Post Facelift Recovery: 6 Tips for a Faster, More Comfortable Healing Journey

Key Takeaways

• The facelift was the sixth-most-popular plastic surgery procedure in 2024. 
• With advanced surgical tools and techniques, today’s plastic surgeons can deliver long-term, natural-looking results with reduced scarring and faster recovery. 
• Many people interested in reinvigorating their youthful appearance with a facelift hesitate because of concerns about post-facelift recovery. 
• The surgeons at Naples Plastic Surgery in Southwest Florida are adept at helping patients proactively navigate their post-facelift recoveries to speed healing and optimize the youthful-looking results. 

If you’ve considered restoring the youthful look of your facial features with a facelift, you are not alone. According to the latest statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the facelift was the sixth most popular plastic surgery performed in 2024, with patient numbers topping those of 19 other procedures. With recent advancements in surgical tools and techniques, plastic surgeons today can deliver more natural-looking rejuvenation with reduced scarring, faster recovery, and durable results. Advanced imaging and anatomical mapping tools combined with deeper tissue repositioning create smoother, longer-lasting midface and jawline lifts without the pulled look common with many face lifts conducted in previous decades.     

However, many people who want to restore their youthful looks with a facelift hesitate due to concerns about the challenges of recovering from an invasive surgery. With long-term facelift surgical expertise in Southwest Florida, Drs. Paul Gardner, Mark Walsh, and Andrew Bonett of Naples Plastic Surgery are familiar with this dynamic. They acknowledge that post-facelift recovery remains a challenge that deters many people from revitalizing their youthful features with the procedure. That said, those willing to meet the post-facelift recovery challenge with a positive attitude are rewarded with a self-confidence-boosting, younger-looking, and refreshed appearance. Thus, let’s take a closer look at post-facelift recovery along with seven tips our surgeons offer for a faster, more comfortable healing journey:

What Can I Expect with My Post-Facelift Recovery?

The facelift specialists at Naples Plastic Surgery will advise you to prepare for two weeks of downtime before you can return to work and engage in social activities, and another four to six weeks before all facial swelling has subsided. Post-facelift recovery follows a predictable pattern, allowing you and your surgeon to take proactive steps to minimize discomfort and optimize healing. 

The first three days are marked by the most significant pain potential and peak bruising and swelling, which Naples Plastic Surgery moderates with a fluffy dressing, prescription pain medications, and supplements to mitigate bruising. By day four, pain levels have typically decreased, although the swelling will persist, and you should continue to limit your activities. After a week, your surgeon will remove any sutures, assess the healing, and adjust pain medications as needed. Swelling, bruising, and pain usually subside enough at the two-week mark that you can return to work and resume social activities. However, you should limit strenuous exercise or physical activities for up to a month. Within 4 to 6 weeks, all swelling should be gone, and your youthful, rejuvenated facial features will become increasingly apparent over the following weeks. 

It may take 2 to 3 more months before your face feels completely “back to normal,” as post-surgery skin tightness and temporary numbness often last up to 4 months. However, it will not take you that long to revel in the natural-looking, youthful transformation of your facial features.    

Six Post-Facelift Recovery Tips

Elevate Your Head While Sleeping

To help alleviate swelling and bruising, plan to sleep with your head elevated at a 30-45 degree angle for the first 7-10 days after surgery. You can achieve this elevation by using a wedge pillow or two to three regular pillows, and some patients find that they sleep best on a recliner during their first few days.

Keep Ahead of Pain with Meds on Schedule

To optimize pain management, you must take your prescribed pain medications on schedule and not wait until the pain starts intensifying. Taking your medications on the prescribed regular intervals maintains a consistent amount of the painkillers in your system to provide steady, continuous relief. If you miss a dose, the decreased levels in your system will allow the pain to break through, making it take longer for the renewed dose to get the pain back under control. 

Hydrate Aggressively and Eat Healthy, Protein-Packed Meals 

Your body needs consistent hydration, protein, and nutrients to heal correctly. Thus, aim to drink at least 8-10 8-ounce cups of water per day and eat a low-sodium, protein-rich diet with plenty of mixed vegetables. Restricting salt in your diet will help prevent fluid retention and ease swelling, while hydration and healthy food choices that contain antioxidants (like blueberries) will speed healing and rejuvenate your features.  

Be Careful with Your Movements

During the first two weeks of your post-facelift recovery, you should avoid bending over, lifting heavy weights, and rapid side-to-side turns of your head. Such motions can increase swelling and cause sutures to shift. When you need to look to the right or left, try turning your whole upper body rather than just your neck. 

Start Massage With Your Surgeon’s Clearance

Sometime after the fifth day, your surgeon will clear you for gentle facial massages that help reduce swelling, enhance healing, and reduce the appearance of scars. Professional lymphatic drainage massage is the best option. Barring that, a light, circular fingertip massage from the center of the face outward is effective, and a gentle massage of the scar areas with Vitamin E oil at the two- to three-week mark helps break up scar tissue, reducing its appearance.   

Use Silicone Therapy to Minimize Scarring and Avoid Sun Exposure

While your surgeon strategically places facelift incisions in creases, behind the ear, and in the hairline to minimize their visibility, you can further reduce their visibility by using silicone scar tape or gel. For the best scar disappearance, it’s imperative that you protect them from sun exposure with a wide-brimmed hat or broad-spectrum sunscreen for one year post-surgery. 

Schedule Your Facelift with Naples Plastic Surgery

We trust that these six tips for a faster, more comfortable healing journey during post-facelift recovery will help ease any apprehension you may have about undergoing a facelift. If you have additional questions about recovering from a facelift or would like to learn more about the procedure itself, one of our surgeons would be glad to talk with you. The surgeons at Naples Plastic Surgery are renowned in Florida and beyond for their surgical artistry in performing natural-looking facelifts that make patients look years younger. To schedule your initial consultation, contact us today at 239-566-2611.  

Additional FAQs: Post-Facelift Recovery

Q: How long will I need to be on pain meds after my facelift?

A: Most patients only need to take prescription pain medications for two to four days after surgery, and then switch to over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. 

Q: When can I resume exercise after a facelift?

A: You can walk at a leisurely pace as soon as you feel up to it, typically on the first day.   You’ll need to wait at least a month to six weeks before your surgeon will want you to elevate your heart rate or blood pressure with activities such as lifting heavy weights or exercising.

Q: How soon can I fly after undergoing a facelift? 

A: Airplane cabin pressure changes and dry airplane air are not conducive to healthy healing soon after a facelift. Lower air pressure can cause swelling, which could lead to bleeding under the skin (hematoma) if you fly too soon after a facelift. The dry air irritates the facial tissues, potentially delaying healing. Thus, ask your surgeon when it’s safe to fly. Generally, short flights might be okay after a week, while you should wait at least two weeks or longer for a long-haul flight.

Q: When can I drink alcohol after a facelift?

A: You should avoid alcohol consumption for at least two weeks after a facelift to ensure that it doesn’t contribute to swelling.

Q: When can I apply makeup after a facelift? 

A: Usually, during your second week of post-facelift recovery, provided the sutures have been removed and the incisions are sealed.