3 Tips for Your Facelift “Coming Out” Party

There’s a lot to celebrate after you’ve had a facelift. With improvements to facial contour and the restoration of a more youthful appearance, it’s common for my patients to tell me that they look and feel ten years younger. That being said, there is definitely an adjustment period that accompanies a major cosmetic procedure. Post-surgical results often attract a lot of attention from friends, family and co-workers. That can make planning your “coming out” after recovery a little nerve-wracking.

Understandably, the majority of the facelift patients I see in Bondi Junction are somewhat reclusive during the early stages of the recovery. They get comfortable with a hermit-like existence, and when the time comes for them to re-join the human race, they can begin to feel anxious.

In this post, I offer some suggestions that help make for a smoother transition.

Understand the Two Kinds of Recovery from Facelift

When a person has a facelift, they go through both a physical and mental recovery process. The physical process involves incisions that heal and swelling that subsides. There is also a period during which a patient recovers lost sensation, possibly feeling tingling in affected areas.

The emotional recovery is quite different, but no less real. First you adjust to your new appearance. Then you must adjust to how that new appearance affects others around you.  This can be the most difficult aspect of recovery. Knowing that there is a psychological component to face lift healing, however, helps to make things easier.

Tip #1 – Treat Your Facelift with Care

As I write this post, it’s getting to be summertime in Australia. It’s a beautiful time of year, and that makes it even more likely for my facelift patients to develop cabin fever during their recovery period.

I appreciate how difficult it is to stay inside and rest when the weather is so appealing, but it’s definitely worthwhile to give yourself the time you need to heal. Going outside before you’re fully healed is likely to put stress on your tender skin. Don’t risk it.

Tip #2 – Schedule Your Facelift Wisely

If you are planning to attend a high-profile event such as a wedding, christening, or high school reunion, be sure to schedule your surgery well in advance of the activity. Give yourself at least four to six weeks to make a complete recovery. That’s ample time for your swelling to subside and your incisions to heal fully. This also gives you time to adjust to your appearance so it’s not so nerve-wracking to attend an event as the new you.

Tip #3 – Use Make-Up to Conceal a Facelift

When it is time to finally come out and re-join the world, you can use a concealer to camouflage any redness or bruising that’s still hanging around. Be sure to talk to your surgeon about when it’s safe to apply makeup to the area, and don’t break the rules! Using make-up before you’re healed puts you at risk for infection and other complications.

Make-up can even help disguise swelling. Bronzers, blushes and darker powders can be used to create an optical illusion and hide the effects of residual puffiness.

Would You Like to Know More?

If you have questions about anything mentioned in this post, please contact us on 1300 555 095. You can also use email or the ‘book consultation’ feature of this website to make an appointment.

It would be wonderful to hear from you.