Before you get a facelift, you should find out what to expect as you heal..
If you are planning to get a facelift,
you should learn a bit about the recovery process first. In particular, you should find out what is normal and what is not, as you might be surprised by both. Consider some of the details that indicate that you are healing normally, as well as the warning signs that should be reported to your doctor right away.
Your skin will probably look red and even bruised directly after the procedure, but it should heal in the following weeks. It may even be puffy and will not look like your normal face, or even the result you expected. However, it will take a few weeks for the swelling and bruising to go away, and after that you can expect to get the look you wanted. For this reason, be sure to schedule your facelift at least a few months before any big events for which you want to look good.
You will get pain medication from your doctor to take care of any pain or discomfort, though it should be slight. Be sure to take the medication as directed by your surgeon or by the bottle. Note that if even if you are not in pain once the drug wears off, you may need to take more since it is easy to keep the discomfort at bay once you are feeling good, but it is hard to get rid of it once it comes back.
While some discomfort is expected, sudden pain that appears out of nowhere is not normal. You should tell your doctor about this to find out if there is an infection or new issue that needs to be taken care of, as the discomfort should be pretty consistent while you heal, not sudden. In addition, though some swelling is normal, swelling that shows up suddenly may be cause for concern, as it might signal that the affected area is getting worse, not better. If so, your doctor needs to be notified so you can get treated quickly enough to avoid long-term complications.
One of the most common issues after a facelift or any surgery is infection. You will know that your incision is infected if it suddenly hurts. Also, if it begins bleeding again or has pus near it, it is probably infected. Redness around the incision and a fever are also signs of infection, so keep an eye out for these problems. If you let the infection continue without treatment, you risk tissue death, which can leave lasting results on your face. In the worst case scenario, you could die from this issue, so it is important that you tell your surgeon immediately.
As long as you are aware of what to expect during facelift recovery, you can avoid running to your doctor with various small details that are normal. On the other hand, you can also avoid ignoring an issue that you may assume is normal, only to face long-term complications or even death as a result.
