Facelift Surgery Recovery Time

Facelift Surgery 

The face is one of the most visible parts of the human body. Facelift surgery is an intricate cosmetic procedure as the surgeon needs to ensure the delicate balance and facial harmony remains intact during the surgical procedure. In the procedure, your skin will be lifted off the face for tightening underlying muscles and tissues and eliminating excess skin.

The recovery stage is an important element of the facelift cosmetic surgery. Duration of the recovery process may differ depending on the technique used, extent of the procedure and the patient’s ability to heal. Your surgeon will discuss the recovery process with you during the initial consultation.

The Virginia Institute of Plastic Surgery, led by board certified plastic surgeons Dr. Burton M. Sundin and Dr. Reps B. Sundin, provides facelift surgery to patients in Richmond, Fredericksburg, Northern Virginia, and surrounding locations.

Key Elements of Facelift Recovery

Facelift surgery, apart from physical recovery, involves other factors, such as emotional recovery, social recovery and the recovery of natural sensation in the face. Facial identity and integrity are involved in a facelift surgery. This makes the emotional and social recovery factors almost as vital as the physical recovery. Generally, the recovery process takes about 2 – 3 weeks.

Your surgeon will take out drain pipes and sutures in 7 – 10 days. Patients usually return to normal work and activities following this. Many patients choose to stay at home for 2 weeks until signs of the surgery are not so visible to keep the procedure discreet. You may find residual swelling to be present after about two weeks as well. However, you can apply makeup for covering this.

Bruising resolves rapidly after the initial week. Patients with thinner faces won’t have any problem since mild facial swelling appears as subtle fullness in the face. You will notice that the treated facial areas will begin improving significantly by the third week. Most patients feel slight numbness in the area around the ears. However, this tends to resolve within a few weeks.

Areas supporting the sutures may feel tight but will be easily hidden from others. Your surgeon will give you detailed post-operative instructions which you should follow for a safe and quick recovery.

Tips for Driving

Patients, in the first week after their facelift plastic surgery, should avoid driving. This is because they may have mild rigidity in the lower face and neck region. This will make turning of the head painful. In fact, you should avoid driving if you are taking pain management drugs. When you begin driving, you should have another responsible adult present in the car. You can always switch seats if you feel tired after a while.

Tips for Socializing

You will need to take some time off from social engagements if you lead an active social life. It takes a minimum of two weeks for noticeable signs of surgery to resolve. You may consider making subtle changes to your hairstyle or wearing more makeup.

This will be useful in hiding the more obvious signs of the surgery. Cosmetic surgeons at VIPS receive patients from Richmond, Fredericksburg, Northern Virginia, and nearby areas for facelift surgery.

Contact Virginia Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Dr. Sundin Today for a Consultation

For more information on the surgical and non-surgical procedures and treatments by Board Certified Cosmetic Plastic Surgeons Dr. Reps Sundin and Dr. Burton Sundin please visit

Serving Richmond, Virginia, Fredricksburg, Williamsburg, Charlottesville, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Tidewater, Sullfolk, Virginia Beach, Northern Virginia, Washington DC, Vienna, McLean, Fairfax, Loudoun County, Ashburn, Tysons Corner, Reston, Arlington and surrounding communities.