A traditional facelift is a major surgery with a long recovery time. Dr. Rai uses a newer technique, called endoscopic facelift, which yields exceptional results, and a much shorter and more pleasant recovery. You can return to work about 10 days to two weeks after your procedure, as long as your job does not require strenuous activity. The facelift recovery period can take several weeks. During your consultation, Dr. Rai will explain in more detail what you can expect during facelift recovery.

Your Facelift Recovery Period

Most patients go home on the day of surgery. You will need someone to drive you home and stay with you for a day or two. Dr. Rai will prescribe pain medication, in case you need it, but you may not have to take it. You can expect some bruising and swelling. The majority of discomfort is typically from the swelling. Using ice packs or frozen peas during the first two or three days after surgery will minimize the bruising ad swelling and speedup your recovery time.

Returning to Work

Depending on what you do, you can return to work about 10 to 14 days after your facelift. You will still probably need special makeup to cover the bruising at this point. It is still too early for strenuous activity. Swelling and stiffness will continue to lessen over the course of several weeks. At three or four weeks after your surgery you can begin to resume more strenuous activity, working into it gradually. If you are considering a facelift in the Dallas area and you wonder how long the facelift recovery period will be, please contact the Cosmetic Surgical Center to schedule a comprehensive consultation with Dr. Vasdev Rai. After discussing your cosmetic goals, Dr. Rai can help you decide if a facelift or another procedure will give you the results that you desire.