Facelift swelling: what is normal, week by week

Days one to four

Swelling increases after surgery rather than immediately at the end of it, typically peaking somewhere between the second and fourth day. This surprises people who felt reasonable on the first evening.

Head elevation, including sleeping propped up, makes a genuine difference. So does avoiding anything that raises blood pressure, including bending forward and lifting.

Weeks one to two

Bruising moves downward with gravity, often appearing in the neck and upper chest, and changes colour as it resolves. Swelling begins to reduce noticeably. Most people feel able to be seen by close friends and family towards the end of this period.

One side almost always settles faster than the other. This is the single most common reason people panic in week two, and it is almost never a problem.

Weeks three to six

The face begins to look like itself. Firmness and lumpiness under the skin are common and represent healing tissue rather than a problem with the result. Numbness in front of and behind the ear is expected and resolves gradually over months.

Many people return to work within this window, depending on how public their role is.

Three months to a year

Residual swelling that only you can detect continues to settle. The tissues soften. The result at three months is good; the result at a year is the real one.

This is also why judging your outcome, or comparing yourself to before photographs, is unhelpful before that point.

When to call rather than wait

Ordinary swelling is symmetrical in character, gradual, and improving over time. Contact your surgeon promptly if you notice rapid swelling on one side, particularly with increasing pain or tightness, any difficulty breathing or swallowing, fever, or spreading redness.

These are uncommon, and they are the reason surgeons ask you to have their contact details to hand rather than waiting for a scheduled appointment.