Facelift
CAN I HAVE OTHER PROCEDURES DONE AT THE SAME TIME AS A FACELIFT?
Yes, it is very common to address all areas of the face at the same time. Patients often decide to have their eyes, brows, and fat injections for overall volume in the face improved at the same time. Doing multiple procedures on the same day will not significantly lengthen your recovery time, and it will allow you to heal all at once and have a really nice, complete result.
HOW LONG DOES A FACELIFT TAKE TO RECOVER?
There are several different types of facelifts, ranging from mini to full face, which can affect your healing time. The most common standard facelift takes approximately 2 weeks to get back to a relatively normal routine. During your first week, you will be recovering from most of your physical healing including, but not limited to, drain removal, mild bruising, swelling, and some redness at the incision sites. By the second week, you will see real progress and be able to drive, attend social events, and look very presentable. You may start light exercise at approximately 3 weeks and the rest of your healing may consist of some residual numbness/tingling/fading or redness which is very mild and doesn’t bother most patients. Again, these healing times are dependent upon the type of facelift you are having and your age, health etc.
AFTER A FACELIFT WILL I STILL NEED INJECTABLES?
After your facelift, you will have a more youthful, rejuvenated appearance. A facelift will remove excess skin and add nice definition to your face and neck. If you need volume it is a good idea to add fat injections during your facelift surgery. Fat grafting into the temples, mid-face, and areas around your mouth can greatly decrease the likelihood of future injections. Although your current age, facial structure, skin elasticity, and budget may determine if you will need future injectables. A facelift combined with fat augmentation in specific areas will significantly enhance your appearance.
IS A FACELIFT PAINFUL?
There is minimal discomfort following a facelift. You will be prescribed medication to control any pain you may have, but most patients take them for only a few days and are relatively comfortable after 4-5 days. As you begin to heal you may experience itchiness, swelling, and some tightness which is completely normal, and for most, subsides within the first few weeks. I typically make the neck skin tight, as a significant amount of improvement is often needed in the neck. By comparison, I do not make the face skin tight, as that is not natural and can appear unfavorable.
WILL MY INCISIONS BE VISIBLE?
In general, facelift incisions heal very nicely. Techniques are used to minimize the scar as much as possible with meticulous care to placement and closing of the incision site, the result being the scar should be very hard to detect once fully healed. You can expect small incision lines that border the front and behind the ears, ending at the margin of the hairline. You may also have a small inconspicuous incision under your chin if extension neck improvement is needed.
Jason Cooper, MD
Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon
Trust your results to Dr. Jason Cooper, a board-certified plastic surgeon with nearly 20 years of experience and a top 1% facelift and neck lift practice in the U.S. Known for his natural aesthetic and meticulous approach, he delivers safe, personalized results using the latest advanced techniques.
