With cosmetic surgery on the rise, people are looking to remain youthful by undergoing Rhytidectomy, more commonly referred to as a face lift in Arizona. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, there were 127,600 face lift procedures performed in 2010.
TV shows such as NipTuck, and Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and Doc 90210 give a simplified version of what will happen after surgery. Film editing gives the appearance of looking stunning immediately with a minimal, if any, recovery process.
The following details will make your surgical procedure the best experience it can be. A facelift in Arizona is and will always be one of the most popular cosmetic procedures available. With the advent of the Lifetime Lift lower face lift, facial rejuvenation surgery is now available to the masses. Herein, we will address every portion of the procedure from the consultation to the follow-up appointments.
The Consultation
When scheduling a consultation for a facial rejuvenation procedure, it is important to include your partner and potential care giver (for the recovery process) in the consultation. It shows support for the potential surgery patient; and, provides another set of ears to pick up on minor details that can easily be forgotten. A few important questions to ask during this consultation include:
• What is the down time for the procedure?
• What are the restrictions with showering, driving, hair washing immediately following the procedure?
• How long, typically, does the bruising and swelling last?
• How can I expedite the healing process?
Once you have chosen a surgery date, you will be booked for a pre-operative appointment. You will meet with the nurse, along with your chosen Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, who will address prepping for surgery, and how to take care of the incisions after surgery.
You will meet with one of our licensed paramedical aestheticians for preparative skin care treatment, along with take home products to prep your skin for surgery. You will receive a power peel, (microdermabrasion along with a chemical peel) to get rid of unhealthy skin cells and promote cell turnover.
Extensive skin preparation allows your skin to recover faster and decreases the risk that you will have post-operative healing difficulties.
The Pre-Operative Appointment
The pre-op appointment will allow you to ask all of your questions that have accumulated since your initial consultation, with both the nurse and your chosen Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. You will learn what is expected of you and your chosen care giver to help prevent infection, emergency surgery, and increased healing time. This is one of the most important appointments your significant other or care giver can attend.
Your hair cannot be washed for 48 hours after surgery. When you are able to wash your hair, leaning forward can cause swelling and dizziness. Your care giver may need to help you with this task.
When showering, it is important to not let warm water hit you directly in the face, as it can be uncomfortable, and your skin may be hypersensitive. You can take a bath, as long as your face is not submerged in the water.
It is ideal to sleep elevated, and on your back, because it will help bring down the swelling, and make you more comfortable. 
Our patient will have one or two JP Drains attached that help to prevent infection. These drains will be sutured into place and removed once the content in the drains is below 30cc over a 24 hour period. It is important to strip the drains regularly to get any remaining drainage out of the area. In order to strip the drains, you must pull all the fluids through the hose and into the bulb. This keeps fluids out of the incision site and helps prevent infection and fluid build-up.
After you meet with the nurse and the plastic surgeon, you will meet with your licensed paramedical aesthetician for a microdermabrasion. This will remove any remaining dead skin on the surface and give you a healthy glow prior to surgery.
After the Surgery
After the procedure, your partner will be bandaged from his/her hairline to the chin. The chin strap will help provide compression, and provide comfort. There will be some immediate swelling, but anticipate more the following day, along with bruising. It is very common to have numbness in the face. The numbness does subside as you move through the healing process; but, it can take up to a year to fully recover all feeling.
Day 1 – Post Surgery
The first day after the surgery is always the most difficult. Your face will be sore, achy, and bruised. It is normal for the bruising and swelling to increase overnight. This is a normal, natural response of the body to repair itself. Soon you will recover completely.
The First Week Following Surgery
Here a few tips that will help alleviate some of the discomfort after your Lifetime Lift lower face lift. Bruising will typically stream from the face down to the décolleté (collar area). This bruising is caused from being under anesthesia for an extended period of time, and from the procedure itself.
One trick to help expedite the healing for the décolleté is to apply topical arnica (usually in a gel form). Arnica is a natural supplement that reduces bruising. By applying this to the chest area, the bruising fades much faster which helps you feel better. At North Valley Plastic Surgery we place all of our surgical patients on Arnica pills around the time of their surgery.
Applying a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel or a gel ice pack, with a towel/gauze in-between for protection, will help with face swelling. The cold pressure will help to dissipate the swelling and provide comfort. Leave the frozen peas or gel ice pack in place for about 20 minutes, and then remove. You can repeat this as often as your partner would like/tolerate.
If your partner tends to be a side sleeper, anticipate some difficulty in the sleeping department, which may affect you as well. One way to make your partner more comfortable is to invest in reclining chair. This will keep the head elevated, and provide comfort for soreness.

An airplane pillow will keep the head elevated and provide neck support to avoid increased soreness. Even if you feel like resting, keep moving around. Moderate physical activity helps speed up the recovery process and decreases the risk of developing blood clots after surgery. 
At this time, you will meet with your paramedical aesthetician again. This appointment will cover post-care products for you to use. These products will help you maintain your face lift results for years to come. For women, you will also receive your post-surgical makeup consultation. You will receive brand new powder, concealer, and two brushes. A full makeover will be done to show you how to camouflage any remaining bruising. We will teach you how to use the makeup and help you look your best.
Follow-up Appointments
You will have regular follow-up appointments with the doctor and nurse to make sure everything is going according to plan. Typically you will have a next day follow-up appointment that will last about 30 minutes. At this appointment your drains will usually be removed. One week following surgery there will be another appointment to remove the first set of sutures. This appointment is typically 30-45 minutes. As you heal, your appointments will be more infrequent. By this point, bruising and swelling will have decreased significantly. The remaining sutures will be removed at 10-14 days post-surgery.
It always good to keep you skin protected from the sun, but it is essential to keep your surgery scars out of sunlight. Scars can darken and remain visible longer when exposed to sunlight. Our esthetician will also discuss sunblock and makeup options before your surgery.
Conclusion
There are few surgeries that provide as dramatic of an improvement in a person’s physical appearance as a Lifetime Lift lower face lift or face lift. Tightening the skin and lifting the soft tissues of the face provides patients with a dramatic change that many patients say make them look and feel “15 years younger.”
The staff at North Valley Plastic Surgery is here to answer your questions and to make sure you are informed about your Rhytidectomy, or face lift Arizona surgery. Always ensure your safety and choose an experienced, board certified plastic surgeon to perform any cosmetic surgical procedure. The more you learn about the aftercare of your face lift, the more relaxed and confident you will be after your procedure. For a complimentary face lift or Lifetime Lift consult please call 480-304-5477 or visit www.NVPSAZ.com