If your appearance is affected by wrinkles, sagging skin, and loss of facial volume, a facelift in Richmond, VA can help you restore a youthful look to your face. The procedure not only helps you combat the negative effects of aging, but also goes a long way towards improving your confidence.
But after your surgery, it is important that you follow some facelift recovery tips. This allows you to heal while staying away from complications after the procedure. As a result, you can embrace your rejuvenated appearance without any worries.
To help you with these suggestions, here are 7 tips to care for your skin after a facelift.
1. Keep Your Head Elevated
Instead of sleeping on your usual pillow or turning your head to the side, it is important that you keep your head elevated while resting or sleeping. This alleviates pressure on your face and prevents any pulling on your incisions, sutures, and bandages. You may use a set of 2-3 pillows under your head to achieve this goal.
2. Take Care of Your Drain
A drain is a small tube that is attached to your surgical incisions to collect excess fluids. This drain is usually removed a week after your facelift. Until then, you should learn how to care for the drain, record the fluid that is being collected in it, and empty it from time to time. Your surgeon can instruct you on this practice as a part of essential facelift recovery tips.
3. Drink Plenty of Water
Drinking water is often associated with having healthy skin. But after your surgery, the step becomes a major aid to your recovery process. Drinking water whenever you feel thirsty can eliminate toxins from your body after anesthesia. Being hydrated also keeps several infections at bay, which makes it an essential practice to follow after your facelift.
4. Do Not Pick On Your Scabs
During the first few days of your recovery, you may find a few scabs to be forming over your face. Make sure that you do not pick on them. By practicing patience, you can see the natural healing process of your skin in full action. Over time, these scabs fade away on their own and give way to healthy skin. Be sure to discuss concerns about discomfort with your doctor.
5. Avoid Makeup For The First Few Days
Staying makeup-free is also one of the most crucial facelift recovery tips. When your skin is healing after surgery, any type of makeup can irritate it significantly. No matter how gentle your favorite makeup product might be, it poses a risk of infecting your incisions. Make sure that you avoid makeup for at least 10-14 days after your surgery.
6. Apply Sunscreen With SPF30 Or Higher
It is crucial that you avoid going under the sun for at least 1-2 weeks after your facelift. The exact period can be defined by your doctor. In either case, you should invest in a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF30 or higher. You may then use it after you are allowed to resume activities under the sun.
7. Follow The Instructions Of Your Surgeon
In order to follow personalized suggestions that take care of you throughout your facelift recovery, make it a point to discuss your concerns and questions with your surgeon. Besides providing you with facelift recovery tips that address your needs, your doctor may also help you avoid unnecessary complications. Your follow-up appointments are one of the best ways to follow this tip.
Contact Our Richmond Facelift Expert
Interested in learning more about facelift surgery from a highly respected board-certified plastic surgeon? We invite you to contact Zinsser Plastic Surgery online or call (804) 464-7615 today to schedule a consultation. We proudly serve patients in Richmond and the surrounding areas of Virginia.