The recovery following a necklift
It is advisable to stay the night in our London hospital. A dressing which is applied around the face and neck is removed the next morning. Your hair will then be carefully washed by the nurses. When you return home it is important to sleep upright for the first few days and to be careful not to lift heavy objects and to avoid stooping. Taking it gently will reduce the swelling and bruising. The degree of bruising is variable. If liposuction has been required under the chin the bruising tends to be more noticeable. Any visible bruising subsides by the end of two weeks. You can cover with make up provided you keep away from any stitch lines.
The stitches are removed at 5 – 7 days after which you should generally feel quite comfortable. Many patients experience a tight feeling across the neck but usually there is very little or no pain from this operation. Any mild discomfort is easily controlled with painkillers.
After 2 weeks it is acceptable to return to work but there will still be some very minor swelling which takes another 3 to 4 weeks to completely settle. However, during this stage it should not be overtly visible that you have had surgery. It is best to refrain from heavy exercise for approximately six weeks post surgery.
There can be some minor thickenings in the neck which can temporarily feel like minor bumps under the skin . These areas will gradually soften over a period of a few weeks.
The best results are seen at approximately 3 months by which time the tissues have settled. However, the skin can feel somewhat numb and it can take a few months for the full sensation to return.
The risks of necklift surgery?
There is generally a low incidence of risks following necklift surgery.
The risks of this operation are higher in smokers and if you smoke it is important to completely stop several weeks prior to surgery. If you are a heavy smoker and you cannot stop smoking you will be unsuitable for surgery.
Infection is a risk but you will be given prophylactic antibiotics which means that this situation is very rare.
Bleeding is a risk which can result in a situation called a haematoma . This is a swelling under the skin which will mean a return to the operating room to remove the swelling and stop any bleeding point. It is not life threatening and will not compromise the result of the surgery. However, there can be a little more bruising during the recovery phase. This situation occurs in about 2 – 3% pf patients and if it occurs it will be identified during the first night in hospital.
The skin will lose its sensation but this gradually returns over a period of a few months. During this recovery phase there may be some minor symptoms like pins and needles or some itching. This is nothing to be worried about and is part of the normal recovery.
Delayed healing of the skin can rarely occur adjacent to the scars. This results in a thick leathery scab which will take some time to separate and heal. It can mean the scar may be thicker than usual and may need further minor intervention to improve the quality of scar. This is more common in smokers and therefore it is imperative you do not smoke prior to surgery.
Damage to the facial nerve is extremely rare during facelift and necklift surgery but needs to be mentioned.
Minor hair loss can occur around the scars which cross into the hairline but usually this is temporary with permanent hairloss being very rare indeed.