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What to Expect After Facelift Surgery

It’s impossible to stop time and the aging process so let’s just face it head-on. Every woman at some point in her life will look in the mirror and think about getting plastic surgery. Some of us will think about it more often and more in-depth than others but the bottom line is that we all consider it at one point in our lives.

For those of us that are seriously considering it, there are many things that run through our minds as we get closer to the day of the surgery. This type of surgery requires that you have a skilled doctor that has experience and a good record with his or her patients. You can find great doctors who have years of experience with facelift surgery Houston Texas. What happens after surgery? What is the healing process? In the next few paragraphs, we are going to give you the information that you need in order to answer all of these questions.

One of the most important things to remember when you are getting a facelift is recovery time is important and you should plan to have someone with you in your home to help you the first two to four days. This is major surgery and you will need assistance so if you don’t have a close friend or relative that you can assist you then you will need to go through a home health care agency to get a care provider for this time period.

During the first, two to three days following surgery your neck, face, forehead, and your eyes will be swollen and you will not be able to drive or operate heavy machinery or equipment. Each person will affect differently but you can expect to experience pain, swelling, tightness, and numbness throughout your face and neck. Your doctor will prescribe you pain medication and you should only take them as directed.

You can also expect your incisions to seep bodily fluids such as blood and you will need to get plenty of sleep during this time with your head being elevated at a forty-five degree angle. You must drink plenty of fluids and get up and walk around about every four hours to help with your circulation.

Now that you are in your second week of recovery you should start feeling better but it’s not quite time to resume normal activity yet. You should limit the time that you are actively using your eyes with activity such as reading or screen time on your computer or smartphone. You should also still have your head elevated above your heart to help with circulation.

You will still have significant bruising and maybe some swelling but your stitches are normally removed in about seven to fourteen days after your surgery. You can resume driving activity but limit it to small increments.

About three weeks to a month after surgery you can begin to resume normal activities such as work and social events. Exercise should be introduced slowly and sexual activity is allowed at this point as well. Every patient will heal differently at a different pace but your bruising and swelling should be at a minimum at this point.

It is recommended that you don’t expose your scars to direct sunlight, including tanning beds, for at least a year after your surgery. If you are a smoker of cigarettes or electronic cigarettes then you will need to refrain from using all nicotine products for at least three weeks after surgery.