Cold Packs and Compression Garments
Cold packs and compression garments are two things many people are told to use after facial surgery. The schedule for either one is your surgeon's call. Your part is asking about them and checking your skin while you use them, since small skin problems are easiest to deal with when they are caught early.
Ask how to use them
Instructions differ between procedures and between surgeons, so get yours in writing. Ask:
- How long should each cold session last, and how often?
- Should the pack touch the skin, or should something go between?
- How tight should the garment be, and for how many hours a day?
- When do I stop using each one?
- What do I do if the garment feels too tight?
For a look at how recovery guidance is written for one procedure, see the ASPS chin surgery recovery page and bring your own questions to your surgeon.
Check your skin every time
Each time you take a pack or garment off, look at the skin underneath. Things to compare:
- Marks, redness or color change that are not fading between uses
- Numbness or tingling that is new
- Swelling that is larger on one side
- Pain that is rising instead of easing
Ask your surgeon how soon they want to hear about each of these.
Different procedures, different guidance
What applies after one operation may not apply after another. The Cleveland Clinic page on forehead and eyebrow lift and the ASPS eyelid surgery recovery page are examples of recovery material written for specific procedures. Use them to see what kinds of questions are worth asking, then follow your own surgeon's instructions.
Keep a short log
Write down when you used each item, for how long, and what you saw when you removed it. Bring that log to your follow-up visits.
Supplies ready before surgery day
Get the instructions in writing and set up your supplies before surgery. For a day-by-day picture of recovery after one operation, the article your facelift recovery explained from day 1 to day 30 is a useful companion to your surgeon's own plan. If a mark, numbness or swelling on your list changes quickly, call the office instead of waiting for the next visit.