What Can You Expect Before Your Facelift With Dr. Colville

Older woman looking off into the distance (model)

If you’re considering a facelift, educating yourself about the procedure is a good idea. Knowing what you’ll need to do to prepare for facelift surgery, what recovery is like, and what to expect from your results will help you move through each stage of the surgery more confidently.

This post will give you a clearer picture of what to expect throughout your facelift experience.

The Day Before Your Procedure

You may have “butterflies” in your stomach and feel slightly anxious before surgery. Those are normal concerns. To alleviate some of those feelings, give yourself some time to relax. Some people find meditation, breathing exercises, stretching, or massage helps them feel at ease before surgery. If you start to feel nervous about the surgery, remember that your safety and results will be in good hands since you chose an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon.

The Day of Your Procedure

Before Surgery

The day of your procedure, you will check in and we will prep you for surgery at the surgery center. Dr. Colville uses a surgery center with a board-certified anesthesiologist and a nurse anesthetist. Your anesthesiologist and Dr. Colville will talk to you beforehand, answering any last-minute questions you might have. 

During Surgery

You will likely be given a general anesthetic and won’t feel anything during the surgery or immediately after. Dr. Colville also uses numbing medicine during the surgery so that after surgery there will be very little discomfort. 

After Surgery

Often, Dr. Colville’s patients will stay overnight. He uses a surgical center that allows for an overnight stay in a relaxing private atmosphere with your own nurse. When you go home you will need someone to drive you following your facelift. It is best if they can stay with you for most of that day.

As you go home, all of your pre-operative instructions will have already been reviewed with you before surgery at your pre-op visit and will be reviewed again. 

The Day After Your Procedure

There will be very little that you will need to do to care for yourself other than some comfortable positioning, lying fairly flat with a slight amount of head and shoulder elevation.

There will be no dressings wrapped around your face. You will experience or feel some tightness in your cheeks and under your chin area. You should expect to see some swelling and a little bit of bruising, however, typically there is very minimal bruising. You can take a shower and wash your hair when you go home.

Dr. Colville usually has you put ointment over the incision near your ear. Dr. Colville has a pre and post-operative protocol for pain and nausea management, and most patients are comfortable using just plain Tylenol® and/or Motrin®. 

1 Week After Your Procedure

You probably won’t feel any discomfort by this point, but you will notice some tightness and lingering light swelling. You may also have some numbness that gradually goes away over time. Keep getting plenty of rest and move about as you feel comfortable. Remember that this is a crucial time in your recovery, so go easy on yourself and don’t overdo physical activity or have too many plans.

Between 5 and 10 days after surgery, your stitches will be removed, and you can go to the store and be out in public if you want. Sometimes there is some bruising toward the lower part of the neck. Often people are out and about with glasses, sunglasses, or their hair over their ears, and a little bit of a collar-style shirt. 

1 Month After Your Procedure

The one-month mark after your facelift is an important milestone! While you have a little bit of swelling remaining, there is usually no bruising and you can be out with friends and family. You are getting to a full recovery and a more youthful, rejuvenated appearance. You can resume strenuous workouts and heavy lifting, but pay attention to how your body feels.

Will I Have Scarring After a Facelift?

Facial rejuvenation and facelift surgery use an incision in front of and usually behind the ear. It is placed exactly along the crease around the ear, and while a little bit is visible early on, it is very hard to see at a month and especially 3 to 6 months later. The photos below show some of my patients after facelift surgery and how faint the final scars are. 

Before & After Face Lift Case 210 View #1 View in Toledo, Ohio
Before and After Facelift Surgery
Before & After Face Lift Case 448 Left Side View in Toledo, Ohio
Before and After Facelift Surgery

How Can I Maintain My Facelift Results?

Now that recovery is behind you, you might wonder how to help your facelift results last as long as possible. The best thing you can do to maintain your results is to follow Dr. Colville’s aftercare recommendations. These usually involve continuing your skin care, protecting your skin from the elements, and staying hydrated. 

It is important to know that although your surgery will turn the clock back, you still will continue to age. However, with diligent skin care, sun protection, and a healthy lifestyle, you can expect your facelift results to last 10 years or more. Even at 10 years, you will still look rejuvenated, it is just that you have aged a bit. 

It isn’t unusual that sometimes we do some nonsurgical tightening procedures down the road to touch up or further maintain the results. Skin tightening procedures such as Sofwave™ or ThermiTight® provide excellent results. Sofwave uses ultrasound energy similar to Ultherapy® (which we have used in the past) to target deeper skin layers, triggering collagen production for smoother and firmer skin. 

Getting Started

The facelift experience will be unique to you. However, there are steps you can take to make the recovery process smoother, and I hope that some of this information is helpful to you. Men and women who come to our practice for facelift surgery and overall facial rejuvenation enjoy excellent results, as seen in their before and after photos. To learn more about the procedure and results you can expect, request a consultation or call us at (419) 534-6551.

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