What to Expect After a Face Lift

Having a face lift can be an outstanding way to improve the fine lines and wrinkles you have. As a part of the natural aging process, the skin in this area and other areas of your body will lose some of the collagen boost that gives it a youthful look. Even though products like Botox can help, sometimes it is best to take the procedure one step further and start to focus on more invasive procedures. The good news is that this procedure can be very successful at helping to restore the youthful look you are craving. What Happens Afterward? Though you may be interested in what happens during a face lift, many people are also worried about what happens afterward. What can you expect after having this procedure performed? Most patients will not feel much, if any pain after their surgery. In fact, you should let your surgeon know right away if you do feel a significant amount of pain. You may be given medications to help you. It is also not necessary for most people to stay in the hospital after having this procedure. After going home, you will need time to heal. You should have someone with you for at least 24 hours after the procedure to help you. Expect to have some swelling and bruising. This will improve over time. However, it is likely that your doctor will recommend using a cold compress to help minimize the onset of too much bruising or swelling. Most often, the dressings from your procedure will be removed about two days later. The goal is to give the area time to heal well prior to moving or using it. The total healing time can take up to three weeks. Most people get back to life much sooner. Your doctor will talk to you about any physical limitations you should have. It is likely you will need to take a few days off from work to heal. This will depend on the extensiveness of the procedure. You will need to keep your skin clean, which means not wearing makeup or applying lotions. A face lift can be an outstanding opportunity to see improvements in the way your skin looks. However, you will need to give your body the time necessary to heal. Talk to your surgeon about what to expect after your procedure since it may be different. In addition, you may want to discuss the way your face will look after having this procedure done. Most doctors will be able to give you an idea of the amount of change that will occur so you can prepare for your new, youthful looking skin.