Post-Op Guide
The odds are very good that you’ll be able to go home on the same day you have your surgery. At the Glasgold Group, deep plane facelifts are performed on an outpatient basis, using twilight sedation. Here’s what to expect after surgery.
Immediately After Surgery
Once your facelift in New Jersey is complete, you’ll be moved into a recovery room while the anesthetic and sedatives wear off. You’ll be monitored in the room to ensure that you’re recovering well. After a few hours, you’ll be discharged and sent home unless there is a safety issue.
After you get home, you’ll most likely want to rest. When resting, keep your head as upright as possible to reduce swelling. You might find that sitting in a recliner is ideal.
You can apply an ice pack to the area around your incisions starting right after surgery and continuing for about four days. Wrap the ice pack in clean gauze or a towel. Don’t put the ice directly on your skin.
Leave the ice pack on for up to 15 minutes, then give the area a 20-minute break. You can continue icing on and off throughout the day. Always give yourself at least a 20-minute break and don’t leave the ice on the skin for more than 15 minutes at a time.
If you live alone, consider asking a friend or relative to stay with you overnight after your surgery. You’ll also need to have someone drive you home from the surgical facility.
Day 2
On the day after your facelift, you should return to the surgeon’s office for a follow-up. At this visit, your surgeon will examine the incisions and the treated area.
If all goes well at the visit, you’ll be able to return home and shower. You can wash your face and hair at this point, but avoid using any strong chemicals, such as those contained in hair dyes, relaxers, or permanents.
You can continue to apply ice to the surgical area and might find that taking pain relievers helps reduce discomfort.
Day 3
Continue to take things easy on the third day after your facelift. If necessary, continue to apply ice packs to the area and take pain medication as directed.
After 1 Week
Before the first week is over, you’ll want to go back to the surgeon’s office for another follow-up visit. At this visit, the surgeon will likely remove your sutures.
You can resume light exercise at about the one-week point. Light exercise includes walking and using an elliptical at a slow speed. You can also lift light weights. Avoid anything strenuous, such as spin class or heavy weightlifting at this point.
Depending on the type of work you do, you might feel comfortable returning to the office after about one week. If your job primarily involves sitting, you should be fine going back to work. If your work is more physically challenging and requires you to lift items or move around a lot, you might need to wait a few more weeks.
After 1 Month
You might be pretty much back to normal one month after your facelift new jersey. You can expect to have a third follow-up appointment with your surgeon about two weeks after your surgery.
At this point, you’ll most likely feel comfortable resuming your daily activities, including more strenuous exercise and physically demanding work tasks.