Tips for Getting the Best Facelift Results
Your recovery is an essential part of your facelift surgery. The first two week post-op period is the most important in the recovery process. You can not engage in any activities that raise your heart rate or blood pressure such as:
- Bending Over
- Lifting
- Climbing Stairs
- Any form of exercise
- Emotional stress
- Walking the dog
- Caretaking
- Worrying
- Excess drinking
- Sex
Honoring the Healing Period During Facelift Recovery
Preparing for recovery is the key to honoring your body’s need to heal. Surgery of any kind is stressful to the body. Proper nutrition, hydration, and peace of mind are crucial to your healing process. To help you plan for your recovery we recommend the following:
- Eat an Anti-inflammatory Diet
Choose whole foods such as organic fruits and vegetables, meats, and eggs. Limit processed foods and added sugars. Sugar causes inflammation and it puts further strain on the body.
Have bone broth on hand for the first few days after surgery. Bone broth is high in protein and essential healing nutrients. Visit Osso Good and purchase frozen bone broth or other delicious soups to stash in your freezer for quick, nutritious facelift recovery meals.
Supplement your body with micronutrients like magnesium. These nutrients can be found in foods like almonds, spinach, bananas, and avocados, but it would also be helpful to get an over-the-counter supplement. Anesthesia, pain meds, and antibiotics deplete these micronutrients, making it difficult to heal
- Hydrate
When it comes to hydration, plain old water is best. It is the most important nutrient in the body and also the most common nutritional deficiency in the American population. When recovering from your facelift surgery, remember that one of water’s important roles is empowering the body’s natural healing process.
Plain water isn’t for everyone. When you find yourself bored with plain water, reach for a flavored alternative like Spindrift, La Croix, or another flavored sparkling drink. If carbonation is not for you, Dasani provides water infusers in a variety of flavors.
When keeping hydrated post-surgery, don’t make the mistake of thinking liquid=hydration. Caffeine, alcohol, sugary sodas, and fruit drinks actually dehydrate the body and will not be helpful in the healing process.
- Have your Rx on Hand
When you come for your facelift pre-op visit you will be given your prescriptions to fill prior to surgery. Make sure you fill all the prescriptions, even if you don’t think you will use them. Some patients don’t need any pain medication, others do. If you are in pain, then we strongly urge you to follow the recommended dosages and doctor’s orders.
Constipation can be a side effect of the anesthesia and pain medication. We strongly recommend purchasing a bottle of our Super Aloe that can be taken orally to relieve constipation.
Protect your intestines with a probiotic. After surgery you will be on a short course of antibiotics, which can kill the good bacteria along with the bad. To keep your tummy happy, a daily dose of a probiotic like Align is recommended.
- Go Audible
Reading can be such a pleasant way to pass time, but during your facelift recovery, your eyes may be too swollen to read. A great alternative is to listen to books through Audible. Simply download the app and purchase your books on Amazon.com. You can also download audiobooks through your local library on Overdrive.com.
- Give Yourself Permission to Do Nothing
One of the hardest parts of facelift recovery is for patients to slow down and do nothing so that their body can do the work of healing. Put an away message on your work emails, and promise yourself that you will NOT check them until you are healed.
You may find yourself feeling a bit “cooped up” during this time, so connect to nature through Pandora. Turn on the sounds of babbling brooks and chirping birds, and allow yourself to relax into visions of nature.
Think of the facelift recovery period as a great time to get caught up a favorite binge-worthy program. During this time, your body is extremely sensitive, and (believe it or not) even your choice of television can help the healing process. We encourage you to binge on some light-hearted shows that will help relieve any anxiety you may be experiencing:
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel – comedy about a 1950s housewife who discovers her hutzpah and comedic talents after her husband leaves her.
Younger – since you are in the process of unveiling a younger more beautiful you, why not get lost in a show that is about one woman’s transformation from a 40 something to a 20 something.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend – if you like musicals, comedy, and aren’t afraid of a little drama (ok, make that a lot of drama), then you will love this show about a young lawyer who abandons her entire New York life in search of happiness.
