What Can I Expect During My Facelift Recovery?

Eventually, signs of aging come for us all. Wrinkles, fine lines, age spots, and thin, sagging skin are common developments on our complexions that indicate a life well-lived. However, while some people may embrace the skin changes that form over the years, others might feel severe emotional distress over their aged appearance. 

If you aren’t feeling too fond of sagging and thinning skin, undergoing facelift surgery can turn back the hands of time and restore a more youthful complexion. 

At Houston Cosmetic Surgery Center in Houston, Texas, board-certified cosmetic facial and body surgeon David Davila, DO, FACOS, and our team offer facelift surgery to help you look and feel your very best. Here’s what you should know about this appearance-revitalizing procedure — including how to prepare and how to best recover.

How to prepare for your facelift

Before undergoing a facelift, you meet with Dr. Davila and our team to ensure that facelift surgery is a good fit for you. To qualify for facelift surgery, you need to be in good health, have some remaining skin elasticity, and have realistic expectations about what this procedure can accomplish. 

We also discuss your goals to help us determine which surgical approach is best. There are many facelift methods, and the one that’s best for you depends on your unique concerns. Your facelift surgery may also involve other procedures such as a brow lift or eyelid lift to further rejuvenate your appearance. 

In the days leading up to your surgery, you may need to stop taking certain medications that can affect the procedure and its recovery, including blood thinners and aspirin. You also need to prepare a comfortable recovery area at home and arrange for someone to drive you to and from your appointment. 

What happens during your Deep Plane facelift

The exact steps of facelift surgery vary from person to person. In a traditional facelift, Dr. Davila makes several incisions to separate your skin from underlying tissues before tightening your muscles and other supporting structures in your face and neck. He may also remove excess fat and skin before placing the existing skin in a more naturally youthful position. 

Another facelift surgery method is called a deep plane facelift. With this method, Dr. Davila lifts your muscles, fat, and skin as one unit. This allows him to address multiple areas of your face at one time. 

During your surgery, Dr. Davila can also treat sagging eyelids and brows to give you an even more youthful and “awake” appearance. 

What does facelift recovery entail?

A facelift is a major surgery that requires you to be diligent in following aftercare instructions. This minimizes the risk of adverse side effects and helps reduce the amount of recovery time you need. 

During the first few days, you can expect quite a bit of bruising and swelling. Our team prescribes pain medications to keep you comfortable while the initial swelling subsides. 

You need to keep surgical dressings on your face for a few days. Then, you return to our office for your first follow-up visit, and Dr. Davila removes your bandages and ensures everything looks as expected. 

For about two weeks, you need to stay off your feet as much as possible and avoid driving a vehicle. Your swelling should go down significantly over those two weeks, and you can resume normal daily activities after that period — though you should wait a full four weeks before doing any strenuous physical activity or returning to work. 

To maximize your facelift results, take care of your skin by using moisturizer often, protecting your skin from undue sun exposure, drinking lots of hydrating fluids, eating a balanced and nutritious diet, getting plenty of sleep, and keeping your stress levels to a minimum. 

Ready to rejuvenate your skin?

If aging has left your skin looking saggy and thin, our Houston Cosmetic Surgery Center team is here to help. For questions regarding facelift surgery, simply call our Houston, Texas, office today, or book an appointment online at your convenience.