Facelift Instruction

Preparing for Facelift Surgery

• Avoid aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve), and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications for 2 weeks prior to surgery. Acetaminophen (Tylenol or generic equivalent) and a daily multivitamin are fine.
• Avoid hair coloring, permanents, or other hair treatments for 2 weeks before and 4 weeks after surgery.
• Stop taking herbal medications two weeks before surgery as these may thin your blood or interact with perioperative medications.
• Refrain from smoking two weeks before and two weeks after surgery. Nicotine and tobacco can delay healing and can result in scarring.
• Avoid significant sun exposure for two weeks before surgery. Ideally, you should be wearing SPF 30 or higher every day.
• Purchase the following non-prescription items from a drug store:
  • Vaseline or Aquaphor ointment
  • Stool softener (docusate). Constipation is common with use of pain medications and surgical recovery.
  • Baby shampoo. This is ideal for early hair care after surgery
  • Stock up on easy to prepare, easy to chew meals and snacks. It is not uncommon to have some temporary discomfort with chewing after this surgery.
• Arrange to have someone to drive you home from surgery and stay with you for at least 24 hours after the procedure.

The Day before Surgery

• You will receive a call with the time to arrive for your procedure.
• Do not have anything to eat or drink (even water) after midnight the night before your surgery.

The Day of Surgery

• Do not eat or drink anything, including water, the morning of surgery. Essential medications may be taken with a sip of water
• Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothes that button or zip. Avoid slipover clothing.
• Leave your valuables at home; do not wear jewelry or piercings.
• Avoid all make-up, hairspray, and nail polish.
• Do not wear contacts, ok to wear glasses if needed.
• Bring your ID and insurance card with you.

Post-Operative Care

• You will have a dressing in place for approximately 24 hours. We will schedule an appointment the next day for removal.
• After the dressing is removed, use a Q-tip to apply vaseline or Aquaphor ointment to your incisions.
• Keep your incisions out of the shower for 48 hours, ok to gently wash your face with a washcloth. After 48 hours it is ok to wash hair gently with baby shampoo.
• Keep your head elevated for the first 48 hours. A recliner is best. Sleeping with extra pillows works as well. This will minimize swelling and help avoid rolling over during sleep.
• Icepacks (or ice water soaks) should may be used over the neck face, and eyes. Do this for the first 48 hours to help with swelling and bruising.
• There will be areas of decreased sensation or numbness on ear and scalp. The sensation will normalize with time. Be very careful to avoid trauma/burns when using curling irons, hot rollers, blow dryers, warm packs, and ice packs.
• You can resume your normal diet, but avoid foods that require tall bites (ie Big Mac) for 1 week after surgery.
• No heavy lifting, bending over, or straining until cleared at follow up appointment.
• It is ok to wear contacts the day after surgery, unless you had a blepharoplasty at the same time.
• You may start wearing makeup 5 days after surgery, but do not apply to incisions.
• Avoid hair coloring or permanents for 1 months after surgery.
• If a drain was placed, you may leave it safety pinned to your short (without tension) until removed at follow up.