How To Massage Face After Facelift
If you have recently undergone a facelift surgery, it is not necessary that you should wait till the healing process is complete to do facial massage. Facial massage can be done at any time and many people find themselves in need of facial massage even before surgery. The effect of facial massage is immediate but it is always beneficial that it is done with proper guidance from your doctor or surgeon so you don’t stress your wound area.
In this guide, we review How To Massage Face After Facelift, ridges in cheeks after facelift, should i massage face after facelift, and how to get rid of lumps after facelift.
How To Massage Face After Facelift
Facelift is a popular cosmetic surgery procedure that helps tighten loose skin and muscle on the face. It helps restore your natural youthful appearance by removing excess fat, skin and muscle tissue from under the chin, cheeks and neck area. The results of facelift are noticeable immediately after the surgery but it takes several months before you can see full improvement in your face. Facial massage is one of the best ways to improve facial appearance after facelift but it should be done under professional guidance so don’t try this at home without proper instructions from your doctor or surgeon.
Is it Safe to do facial massage after facelift?
Facial massage is safe and helps to relax the facial muscles. It can also help reduce swelling, a common problem after a facelift procedure. Facial massage may increase blood flow to the area which promotes healing and reduces scarring (if any).
Massage face and neck
Massage face and neck as soon as possible after surgery, preferably on the same day.
Use light firm strokes using your fingertips, not the palm of your hand.
Avoid massaging over incisions or stitches; if any are present, it’s best to wait until they’ve been removed before beginning a full-scale massage regimen. Be careful not to overdo it—you may cause more bruising by pushing too hard or moving too fast. If you’re unsure about what feels right for you at this stage, ask a member of your care team for advice on how much pressure is appropriate during facial massage after facelift surgery.
The right technique can relax and rejuvenate the face after facelift
If you are having any of the following symptoms, please do not massage your face:
- Swelling or bruising
- Skin infection
- Too much pain or discomfort
ridges in cheeks after facelift
There is no “normal” facelift recovery. So many variables come into play, different degrees of ageing, surgical and medical history, genetics, psychological outlook and the extent and type of surgery performed.
This page is for my patients having deep plane composite facelift surgery performed by me as all surgeons use different techniques of varying complexity and associated recoveries.
Everyone heals at their own pace and there is no rush. There are however common themes, worries and concerns that almost everybody experiences to some extent or another. On this page I hope to walk you through a typical patient’s journey of both physical and emotional recovery.
Please use it as a guide and not a comparison tool – your journey is your own – and we will be right by your side all the way.
Preparation
Preparing for facelift surgery is much like preparing for a holiday. Those patients that prepare physically, logistically and emotionally enjoy their journey far more than others who bury their heads in the sand until its time to go.
I tell my patients to give me two weeks of their time until they are comfortable to be visible socially or professionally. In reality, most feel comfortable sooner, but two weeks is a good rule of thumb.
Logistically
Clearing the social and professional calendar for this period reduces stress and the frustration of needing to hurry healing along. Filling the fridge with soft foods, the freezer with large bags of peas, sorting childcare, getting that pile of washing done, and planning books to read or shows to watch means that from day one you can focus on you and your recovery.
Emotionally
There is no doubt that those patients with a positive mental attitude recover quicker, the opposite is also true – those patients that look up all the rare complications on google tend to tempt fate! Taking time to accept the recovery period, knowing there will be days where you look like an alien and that there will be bruising and swelling and tightness and numbness means you’ll welcome the reality as an expected part of your journey.
The Run Up To Your Facelift
You’ve booked the procedure and cleared your diary, logistics are taken care of, everything is ready but are you? We all lead busy lives and tend to be doers more than thinkers. In the few days before surgery, the thinking starts!
Am I doing the right thing? Will it be ok? is my neck that bad? Everybody, and I mean everybody goes through this process. It’s a time of reflection and nerves creep in. Humans are geared to be wishful thinkers but suddenly something that has been longed for for so long is just round the corner and doubts creep in – much like a bride on the night before her wedding.
This is a time to trust your research and decision making, remember the reasons you reached out for help in the first place and remember you are with team who are focussed experts in the procedure you have chosen to have. Feel free to air any concerns or worries in person at the pre-op clinic at anytime.
Immediately After Your Facelift
You’ve done it! Years of waiting, deciding and planning are over. Immediately after surgery you will be conscious as we will have carefully reduced any sedation in the last hour of surgery.
There isn’t usually any pain as the face is still numb from local anaesthetic, the same anaesthetic might have made the eyebrow or lip nerves sleepy and will wear off over the next few hours.
You will be changed out of your gown into your pyjamas and escorted back to your suite with a soft cotton wool head bandage and into our super king beds with 6 firm pillows keeping you propped up.
You might feel sleepy still or you might not – it varies. Some patients are hungry but find the mouth doesn’t open very wide which is why we stock your suite with soft sweet foods. About 10% of patients can feel nauseous, and if so we will give you medication for this. Overnight the anaesthetic wears off and you will feel tightness from the face and neck lift and the bandage, Paracetamol is usually enough to take the edge off this. Some patients sleep well, most get a few hours only, we don’t give any further sleeping tablets as we want your body to wash out the sedation given during surgery.
Day One Tired But Elated
The morning after your bandages are taken down and your hair is gently washed for you.
My patients are placed routinely under an LED phototherapy lamp straight after their hair wash as this encourages blood flow to the facial skin and brings in healing and growth factors to kick start recovery.
After I check you and take 3D and static photography, we pack your bags for you, run through your post operative instructions and help you out to your car. At this stage you are sore but not in pain and elation is common having had a glimpse of the result that has been achieved.
Days Two & Three I Wish I Hadn’t Done It
The elation has evaporated, these are the tough days. I tell all my patients that day 2 and 3 they won’t like me and won’t like themselves!
The reason for this is swelling – it can range from minimal to impressive – there is no normal. Swelling makes the face look alien, feel heavy and throb. Again pain is not expected but a deep soreness and tightness is. It will be difficult to open the mouth wide or turn the neck in most directions.
This is stage do very little, avoid mirrors and ice constantly. Some patients can feel depressed, like baby blues, the facelift blues is a definite thing. The adrenaline, excitement and anticipation gives way to worry, angst and guilt. The latter because this is elective surgery not for physical illness and patients don’t wish to be a burden on their family. Be very kind to yourself, you’ve had big surgery and are allowed to be a patient.
Days Four To Six Bruised & Bored
The worst is now over and I have become tolerable again! The swelling is going down, neck and mouth tightness is easing but still limited and bruises are coming out.
There might be the odd lump bump, ridge or contour irregularity under the skin where the deeper work was performed but these will all even out. The ears and skin in front of the ears will be strangely numb, the earlobes will be enlarged and it will feel like a tight band or scarf under the neck. Social isolation and boredom starts to creep in, a short walk outside with your hair down and a hoodie is possible. The worry about being back at work in time starts – will I ever look like me again? – the answer is yes – a better version of you but this is where patience is key. You are less than a week out!
One Week Swollen & Yellow
You are back to Azara for removal of your stitches which can now feel like they are pulling. You are swollen still, some are very swollen, others look like they are ready to be back out socially with their hair down – but again there is no normal.
At this stage the swelling is descending with gravity and there can be a bit of a new double chin – which will go. The stitches come out painlessly but the facial skin is still completely numb. Bruises are at their peak if present and we might laser them if indicated. It will feel like you have been recovering for ever but a week is a long time in facelift recovery. And we still have another week before you are back out there.
Second Week I Hope No-One Notices
Week 2 is a big week. Changes occur daily as swelling descends and bruising fades. There can be discolouration of the numb skin in front of the ears and behind as new blood vessels bring nourishment to the skin.
You might start to get tingling sensations or pins and needles as the feeling starts to return but usually this is later on. Swelling under the chin is worse in the mornings and after salty foods. As the swelling subsides you might notice lumps and bumps but again these will soften and fade. Emotionally you are now worried that people will notice or that you are more swollen than all the cases on my gallery. In reality you aren’t, they all felt exactly the same way. You might worry that you need a cover story, but remember you know what you have done and others don’t – people tend to look and not see – my patients most commonly tell me that colleagues and friends ask if they have lost weight (welcome to your new jaw and neck line!) or that they look really well (what they mean is more beautiful!)
should i massage face after facelift
While pain, bruising and swelling are natural, expected side effects following a facelift, for some patients the swelling may prove uncomfortable, and even compromise their results.
So, while it may come as a surprise to many facelift patients, we often recommend postoperative local massages to promote a smooth, healthy recovery.
Performed by the patient with proper instruction or by a well-trained professional who understands postoperative healing, the benefits of a massage after a facelift include:
There are several types of postoperative massages you can consider to help improve your healing process and results.
Swedish Massage
A Swedish massage is similar to light moisturizing or gentle washing, and should be the first type of massage you try. It serves to help in sensitizing or de-sensitizing the skin as your sensation returns.
Lymphatic (or Squeegee) Massage
A lymphatic massage after a facelift helps to ease swelling, bruising and discomfort with gentle, upward fingertip massaging that increases blood flow, activates the lymph nodes and triggers lymph drainage.
Shiatsu Massage
A Shiatsu massage provides deeper, accentuated pressure with the use of a rolling or rocking tool that can break up the lumpy collagen scar formation.
Do note that it is important to drink plenty of fluids before and after a facelift massage. After the massage, you may feel relaxed, but be sure to stay active – without exerting yourself – to increase blood flow and speed up the healing process. Also, sleep with your head elevated.
We typically recommend these massages three to five times a day for very short intervals of time – keep in mind that more is decidedly not better, however. Moderation in performing these massages is key, and you should always consult your surgeon regarding post-facelift massage options and recommendations.
Should you have any questions at all regarding your postoperative care, do not hesitate to contact the professionals at Youthful Reflections.
how to get rid of lumps after facelift
It’s common for patients to experience certain symptoms after a facelift, such as pain, bruising, and swelling. These side effects are a common part of the post-procedure healing process and will subside over time. There are some practices designed to help speed the facelift healing process. A post-operative localized massage can promote a smooth recovery.
Facial Massage after a Facelift
Every individual heals differently after a procedure, so you should follow up with your surgeon to discuss which healing techniques are best for you. Do not participate in a massage after facelift surgery if areas of your face are still scabbed and bruised from the procedure. The wound should be closed and secure before you consider facial massage. While the open wound is healing you can usually lightly apply moisturizer or steroid cream, but it’s important to consult with your surgeon about recommendations specifically for you first!
Massage after a facelift can help to:
The patient should be cleared from his or her surgeon before participating in a facial massage after a facelift. Massage can begin a couple days after surgery, or a month later – it depends on the patient’s specific case.
There are several types of post-operative massages, ranging from lymphatic massage to ultrasound therapy. Consult your surgeon about expert practitioners for these techniques or how to massage your own face after your facelift.
Types of Massage After Facelift
Swedish
This massage is equivalent to light moisturizing or gentle washing. Swedish massage is a light, upward touching of the skin that helps bring back sensation to the affected area. This is the first type of massage to practice once your wound is closed and started to heal. Be sure the masseuse properly sanitizes their hands and the area of the face around the wound. Stitches must be removed before the patient can practice Swedish massage.
Lymphatic
A lymphatic massage after a facelift helps to ease common side effects: swelling, bruising, and discomfort. It is normal for some areas to feel firm and thickened as you heal from the surgery. While aggressive massage can accelerate inflammation and irritation, a gentle fingertip massage or lymphatic massage will not. Lymphatic massage is a gentle, upward massage that increases blood flow, activates the lymph nodes, and triggers lymph drainage. Facelift side effects will not go away immediately after a lymphatic massage, but by improving the patient’s blood circulation these symptoms will cease sooner.
Note: Avoid Deep Tissue Massage. Deep tissue massages can hurt you after a procedure and can hinder your healing process. It is crucial to work with a certified massage therapist who is an expert in lymphatic massage to avoid damage. Consult your surgeon to get suggestions for certified lymphatic massage therapists.
Scar Massage
A scar typically begins developing about three weeks after the surgery. You should schedule an appointment with your surgeon to have your scars evaluated in person before deciding how to treat them. Massage after a facelift is a good way to reduce and soften your scar, but there are topical solutions such as creams and ointments that may help your scars fade as well. Scarring can be even trickier to deal with after a revision facelift. Whether this is your first face lift or not, your surgeon will know what the right choice is for you.
Scar massage can reduce swelling within the tissue layers. You can begin scar massage after the wound has healed, when there is no longer risk of breaking the skin.
How to Reduce Scarring with Facial Massage
Always use lotion or oil as a moisturizer and lubricant, so the massage can be performed without friction. Use your index finger and middle fingers for the scar massage. Using moderate pressure, gently rub along the direction and length of the scar. Do this for five to ten minutes at least three times per day. Wear sunscreen throughout the year to protect the scar from the sun’s damaging rays. If scar massage doesn’t appear to reduce the thickness of the scar, speak with your surgeon about other treatment options.
Ultrasonic Treatments for Thick Scaring
If you have lumps or bumps under the skin, consult with your surgeon right away and get an ultrasound of the scarring. Ultrasonic treatments can help reduce these deep scars or collections of fluid or blood. If your surgeon does not have an ultrasound machine, ask him or her for a referral to a physical therapist – someone who is well trained and understands the post-surgical healing process.
Care Before and After Your Facelift Massage
It is important to drink plenty of fluids both before and after the facelift massage. After the massage, you may feel relaxed and sedentary, but consistent movement will increase blood flow and speed up the healing process (just please do not exert yourself!). Make sure to sleep with your head elevated to avoid too much blood flow to the face. Follow your surgeon’s specific recommendations for exercise and activity.
Consult your surgeon regarding post-facelift massage techniques. Your surgeon will know what healing practices are best for you.