Beauty has been valued from time immemorial in all countries. But what if the years take their toll? The skin becomes flabby, there are many wrinkles, and no, even the most expensive cream does not help?
There is only one way out – contact a plastic surgeon. Often, in order to turn back the clock, there is not enough one particular local operation, such as, for example, blepharoplasty. It will be necessary to resort to more radical intervention, such as SMAS facelift.
All that you need to know before the operation, your plastic surgeon will tell you. In this article we will talk about what will happen after the facelift surgery: how the recovery period will pass, what rules must be observed and what should be expected in the first days and weeks after the facelift.
Local anesthetics that were introduced before the operation, after a few hours after its completion, cease to function, so you may experience pain and skin tightness. Pain sensations are usually not expressed, and they can be eliminated by taking a mild painkiller.
Many patients even a day later refuse even from its. Nevertheless, if you have a low pain threshold, do not be patient, take pain medication for several days, which you were prescribed by a plastic surgeon. Postoperative swelling appears, which during the first three days increase, but then gradually disappear.
After SMAS facelift, the patient is in the clinic for a day, after which the bandage is changed and bandaged, and you can go home. The bandage can be removed completely on the third day after the facelift.
Do not worry about scars, over time they will become invisible, because all the incisions during surgery are done in inconspicuous places, or hidden under the hair.
We must consciously prepare ourselves for the fact that the first two to three weeks after a face lift will require some patience from you: a feeling of stiffness, heaviness, as well as swelling and bruising can not be avoided. Reflection in the mirror will not bring special joy, but all this is temporary.
In such a situation will help to talk with loved ones and, of course, with your plastic surgeon. Unpleasant sensations are inevitable in the recovery period after any plastic surgery. You need to follow a few simple rules that are mandatory in almost any plastic surgery to speed up the recovery process after a SMAS facelift.
Do not lift weights, do not exercise, and do not do any other actions that increase blood pressure within one to two months. For the same reason, it is worth giving up for a while from sexual activity.
- Do not take aspirin, either before the operation, or within two weeks after. Aspirin dilutes the blood, the process of blood clotting slows down, as a result, bleeding may begin, and the healing process will last much longer.
- Should forget about alcoholic beverages.
- Strictly you can not take sunbathing or visit the solarium for two to three months.
- For a month, forget about the hot tub or sauna.
- Cosmetic masks and peeling for some time you will replace ointments that promote the fastest resorption of the bruises and edema, and the beauty salons will give way to the physiotherapy room.
But remember, do not self-medicate, all appointments should be your plastic surgeon, and no one else.
Approximately three months after SMAS facelift, you will be able to appreciate the results of your diligence and patience. The facial rejuvenation surgery gives a tremendous effect that will please you for many, many years.
Bandage
After SMAS facelift, a light gauze sterile cloth will be applied to the area of the incisions, which will be fixed with an elastic bandage around the head. The bandage is also fixed to the chin – it will prevent it slipping.
If the dressing is too tightly applied, you can ask the doctor or nurse to relax it. The next day after the operation, the bandage will be replaced.
During the dressing, the wound is surgically treated with various antiseptic solutions. If the blood has seeped through the bandage, then this should not cause concern. This often happens – just call the nurse and she will solve this problem.
Drainages
During the SMAS facelift, install one or two drains with a pear intended for collection of the syphilis; However, drains are not always necessary. If drainage is not installed, the fluid is gradually absorbed by the body.
It is important to maintain the pears in a compressed state to maintain negative pressure. To do this, open the valve, squeeze out the air from the pear, and then close the valve until the pear is in a compressed state. Although drains help to remove excess fluid, they also increase the risk of infection, so it is especially important to take prescribed antibiotics. After SMAS facelift, drains are usually removed during dressing on the day after surgery.
Care of teeth and hair
Your hair will be treated before the bandage is applied after SMAS facelift, . It is recommended to refrain from washing your head for the first 48 hours after the operation.
This measure is taken to protect the seam area and prevent bleeding from them. If you dye your hair, we hope you did this before the SMAS facelift, as it can take 4 to 8 weeks before your doctor again allows them to dye (preparation for facelift surgery). There are difficulties in opening the mouth after facelift surgery. In these cases, use a baby toothbrush and mouthwash.
Diet
During the entire period of recovery after a facelift, it is recommended to start eating from a liquid diet, with a gradual transition to soft foods and habitual food. However, if surgical access has been made through the oral cavity, it may be that your doctor will impose restrictions on the intake of certain products.
Juice, jelly, broth, and yogurt are all good food products in the first stage. (Yogurt is especially useful, because it balances the balance of natural bacteria in your intestines, which can be disturbed by taking antibiotics).
Activity
Recommended rest after SMAS facelift does not mean bed rest. However, too fast return to work, with its stresses will negatively affect the healing processes. The less you strain after a SMAS facelift, the faster the period of complete healing will come. During this period, you should avoid physical exertion, body tilt, sex and physical stress.
Any factor that increases your blood pressure increases the risk of bleeding and the appearance of a hematoma. Get detailed advice from the doctor in case of increased pressure.
Swelling and bruising
After the operation, there is often swelling of the face. This is especially pronounced for 2-3 days after SMAS facelift surgery. Sometimes it is accompanied by a swelling around the eyes. But do not worry. From this moment the swelling will go to decrease. Bruises can appear – these are all the stages of the natural healing process.
It is necessary to apply cold compresses for 20 minutes and a break for 20 minutes during the entire waking period. This procedure reduces the swelling and reduces discomfort.
Do not put ice directly on the skin, because the temperature sensitivity of the skin can still be disturbed and this can lead to skin damage. The position in the bed with the raised head and shoulders also reduces the severity of edema after a facelift.
If you find areas of compaction in the area of the cheeks or under the chin, then do not worry. This is a natural process and eventually these areas will dissolve.
If a purple color appeared and the swelling increased in size then contact your doctor immediately.It is necessary to make sure that this is not a hematoma. The hematoma during the recovery period changes color from blue to purple then to green and yellow before. Recommended use of drugs arnica, vitamin K, which reduce edema and bruising. However, before applying them should consult a surgeon. The hematoma completely disappears 1-2 weeks after the operation and you will begin to rejoice in the new appearance.
Stitches
Some of the seams applied during the facelift are removed after 5 days. Other stitches, as a rule, installed in areas with increased tension, can remain longer. These seams are well disguised in the hair and provide additional support.
Such sutures are removed on the 10-14 day after the SMAS facelift surgery. The seam after the operation will normally look after two weeks, but its color will remain pink for a longer period. Local therapy is used from special ointments and some types of physiotherapy to improve the appearance of the seam.
Sensitivity
After a facelift, you will have some time remaining areas with reduced sensitivity. Sensitivity will recover from a few weeks to months. Be careful, because the reduced sensitivity of the skin carries a risk of burns from the cold compresses and hair dryers.
Some patients experience discomfort in the ears. Probably, during SMAS facelift surgery, the blood flowed into the outer ear aperture and should be cleaned.
Sometimes, irritation of the nerve located in the neck (larger auditory nerve) can cause unpleasant sensations after the operation.
Pain and discomfort
Recovery after SMAS facelift is not accompanied by severe pain. Most patients are limited to taking usual analgetics, during the first days after surgery.
Some of the types of facelifts (for example, subperiosteal facelift or deep facelift) can create a more pronounced sense of discomfort and prolonged swelling of the soft facial tissues. If the pain has a pronounced character, it grows with the passage of time, then it is necessary to notify your doctor.