Facelift Recovery (Your Postoperative Care) 

 

Dr. Ziya Saylan, Facial Plastic Surgery. Inventor of the S-Facelift (Saylan Facelift)

 

Week 1 

 

Day 1

After surgery, you may feel unsteady and sleepy. Day one is usually when you most need pain medication to stay on top of discomfort. 

During the following days eat soft food high in protein and calories. Do not open your mouth and bite food. Your food must be in small pieces and chewable. Sleep with elevated head part of the body about 30 degrees.

 

Day 2

Dr. Ziya Saylan will schedule a follow-up visit around this time. They will remove or change your surgical dressings and evaluate your incisions and swelling. If everything looks good and normal, he will re-dress the area, review postoperative care once again and send you on your way. Today you can wash your hair in sitting position with your head in the wash sink. Use babt shampoo and someone must help you with shampooing and drying. You are allowed to use a hair dryer in mild temperatures.

  

You are now allowed to go to the washroom (Toilette) alone but never lock the door and leave it open to talk with them. Fainting at the toilette is not seldom. 

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The painkillers will make your stool hard so that a stool softener might be necessary. In case of a constipation after two days, 2 (two) draggers of a laxative (Dulcolax) at the night will be needed. 

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Day 3

Rest is recommended for this day, but you should start to feel better and want to move around some. Bruising and swelling usually reach their height around day 3 and 4, but both will likely be present for several additional weeks. Continue to take medication if you experience discomfort. Starting from today you can wear your head Garment (The Wrap) outside your home. At home and in bed you should go on carrying it so that your ears should not flip and turn causing pain.

 

Days 4-6 

By this time, most people no longer need prescription pain medication. You should start to see the swelling go down. You should also start feeling more comfortable moving about. Doing light housework is often permitted if you feel well enough. You may slowly start with your social activates.  After 6th day if there are no issues, you may start with driving in short distances.

 

On the street you may cover your head with a dressing or hijab. At the 6th post-op day, you can have a shower sitting on a plastic or metal chair under the shower. You must have someone in the bathroom to give you the baby shampoo and the towel and help you if you do not feel good. 

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Week 2

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Days 7-14 

During this week you’ll likely still have some swelling and bruising around the affected areas. Swelling and bruising can also cause some people to experience some numbness, tingling and tightness. These are all common occurrences after a facelift and should not cause concern. At the end of the second week post-surgery, many people are feeling like themselves and ready to return to work and begin doing light activities like walking. 

 

Weeks 3 and 4 

 

Days 15-30

Removal of your sutures may occur anywhere from the end of week one to week three and depend on your procedure as well as your healing process. At weeks 3 and 4, you still may have some residual swelling and tightness, but for the most part, will start looking and feeling much better. Here is where patients often begin to see real improvements in their facial contour. By this time, you can get back to exercising and enjoying activities without people noticing much, if any, outward signs of your procedure. Incision sites will have a pinkish-red hue but this should fade with time. 

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What to expect after Day 30 

After the one-month postoperative mark, you should be back to doing normal activities and enjoying life with your new look. It can take up to one year for very minor swelling, bruising, tightness, and numbness to reside, but those typically are only noticeable to you. 

Keep in mind that the above timeframes only represent very general timeframes. Everyone will have a unique experience, and you should always follow the directions provided by your plastic surgeon. People who do their research, take the necessary precautions, and follow their surgeon’s post-op care instructions usually have the easiest recoveries and the best outcomes. 

It's important to communicate with Dr. Ziya Saylan (0509217586 International 

00971509217586) throughout the entire process 24/7. Ask questions and let him know if you are experiencing any symptoms that you feel are out of the ordinary. 

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Thank You 

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Dr. Ziya Saylan June, 2022 

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