During this week, you'll likely still have some swelling and bruising around the affected areas. To optimize the healing process after facelift surgery, your head will be carefully covered with bandages for the first two weeks. Week 2 is an important week. Changes occur daily as the swelling goes down and the bruises go away. The numb skin in front of and behind the ears may become discolored as new blood vessels nourish the skin.
By the end of the second week after surgery, many people feel like themselves and are ready to return to work and begin light activities, such as walking. While most patients will be able to smile and make normal facial expressions 1 to 2 weeks after surgery, some may take longer than 3 to 5 weeks. The post-operative care instructions you have been given will still be valid one week after a facelift, so remember to follow those routines carefully. After a week of recovering from a facelift, you'll likely find that you can stop taking pain medications.
While the swelling and bruising will start to go away, you can expect it to take another week or two until they completely disappear. Patients should continue to avoid strenuous exercise, contact sports and any activity that could cause facial trauma for up to six weeks. Sleeping on two pillows is recommended for the first two weeks after surgery to help alleviate puffiness. Bruising and swelling usually peak around the third and fourth day, but both are likely to remain present for several more weeks.
During the second week after surgery, you will likely continue to have swelling and bruising around the affected areas. Seeing your face right now won't be pleasant, but remember that in a few weeks you'll see significant improvements. In weeks 3 and 4, you may still have some residual swelling (this is normal and will go away), but most of the time it is at this point that patients usually start to see real improvement in their face. The removal of the sutures can occur between the end of the first week and the third week and depends on your particular procedure, as well as your healing process.
In weeks 3 and 4, you may still have some residual swelling and stiffness, but in general, you'll start to look and feel much better.
