Recovering after Face Lift

After surgery

Your bandages will be removed the morning after your surgery. After that, your hair will be washed and you'll be allowed to leave the hospital.

Once at home

Once at home it's important to take certain precautions:

• To prevent post-operative bleeding it's important not to engage in vigorous activity for the first five days after your face lift surgery.
• Aspirin should be avoided. Any discomfort can be controlled by taking a mild analgesic such as Paracetamol.
• You may gently wash your hair with a mild shampoo, exercising care in the suture area. Alternatively, you can use an antiseptic wash like Hibiscub, which also helps keep the wounds clean.

You'll find additional post operative instructions at the end of this article. You will also receive a complete list of post operative care instructions before you leave the hospital.

As your convalescence continues

• Your sutures will usually be removed seven days after surgery. It is advisable not to apply any strong chemicals like bleach or ammonia to the area for four weeks following face lift surgery.
• Your scars will usually be very faint at first, however you can expect them to thicken and redden for a few months after your cosmetic surgery before they return to a more natural skin colour and texture.
• It is normal to experience some bruising, swelling and numbness after a face lift.

These symptoms are temporary and should mostly disappear after two weeks.

Numbness takes longer to settle down, and it will require approximately a months for the cheeks and three to four months for the underside of the chin.

To help lessen post-operative bruising, we suggest taking Arnica for one week prior to your surgery and two weeks after. After the facelift surgery, products like Hirudoid® will be very useful to reduce and clear the bruises.