may get your face and the stitches wet in the shower the next day. Otherwise, if you have bandages around your face or head, don’t get them wet, but you may carefully wash your face.
• I encourage you to be mobile and to not be sedentary in order to reduce the chance of forming blood clots in your legs.
• Some people develop back pain or muscle spasm as a result of sleeping propped up. If you experience this, put a heating pack on your back and have a family member massage your back.
• Take your nausea medications about one hour before taking your antibiotics and pain medication in order to lessen the extent of nausea.
• Do NOT take any aspirin-like products, diet pills, or vitamins until after approved by your doctor.

• It is good to stay well hydrated, but avoid drinking too much plain water because it can make you more nauseated.
• Avoid eating greasy or spicy foods for the first three days, and have antacids available if you get an upset stomach.
• NO smoking for at least four weeks after surgery, because smoking can have devastating effects on your facial wounds.
• Do Not wear contact lenses for about two weeks or until your surgeon has approved them.
• Recovery varies for each patient, as will the timing for resuming exercise and normal physical activities. Although you will probably be able to return to work within a two weeks, your cosmetic surgeon will instruct you to avoid heavy physical exertion, including heavy lifting, frequent bending, reaching high over shoulder, and jogging for the first two weeks. Also, excessive reading or prolonged driving can tire your eyes during the first 6 weeks after surgery.
• While most of the swelling will go away during the first two months, there could be some residual swelling and inflammation for up to one year after surgery depending on the extent of surgery and the way your body heals.
• Try to wear sunglasses when driving or in sunny areas to protect your eyes from the bright sun irritation.
• You can have sex after two weeks, as long as you don’t overly exert yourself, and keep your incision clean for up to 3-4 weeks.
• You cannot use a public pool, Jacuzzi, or go into the ocean for at least 4 weeks after surgery.
• Small whitehead-like cysts called Milia can develop on the eyelid skin or the incisions. These are harmless and can be easily removed if they persist.

• Eyelid surgery does not affect your permanent makeup. If you are planning to have permanent makeup after surgery you should wait for six weeks to avoid running or smudging of the permanent makeup.
• Your eyelid sutures will usually be removed in about 5-6 days after surgery. Your scalp sutures will be removed in two weeks, while the drains will be removed in about 2 days.
• You can wear camouflage makeup and concealer after your sutures are removed, and as long as you don't get them in your eyes.
• During your first several week after your surgery if you have any important questions or concerns, please feel free to contact my office, at any time of the day or night.

Some Tips for Your Significant Others!

The support of your family and loved ones can be as important to your healing as following your physician's medical directives. Their understanding of the pain, discomfort, and at times, the roller coaster of emotions, that you might experience can make all the difference in having an optimal outcome.

Here are some tips for your significant others that will be helpful to them in helping you:

1. You should be available as a full time caregiver for at least 48 hours to help the patients with the tasks that are normally taken for granted, like being able to walk to the bathroom.
2. You, or someone, should care for the patient's children for a minimum of one week, and be sure that she has assistance in lifting young children for several days after your surgery.
3. Help with pet care. Someone should walk them, feed them and clean up after them for at least several days. Make sure that pets don't come into contact with any facial wounds because they can cause severe infection.
4. Prepare to help the patient address the swelling that she will experience, according to her physician's instructions. This may include ice packs or cold compresses specifically designed for eyelid and facial surgery.
5. Know that he or she may experience mood swings, and feel like crying off and on – especially in the first couple of weeks. This is a normal aftermath of major surgery.
6. Encourage him or her to drink lots of water – to address bloating and to keep her hydrated.
7. Remind the patient to not fight the pain – to go with the flow, and take her medications as directed. It is not good to try and be a hero!
8. Give lots of compliments. She may be fearful because it will take some time before her eyes and face appear as they should. She has a lot of healing to do!
9. Prepare simple and easily digestible foods, such as scrambled eggs or Jello.
10. Remind her to sleep on her back for the first week!
11. Be there when she goes to have her bandages removed, to support her through any discomfort she may be feeling.
12. As far as sex is concerned, let the patient take the initiative.
13. Some patients feel scared that they might harm their face if it is touched or manipulated after surgery. Have them ask their doctor about this and get some reassurance.
14. Some patients feel depressed or regretful about having undergone facial rejuvenating surgery. Sometimes they don't know how to handle the attention or questions that a new and refreshed face will bring about. At the same time, significant others can develop uneasy feeling about the fact that you underwent such surgery. It is good to talk about your feelings and to even seek outside help if you can’t resolve some ambiguities.

Emotional Changes

As is true of any major surgery, you may feel some emotional ups and downs following Face Lift/Neck Lift. This is particularly true when you see a face that is bruised and swollen, even though this is normal and will pass. Healing is slow and the results of your surgery may not be apparent for many months. Initially, your face may look and feel distorted, and this may contribute to your conflicted feelings. If your depression does not resolve within a short time, you should discuss this with your physician.

Will I Notice a Different Right Away?

Your face, neck, and eyelids will look bruised, swollen, and even gruesome for about two weeks but this will pass. The incisions may look raised, somewhat red, and tender and itchy for several weeks after surgery as they heal. This can take up to six to twelve months. During the early phase of healing your face is swollen and might appear uneven and asymmetrical. This is because the two sides of the face heal and recover at different rates which can take up to five to ten months to resolve. During this period you can also experience tightness of neck, face, and eyes and dryness of the skin. Some bruises might last longer than one month. Your eye prescription might even change due to the swelling of the eyes.

As with any surgery, you will need time to heal. This is particularly true of your delicate facial skin.

Although you would be presentable with some makeup at two to three weeks, in most cases, it takes five to ten months for the face to reach its final form and appearance.

How Long Will the Improvement Last?

For most patients, the improvement is long-lasting, and usually for ten to fifteen years. But depending on how you age or extraneous factors such as sun damage, massive weight loss and smoking, you might need to undergo touch-up procedures sooner.

Dr. Younai is a Board Certified Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon with experience in all aspects of Facial Cosmetic Surgery including Facelift or Rhytidectomy, eyelid surgery or blepharoplasty, neck lift, forehead or brow lift, rhinoplasty, etc. He is skilled and experienced in all techniques of facial rejuvenation surgery and strives to create a face that is natural and normal looking. During your consultation he will discuss all details including: if you are a good candidate, surgical options and techniques, potential risks and complications of surgery, pre- and post-operative instructions, recovery course, as well as what to expect after surgery. At that time Dr. Younai will also show you before-and-after pictures of other patients with facelifts, who might be similar to you.

Dr. Younai receives patients from the Northern as well as the Southern California region. Some of these cities include Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Hollywood, Burbank, Pasadena, Glendale, Valencia, Palmdale, Fresno, and Oxnard.

Dr. Younai performs his surgeries at the Regency Surgery Center which is certified by Medicare, AAAHC, and AAAASF. This state-of-the-art facility is located in Encino, and near Sherman Oaks, Calabasas, Woodland Hills, Thousand Oaks, and Westlake Village.

Facelift - Candidates
Surgical Techniques
Adjunct Procedures
Surgeon Qualifications
Risks & Complications
Facelift - Preparation
Facelift - Recovery

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Facelift Photos