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What Will Recovery from Facelift and Facial Fat Transfer Be Like?

Middle-aged woman smiling

More and more people are combining facelift surgery with fat grafting. These procedures work well together to combat some of the most common signs of facial aging, including sagging skin, deep creases, and volume loss. This combination technique, available from our extensively trained plastic surgeon, has many benefits. Of course, the advantages are just one piece of the puzzle. To become well informed and make the best decision for your needs, you should also understand what the recovery process will be like.

To harvest the fatty tissue used in facial fat transfer, liposuction will be performed on one or more areas of the body. These areas will be sore, swollen, and bruised for a few weeks after the procedure. To help minimize your discomfort, we can prescribe painkillers. Your face will experience tenderness, swelling, and bruising as well, which will be more pronounced due to the placement of the fatty tissue. It’s common for inflammation to last several weeks, although you should begin to look more like yourself after about the third week. Applying makeup, if desired, can help to hide residual signs of bruising or swelling. We typically recommend that you take at least one week off from work and normal activities, and a month off from strenuous exercise. Each patient’s rate of healing is unique, and it’s important to have some patience during this process.

While the downtime following facelift with facial fat transfer can be more extensive than with facelift alone, the outcome is often more natural-looking rejuvenation and longer-lasting results. For more information tailored to your needs and goals, we encourage you to schedule an initial complimentary consultation.