What is the typical length of recovery time from a facelift?
Answer:
The recovery after a facelift procedure is divided into 3 stages. The immediate recovery is that from the anesthesia. This is usually anywhere from 6 hours (when done under local anesthesia with oral sedation) to 12 hours when done with general anesthesia. This time is usually spent sleeping and resting. The next stage in recovery is the intermediate recovery, which is about 1 week. During this time, the facial swelling from the facelift will start to subside. It is important to start using cold compresses 10 minutes for every hour the patient is awake. The worst day of swelling is the morning of the second day. After this second day, the swelling will dramatically decrease. The bruising will also begin to decrease during this time. The second week marks the final stage of recovery. From here on the bruising and swelling dramatically decrease. The first 70 % of the swelling is decreased by the 3rd week. The patient begins to like what he or she sees in the mirror and the person’s perspective begins to change. Any negative thoughts that were present before now shift into positivity as the person starts to see the changes after the facelift procedure. The person starts to show new signs of confidence as he or she sees the “new look” and is pleased with the changes brought about by the facelift procedure. Posted by Dr. Bustillo