Getting a facelift is an exciting procedure as the results will leave you with a youthful, brighter, and contoured face. As long as you choose an experienced and well-trained surgeon to work with, you are in good hands. An experienced surgeon will not only brief you about the process and the outcome that you should expect but also give you an understanding of the precautions to follow after the surgery for a speedy recovery. If you have questions like what to expect after your facelift surgery, how much it will hurt, or how long will your face be swollen, let the professionals answer your questions in this blog.
Dr. Mohan Thomas is a US-trained and Triple board-certified cosmetic surgeon with expertise in facial rejuvenation. In this blog, he explains all the post-operative procedures that you must follow with extensive care.
Post-operative care is extremely important. You can significantly reduce your chances of unnecessary pain and complications of infections if you make sure to follow all the recommendations carefully.
What To Do Immediately After the Surgery?
After your surgery is completed and you are discharged from the hospital, make sure that you are accompanied by an adult for 24 hours after the surgery as you will be required to rest during that time. Part of your face will be covered in dressings which cannot be removed for at least until the next 48 hours.
When you lie on a bed, ensure your head is elevated. Resting in a recliner position is ideal. Even when you are asleep, it is recommended to place two pillows under your head. Try to sleep on the back of your head and not on the side of your face.
You can take the prescribed medicines when you begin to feel slight levels of discomfort. This will prevent the pain from getting worse later. Refrain yourself from performing strenuous activities for the first few weeks after the surgery.
First Few Days After the Surgery:
After the first few days of the face lift surgery in India, you will still have some discomfort but the pain should have subsided at this point. The medication you take should keep the pain at bay but the swelling and bruising are likely to stay. The youthful skin that you expect to see after a facelift surgery in Mumbai cannot be achieved in the initial phases after the surgery. The surgeon has altered your skin, muscles, and fat (in some cases) so it is normal to experience tightness in your neck.
It is advisable to keep calm during this phase and give your body plenty of time to heal. Having someone by your side to assist you in daily activities can be of great help. You should also follow some steps that promote faster recovery. You can move around the house and walk a little to keep the blood circulating in your body. You can also perform normal activities including light exercises to boost your body’s natural healing response and ensure complication-free recovery.
Two Weeks After the Surgery:
After two weeks of the surgery, you have already been through the hardest part of the recovery process. You can now return to work as long as it does not involve too much physical stress. You may be asked to stay at home a few more days if you have a labor-intensive job. It is completely normal to have slight bruising and swelling at this point. You can cover the bruises with makeup if you wish to but most patients can appear in public without hesitation at this point after their surgery.
Since your face is still healing and swelling is subsiding, it is normal to feel tingling sensations on your face. This is a normal part of the recovery process but if you have any concerns, consult your surgeon about the same. However, you should still sleep with your head slightly elevated on two pillows to help reduce the swelling and promote healing.
A Month After the Surgery:
By now, your body would have completely recovered from the facelift surgery. This is when you can resume the routine activities that you had to refrain from doing after the surgery. This includes weight lifting and more strenuous exercise. At this point, all the signs of surgery would have reduced from your face and you can appear in public without hesitation. The bruises and swelling should have subsided by this time.
The Bottom Line:
The results and success of your facelift surgery depend heavily on how much you take care of yourself and the experience of your surgeon. Even if you spend an extravagant facelift surgery cost in Mumbai or abroad and work with the best surgeon, there is no guarantee of obtaining satisfactory results if you do not take proper care after the surgery. To reap the maximum benefits of all the positive changes associated with facelift surgery in Mumbai, it is important to pay close attention to the recovery process.