Recovering from Facial Surgery

Where small problems get noticed

Recovery is where small problems either get noticed or get missed. Facial surgery recovery looks different from one procedure to the next, so instead of a single timeline, use a way to watch your own healing and go deeper with the two recovery guides below.

One useful habit is to look at the treated area at the same time each day, in the same light, and to write down what you see. A written record turns "it feels different today" into something you can read to the office over the phone. Your surgeon's instructions always come first, and a procedure-specific page such as Cleveland Clinic's neck lift page on surgery, recovery and what to expect shows how one procedure's recovery is laid out.

Recovery questions: warning signs and cold packs

• Warning Signs During Healing: what to track each day, and which questions to settle with your surgeon before you need the answers.
• Cold Packs and Compression Garments: what to ask about the tools your surgeon may hand you, and what to report if they seem to make things worse.

Where to read further

For a general starting point on plastic and cosmetic surgery topics, MedlinePlus's plastic and cosmetic surgery page collects health information in one place. If your procedure involves implants, read the plastic surgery society's page on facial implants before your consultation so your questions are specific. If your surgery will take place at a hospital, the Overlake Medical Center and Clinics site is one example of how a hospital presents its services.

Your call list and daily notes

Before surgery, ask your surgeon which changes need a call and how to reach the office after hours. After surgery, keep your daily notes and bring them to every follow-up visit.