Preparing for Your Facelift

Preparing For Your Facelift

Things To Know Before You Go

Preparing for your facelift

Prior to your facelift, your surgeon will assess your medical history to check for conditions that may interfere with the surgery or the healing process after the facelift. Some of the common conditions that raise a flag of concern are:

Hypertension (High blood pressure) - particularly of it is not under control.
Smoking - People who smoke do not heal as quickly as those who do not smoke. You will probably be advised to refrain from smoking for several weeks prior to your facelift.
Scarring problems you have had in the past - including keloid scars and hypertrophic scars
Bleeding problems - past problems with blood clotting, or lack of clotting

As we mentioned in the facelift consultation checklist, make sure you tell your plastic surgeon about any medication you are taking. Be sure to mention any over-the-counter medicines, herbs and supplements that you take. Many people find that it helps to open up their medicine cabinets and make a list before they go to their doctor's office.

Facelift instructions

Your plastic surgeon's office will provide you with specific instructions to follow before your facelift surgery. They will include a list of dos and don'ts about eating, drinking, and what kinds of medications you can and cannot take before your surgery. You will likely be told to give up smoking for two to four weeks before surgery because smoking interferes with your ability to heal. You will probably be told to avoid aspirin for a week or more before your facelift as well.

Follow the facelift pre-op instructions from your doctor carefully. If you don't understand an instruction, ask for clarification. If you fail to follow the instructions, you could put yourself at risk.

Facelift preparation tips

Plan for transportation home after the surgery.
It's a good idea to have someone who can stay with you to help out the first few days after your surgery. If you live alone, ask your plastic surgeon's office to recommend a visiting nurse service. Alternately, you may want to stay at an aftercare facility for the first few days after your facelift surgery.
Make sure you have front-opening shirts or blouses to wear both to surgery and afterwards. You won't want to wear something that must be pulled over your head.
If your hair is very short, consider letting it grow out a little before surgery. Longer hair will make it easier to hide the scars as they heal.
You should prepare a comfortable area that you can use to recuperate from your facelift. We put some ideas together on the FaceForum Facelift Recovery Area page. (That page will come up four pages from now if you're reading the facelift section in order. We provided the link above for those of you who just can't wait.)