facelift recovery

cher,

I'm 3 wks. post op, and have an oblong shaped lump under my right cheek bone, about 3 cm. long, parallel with the bone. I was wondering if yours was at all similar, and has it gone away yet?

25 days post op I started warm compresses and gentle massaging, but that somehow disturbed the healing behind my heavily scabbed right ear. It had taken up until the week before for a small patch to dry up, but now it is weeping again.

Thank you so much ladies....I hope I am spelling correctly due to 4 weeks post op still having blurry vision. Mid face, neklift and u/l bleph and thank GOD I found all of you....I believed the 2 week rule too. At 4 weeks I had a pretty rough cry today and feel that Ive made a huge mistake. I pray it turns out well but my eyes are rimmed with very hard scars and I tear up alot, my scars are lumpy behid my ear and I have divets on my cheeks and around my mouth....nothing looks right. I wasnt unattractive prior and regret doing this. The ONLY reasoning I can give is that at 46 I will be healed by 47 and may have considered something eventually but may not have had the time needed to do something like this. If I was working I would never have been able to go back to work. I am at 32 days today and not even close to being able to put makeup on my eyes. Only one friend knows I did this and I cannot keep dumping on her. I am beginning to massage with vitamin e oil and using scarzone on the scars. The puffy that actually looked better is going down and now I am seeing the under skin divets from the stitches, the crepey skin under the eyes and over all freaky look. For those past 9 weeks let me know this is just 4.5 week normal. I rarely get out and am feeling it will be another month. Just needed to share and get a good word. BTW Your posts have truly helped me through this so far.
Thank you.

21 days ago, I had a upper and lower eyelid surgery, necklift with lipo and facelift. The Doc has been helpful but its good to find somewhere where others have gone through this experience.

My experience so far: My right eye was drooping and really had blurred vision the first week. My PS solution was to have me massage it under and out..even though it bruises me and getting a sharp pain underneath the eye a bit, however, that seems to be healing. Droopiness going and vision better.

I am getting the nerve tingling all over my face but that doesn't bother me having convinced myself that this will get my face back. I do feel every day that the feelings are coming back in my face. But what a weird feeling. Hazel said it best "your skin is glued to something that has no give". Can't wait until this goes away.

My neck is the biggest issue. When I eat and talk, after around 7 hours waking up, I start getting a burning sensation under my neck that's so bad, I have to take a pain killer. It pretty much stays there all the rest of the day. My doctor put me on a steroids on Monday that takes the swelling down on the neck. It has helped the swelling and I always feel a tiny bit better in the morning but the burning returns every afternoon. Anyone experience this? Its very depressing and tires me out.

I have been only eating soft food for 3 weeks and that's good because I am losing weight, but not a diet that I would recommend!

So I would like to hear from anybody..HOPE and EXPERIENCE! Also would like to know how everyone else in this forum is getting along.

I'm blogging to maybe help someone who just had a mini face lift and is frightened by what they see and need to know if it's "normal" or not. Two days ago I had a mini face lift with incisions from the top of my ears into the hairline slightly to around the back of my ear lobe (sometimes called the "S" incision. This was to tighten the lower face and neck. I am turning 48 in one month, I do not smoke although I did many years ago and would say I'm in great health, but had slight jowls and a loose enough neck I didn't wear tight turtle neck sweaters any longer. I have used Restalyn and Botox for 3 years with great results, but couldn't fix the neck and jowls without surgery. 3 years earlier I had my upper and lower eyes done and the surgery went smoothly with really no unexpected problems besides the normal swelling and bruising for about 3-4 weeks. I remember I was nervous about what I looked like right after that surgery too, but could see the eyelids that used to droop over my eyes were much better and had faith things would work out. I was right then, I need to have faith things will work out this time too.

The mini face lift I just went through took about 3 hours and I tolerated the twilight anesthesia well. Yesterday I went back to the surgeons office and they removed the bandage around my face. I certainly was not prepared for the distortion in my face from the swelling! It looked as if my surgeon "pulled my face too tight" affecting even the corners of my mouth causing them to turn slightly upward in a goofy grin on one side. The swelling in my neck made me look as if I had no jaw line whatsoever and I immediately began to regret what I had done. My cheekbone areas are so swollen I look like an alien being with the round head, big cheeks and small chin.

Today I woke up to the same swelling and distortion and now some discoloration from bruising. I can feel a small lump or two on my left side right under my cheek bone closer to my ear and then again right under my jaw line. Both my ears are burning, I am unable to open my mouth and chew food easily and certainly can't turn my head. I am sleeping propped up to help limit the swelling. The doctor also started me on prednisone to help with the swelling as this is his standard procedure with mini face lifts. I have put cold packs on my face while I'm awake and can see the swelling is getting slightly better just in the last few hours (maybe in part because of the steroids). I know this will take much longer than the two weeks of recovery time advertised. I keep saying to myself the key is to rest and not exert myself, drink plenty of water, continue to ice for one more day and relax, and continue to have faith this does get better. Thank goodness I don't have to go into an office for the next month. The benefit is I might lose that last 5 pounds I've tried for years to get rid of! I'll blog as the days go on to let you know how I'm doing.

Hi Alliecat, I think you said it best...Have Faith.

I freaked out around the middle of the second week. Not because of how I looked, but because of my neck and face feeling tight and my the neck burning. I planned on at least 6 weeks to stay home and I knew realistically, from having other surgeries, it takes at least that long to start feeling normal for me. I just heal slow.

From experience, (now) I am not eating anything that irritates my neck at this point. I had my local health food restaurant make me up food that I can eat easily (spinach lasagna, eggplant with soy) along with some green drinks with protein to keep my energy up. Also eating non fat yogurt, bananas, non fat cottage cheese, fruit and soup...anything that requires not much chewing. Also, keeping my talking to a minimum. This is helping the swelling and the burning. I am also keeping head straight and not looking up or side to side. In just three days I can feel the difference. Swelling still there but the pain is subsiding.

The steroids I was given helped the first two days (six day regiment) but as I started weening off them, the swelling and pain came back worse then ever. That's when I put into practice paragraph above! I think I started to eat whatever again on the steroids. I won't take them again.

I am sure that this will get better as soon as face realizes that its over the traumatic event!

I have "given in" to the process. Letting go..not worrying as much about it. Part of it is I can't work so hard, not ready for the gym although I am walking about 40 minutes a day..that helps. Did I say I lost 6lbs? Could use another 5 and would be at my ideal weight!

I am 53 and haven't changed my drivers license since I was about 38. (looked great then) I am going in this month for my new picture and honestly, I am looking pretty close to what I did then..(except for the swelling and some light bruising under the eyes.) So its all good..

So hang in there Alliecat. (love the name)

SO glad I'm looking at this site. I also bought into the "2 week" thing. I'm almost worse now (11 days post surgery) than I was right after. I have a huge bruise on my left lower cheek that has been hanging around for a week now. No make up in the world will cover it. I actually had a complete stranger approach me this past Saturday and say "I hope you leave the bastard". Unbelieveable!! I had to show her the ropy scars behind my ears to get her to stop hounding me about being a victim of domestic violence. Since I had to go back to work, I've made up a stupid story about getting hit while playing racquet ball. Lame...........

So far: ropy scars behind ears, going down the back of my hairline and neck. One ear is fine, the other is still super tight, but am still unable to move either of them much. Still lots of swelling and hard lumps around cheeks (I had mid-face/neck lift) and under my chin. Still numb down each side of my face.

Not sure I'd do this over again or not. Nothing would get rid of my crepe-like neck skin or the turkey waddle thing I had. It's gone now, but has been replaced will all the above. Bummer! I'm hoping that another couple of weeks or so and I'll start to show some big improvements.

thanks for all the posts though. Great to know that I'm not alone.

I am on day 22 after a face lift, forehead lift, upper and lower eyelid surgery. I am so surprised to find this website, as I had seen so many beforehand and had thought I was prepared. All the symptoms described is what I am feeling - yet I had read other sites saying there was only SLIGHT discomfort, disappearing after two weeks. My ears are killing me, and I sleep on an ice pack every night moving it around my ears, neck and sometimes my eyes. I haven't even tried my contact lens, because my eyes are so dry since the surgery and I use the moisture eyedrops now up to 4 times a day. My eye shape doesn't seem as nice as it used to be, I am still swollen like a chipmunk and my neck feels lumpy. As long as I keep all the scabs lubricated, they are slowly coming off, but I have a big ugly forehead scar that is making me always wear bangs now - I am not too worried about that however, as I think that will fade and I can eventually use make-up on it.

I am so surprised with the pain. I take tylenol or aleve often during the day and night but it doesn't seem to help much. I look forward to my morning shower and the period of 6 a.m. until about noon because that is when I don't feel as bad. I am fortunate as not to have to work, so I just lay around all afternoon unfortunately.

Tomorrow I am going out to find bromelain tablets and vitamin E. I am hoping the bromelain (pineapple extract) might help with the swelling, but I don't know. So my swelling on my cheeks mostly throbs 75% of the time, I can hear blood pounding/rushing in my ears often and I cannot touch them without hurting them.

It is the holiday season and I have several sets of families coming in next week, and I don't know how I will be able to cope. They do not know. I am waiting until the very last minute to clean the house up before they arrive (vacuuming etc.) as I have read to not overdo it, which I haven't. ( I got this surgery because my husband thought (at almost age 53) that my eyes were looking tired and droopy and he thought it would be a nice "gift" to give me. Most of my friends told me I didn't need it. I am thinking that is another reason I am having such a hard time dealing with the pain of this. Regrets? Yes. I was having slight problems sleeping BEFORE the surgery, and now even Ambion doesn't knock me out for more than a couple of hours at a time, and I am trying to not use it. I am so glad to have found this website as I needed to "vent". A question for anyone who might know: I have been using ice packs - when and WHY should I switch to hot packs, especially since I am prone to hot flashes ?

I am 3 months post op. I had a lateral forehead lift, a facelift and lipo under my chin. I am 60 years old and I think the result will be good but I had no idea it would take soooo long. My jowels are gone but my eyes look so stressed now from the lateral pull. My right side beside my eyebrows is still bruised and the skin seems thin. The swelling and numbnes is down both sides of my face still but getting slowly better each week. The scars really show down the hairline but I'm able to cover them with my hair. My hairdresser refuses to color my hair as the scars are still sore and obvious and unhealed. I have the ropey thing behind my ears but only discovered it a week ago as that area was still swollen and I couldn't get my finger back there to feel it. I had a large hematoma on my lower left jaw and neck which is still there but getting smaller. I had my upper eyelids done by the same doctor 10 years ago with great results. That was a 2 week recovery time.I cannot believe the constant discomfort that nobody told me to expect. I loved what someone said about the vitamin E making the hair so greasy. I know what you mean!!! I am so happy to have found this blog and to realize I'm not crazy. Everyone (my girlfriends ) told me I'd be all healed up in 2 weeks. Now I feel like a complainer if I mention my sore face.

I had a complete face lift, plus upper/lower eyelids done 2½ months ago. My eyes look great...no more bags under them...and my skin is more taut and smooth.

But here are the downsides. I am still numb and swollen in certain places on my face and neck. Because of the tightness and swelling, I constantly have sores just beneath my earlobes. There is a scar under my chin near the jawline that has become hypertrophic and looks awful. My surgeon has been working to make it better, but it's still very noticeable.

I've used warm compresses on my face/neck. I've moisturized regularly. I've done everything my surgeon and his staff advised me to do.

I, too, do not feel that I was properly informed about the actual time it takes to recover from face lift surgery. Believe me when I tell you that recovery takes FAR LONGER THAN 2-3 WEEKS! And I was certainly not prepared for the amount of scarring I've had. Although I do not look "bad," I think to myself each day, "I wish my face and neck would just look and feel 'normal' again!"

If I knew what I know now, would I elect to have the procedures done again? Maybe and maybe not.

HI atl,
Your post made me feel so much better as I am at 10 weeks and have alot of what you have. I have been turned down by two plastic surgeons to help me here in the U.S., because I had the face lift/ brow lift/ upper and lower eyes done in another country. I wish I would have had the forethought to ask this p.s. for a local doctor in case of problems. My p.s. overseas says to give the sutures time to dissolve for pain relief. He emailed me that it can take up to 12 weeks. This is NEWS to me! I wish he would have informed me earlier so I wouldn't have had all this anxiety when I read of people feeling back to normal so much more quickly.

I have the multiple bumps behind my ears and have been trying to rub them thinking they will go down with rubbing eventually. I use a warm compress every evening when I feel sore. I am also on vicoden from my general doctor for the pain, and a sleeping pill nightly so that I don't notice the pain of laying on my ears on the side.

I've had an i.v. of steroids and a 5 day oral treatment of steroids - the oral treatment seemed to help SLIGHTLY with my ear swelling at month one.

I am NOT hypersensitive to pain or swelling. I have had a hysterectomy and breast reduction with minimal pain in the recuperation time.

What is hypertrophic on your jawline and what is your surgeon doing to make it better?

It is the painful swelling that seems to really hit at a maximum pain level around 5pm onwards throughout the evening. Also, whenever I bend or do a little exertion I have major pain. And then, the way I look? Oh boy, of course there aren't ANY WRINKLES - as I tell my friends, fat people don't have many facial wrinkles either! I feel like a round faced cabbage patch doll. Not exactly the look I am going for!! I look at photos of me before, and think I looked alot better back then. At this point, 10 weeks, NO, I would never do it again.

Hi, wanabncanada.

I am so sorry that you are having complications following your surgery.

Yesterday was 10 weeks since my surgery, so we are at the same point of "recovery." The scar beneath my chin at the jawline is like a keloid or a raised scar...lumpy and ugly. My surgeon has suggested warm compresses and massage. During one office visit, he even tried injecting a small amount of steroids and saline into the scar. It has gotten a bit better and flatter, but it's still bothersome and ugly to me.

Others have posted about supposedly dissolvable, internal sutures. Well, some of mine have NOT (yet?) dissolved. Many have poked out of my skin and caused pain/irritation until removed.

As I said before, I continue to have swelling, tightness and numbness, but not a lot of pain. I've heard and read about the fact that complete recovery from face lift surgery can take 6-12 months, so I am trying to be patient, but it's difficult.

Luckily, my surgeon is receptive to my concerns. I'm trying not to be a "needy, whining patient," but I also want to heal properly and in a timely fashion.

I truly like the positive results of my face lift, but the "complications" are distressing.

I wish you the best of luck with your recovery process.

Great website and discussion. 10 weeks ago I had upper/lower eyes, midface and neck lift - a six hour surgery at a well-recommended international hospital in Asia. I went back to work at 4 weeks but would have preferred to have stayed home 6 due to obvious facial swelling, chipmonk cheeks and under eye, as well as bruising and red incision lines on eyelids and on sides of eyes. Where to begin?! I had many of the symptoms described here by so many others. The first 2 weeks were horrible and it's a wonder I was allowed on the plane to return home with the massive swelling all over lower face and around eyes. The black and purple swelling around the eyes and down the front of my face were real attention getters. Lots of stares. I had loads of discomfort but was really concerned about my eyes. I had chemosis, swelling under the top layer of the eye, and ectropion, lower eyelids drooping away from the eye. Internet research on both conditions didn't yield much info or comfort and the family practice docs I saw just shrugged and said they didn't know anything about it. An optometrist said the chemosis wasn't dangerous so I just waited. Both conditions are only a bit improved but I had a full eye exam this week and was given the go-ahead to wear contacts again. The surgery worsened my existing 'dry eye' problem but now seems better. I slept sitting up for 9 weeks and developed a bulging disc by week 6 which resulted in severe pain (still a lot but improving). The doctor and I did not connect the back pain to sleeping propped up but the physical therapist did so I'm now trying to sleep on my side, which makes my continued facial swelling worse and hurts my numb but sore (really) ears. My ears suprised me. After surgery they were swollen closed (the complete outer ear and lobe curled inward) and remain sticking out much more than before. The scars behind them are huge. They, as I said, still feel numb but sensitive to touch (phones hurt). The areas where the drainage tubes were are elevated and still scab as are the big scars in my temples where he stapled something or whatever. Aside my eyes, the worst was the reduction in my hairline - no sideburns at all now. The surgeon blithely told me I could style my hair to hide it. Apparently he used an older technique and I think wasn't really paying attention to the look. I am blonde with fine, fairly sparse hair so he probably didn't understand what a difference it would make. At this point my eyes are not bruised but still discolored a bit. The hard scar tissue around my eyes is somewhat improved as are the scars around my eyes. But the scars do remain noticable. My eye shape was altered and is less attractive. My eyelids are also asymmetrical - one appearing much deeper set than the other - they were a bit different before the surgery but now it is more pronounced. My cheeks are still swollen but others don't really notice. Everything but my forehead and nose area remain numb. Some feeling returning - painful pins and needles - as I put on makeup or lotion. Neck feels as tight as it did initially - as if under my chin I had a large rubber band. Overall I don't look too bad now. I think people notice that something is 'wrong' about the look of my eyes but otherwise don't pay much attention. My turkey neck is totally gone. I think too much of my jowls were lipo'ed so my chin looks too pointy. Friends have said I look 15 years younger, which may be somewhat true but I don't think I look as good as I did. An aging, 56-year-old natural and nice face versus a smooth, tight unatural-looking, rather odd face. We'll see as it all settles down in the next months. I would not do it again. I was only really bothered by my neck. I wish I'd done something less invasive to have improved it and left the rest alone. As for the emtional toll, the first 2 weeks I was emotionally pretty numb. Also, I expected to look horrendous. But I expected to be much, much better than I was at 2 weeks post-op. So, my first week home (3rd week) I was extremely depressed and miserable. I cried some but knew it wasn't good for my eyes. Ditto the wine I wanted. It was Christmas and everyone was too busy with the holidays to provide much support so I really was able to get sad. I don't know why I didn't anticipate that situation instead of thinking time off at the holidays would be a perfect time for surgery. Going back to work helped my mood. I did still look pretty bad at week 4 but staying home another 2 wasn't going to help me at all at that point. The plastic surgeon I saw at week 6 basically just said healing takes at least 3 months. The surgeon who operated said to expect numbness for 6 to 8 months, but I don't think I really processed it at the time. I still am uncomfortable because of the tightness and numbness and bothered by the bad bits but am getting used to it, I guess. I'm equal parts optimism and resignation at this point.

I'm now 5 mths. post f/l and lower eyes. The hardness and numbness on the sides of my face has improved only slightly. To correct a long indentation below a fat pocket below my right cheek bone, I have now had a second lot of filler, because one wasn't enough, costing a total of $1,700 for both. The 2nd 2 ml. syringe was on a half price special. The fillers should last about 18 mths. My surgeon Dr. Teerasit in Thailand said the dent was from swelling above and below the dent, but by 3 mths. it was still there, so that was not why it was there. When stitching the fat up under the cheek bone, it got bunched up due to surgeon error. I have sort a second opinion to find out what had happened.
I have dark lines above my eye incisions, which are broken capillaries. These formed about 1 mth. post op. One eye scar has turned white and is noticable especially with the dark line above it. I can also see capillaries radiating out from the incisions in front of my ears. I had upper eyes done 16 yrs. ago, no broken capillaries then.
Under my chin, one of the bands on my neck is too tight, giving a slight double chin on that side, and when I lift my chin up it sticks out. Pre op that band was lower than the other side. I wanted it lifted more than the other, but it didn't work out that way.
When I smile fully, my smile is still uneven, as it was a few weeks post op. The lumpy scar behind my right ear is flattening.
I avoid looking in the mirror a much as possible. I just looked at my right cheek, and under down lights it looks terrible. The filler doesn't blend in with the surrounding tissue. Instead of a dent, I can see a lump of filler. It doesn't look as bad under normal lighting. As I said, I don't look much, as it's all too depressing, and I've done all I can. Fillers stimulate your own collegen in the area, so you don't don't need as much when you have top ups. Hopefully in time it will blend more. It feels hard actually.
I wish I'd never had the surgery. I did meet 2 past patients and checked the surgeon's qualifications.
Some posters here suggest fillers and botox instead of surgery. I'd like to warn against botox. Search the side effects of botox first. I went to a cosmetic doctor and had a drooping eyelid for 5 1/2 wks. after a botox browlift! (I said to the dr., I can't pay for this. After argueing with me, she finally agreed to a refund.)It can also cause a deficiency of the neurotransmitter aceytlcholine, causing long term anxiety, even after 2 yrs. of useing it with no side affects.
Please everyone, tell us the name of your surgeons here, so that when people google them, they can read our posts.
Really hope your pain is less now, wanabncanada. After 5 posts I can send private messages. I've got one to go.

Oh Joan I am so sorry and I understand completely. I thought since Teerasit was American Board Certified, that it meant something. You are two months ahead of me but I haven't had all the problems that you have had. I am twelve and a half weeks post-op now and I'd say my pain has gone from a constant "7" to a "5" due to a slight (SLIGHT) decrease in swelling. You are totally right, I would NEVER have had this done. Teerasit did tell me I had a very deep facelift/browlift and eyes. I took his advice initially when he said that is what I needed. I finally found a plastic surgeon here (recommended by a friend) who would examine me and actually TOUCH my face. He said my brows, at best, will be exactly as they were BEFORE surgery. He said my lower face was good, but that Teerasit had given me an "old school" lift and it could take from 6-12 months to recover. Teerasit also recommended Celebrex for pain - I don't know if it is time that has really helped, or if the medicine has helped the swelling. I still have reddish circles under my eyes with swelling. I have major bumps behind my ears and still sleep on cold packs AND OR hot packs at night on my side. My pierced earrings, which I have finally been able to put in - hang crooked also. NEVER did they hang that way before. Oh - the plastic surgeon I saw here PROCEEDED to tell me he could FIX everything with botox and laser!!!! NO WAY!!!! ($3100 usd) I will not be a walking experiment anymore. I am really hoping that by next November (the one year mark) - it will be "normal" again and I feel the same for you. After this botched face lift, I won't even take my dentist's opinion on a tooth crown seriously without a second opinion!!! Hang in there Joan.

To the poster,

I too went to an international hospital in Asia. What you've been thru isn't acceptable! Could you please tell us which hospital and surgeon you had?