Post-facelift care is essential to eliminate unwanted pain, swelling, and complications. Although facelift is a secure procedure, your Richmond, VA facelift surgeon will instruct you on things you should do and medications to ease your pain and swelling. If all the instructions are followed correctly, you will face minimal complications.
No matter how good the surgeon is, you as a patient must take adequate care of yourself to get the best results. If you fail to take adequate care of yourself after the procedure, you will face multiple consequences. Therefore, here are a few tips to boost your recovery process and get the best results from your facelift surgery!
- Have someone stay with you for the next 24 hours.
You will be given anesthesia for your surgery. It is vital to have a close friend or family stay with you for the next 24 hours so they can monitor you and help you in case you need assistance.
- Keep your head elevated.
Following your surgery, make sure you keep your head elevated while you are resting. If possible, use two pillows during your sleep so your head stays elevated for at least a week after the surgery.
- Resist any physical activity for a week.
After the surgery, resist physical activities or your work for at least one week. Additionally, you should also stop exercising and focus on getting sufficient rest. Avoid doing household chores as well.
- Take your prescription medications without fail.
It would be helpful to take your prescription medications before you feel discomfort. This will allow you to eradicate any discomfort or pain that you may feel. Make sure you stock up on the prescription medications before your surgery, so you do not have to rush in the end.
- Use icepacks to ease the swelling.
Swellings are common on your face and neck. Make sure you apply ice packs to the swollen area. You can also crush a few pieces of ice in a cloth to make your own ice pack or get one from your local pharmacy.
- Avoid lifting heavy weights.
You may be involved in heavy weight lifting, such as while running household errands. Ensure to eliminate lifting anything heavy during your recovery process as it can aggregate swelling, which may start hemorrhage or increase blood pressure.
Your surgeon will give you written instructions about things you should do and not do after your surgery. However, if you experience excessive swelling, pain, discomfort, or bleeding, speak to your surgeon right away. This will prevent you from any severe complications.
