How to Help a Loved One Recover from a Facelift

A facelift or a Band Aid Mini Facelift can be a fantastic way for someone to reduce troublesome signs of aging and restore their confidence in their appearance. If you have a friend or family member who is planning to have a facelift or mini facelift, you want their recovery to be as easy and seamless as possible. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to make that happen.

As a double board-certified plastic surgeon who has specialized in mini facelifts for 25 years, I have helped thousands of patients plan for a smooth recovery time. Follow these tips to make your loved one’s healing period easier.

Spend the First Night

When a patient has plastic surgery, the first night is often a difficult time to navigate. They will need a ride home from their surgery, but it’s also important that they have someone at home that night to help them get around the house as needed.

If your loved one lives alone, you can help by offering to spend the first night with them. This is a great time to get them set up for a smoother facelift recovery as well. For example, you can make a schedule for them of when to take specific medications and when and how to care for their incisions.

Offer to Run Errands

I always advise my patients to plan ahead by listing all the groceries, toiletries, and other supplies they’ll need for their recovery time and picking them up before their surgery. This is easier for patients receiving my Band Aid Mini Facelift because the recovery time is half as long as it is after a traditional facelift. However, there may be items they forget or other needs that come up later.

You can help by staying in touch with your loved one while they heal, asking if there is anything they might need, and offering to run any necessary errands. It’s especially important that they take it easy in their first days after surgery, but many patients prefer to stay home for longer until much of their swelling and bruising is gone.

Care for Their Kids and/or Pets

In the days after surgery, patients need to be careful about their level of activity. They shouldn’t exert themselves too much, and facelift patients in particular need to avoid bending down too far. This makes it difficult for them to care for anyone else, like kids or pets.

Caring for kids is especially challenging because it can take so much energy and activity. Even caring for a pet can be too much, though, like taking the dog for a walk and bending down to feed the pets or clean up after them. You can help your loved one by offering to care for their kids or pets for part of their facelift recovery, especially if they don’t have a partner or other adult at home to help.

Provide Emotional Support

Helping your loved one recover from a facelift or mini facelift isn’t only about their physical and practical needs. The post-surgery healing period can also be an emotional time. The discomfort of healing and even some post-surgery medications can affect a person’s emotions, and a lack of sleep during the recovery period can contribute too.

As a friend or family member, make sure your loved one knows that you’re there for them. Let them know that you’re available to listen if they need you and be sure to help them stay positive.

Helping Your Loved One After Facial Rejuvenation Surgery

If your friend or family member is planning for a facelift or Band Aid Mini Facelift, you’re probably excited for them and the new confidence they will enjoy after their surgery. In the meantime, though, you can help and support them by being a trusted team member during their recovery.

If you’re considering a facelift of your own, call my plastic surgery office today to schedule a consultation. Be sure to follow me on Facebook for more cosmetic surgery tips.