The longer the procedure is expected to take, the more likely that general anesthesia will be recommended. You may be allowed to return home within a few hours of the surgery, and spend the night in the comfort of your own home, or it may be necessary to spend the night in the hospital so your recovery process can be monitored by a medical staff. Minimal facelifts can be performed quickly and with little risk, but the degree of correction achieved by these lifts is also less. More extensive techniques can give better correction of the aging changes in the face, but at the cost of greater operating time, more risk, longer swelling, slower recovery, and greater cost. Make sure that you discuss your goals, budget, and risk tolerance with your surgeon to decide on the plan that is best for you.
Patients usually feel and look okay surprisingly quickly after a facelift.
Despite the fact that it is a large operation, there is usually very little pain. Swelling disappears within a few days, and bruises are usually gone by two weeks. Patients generally feel a sense of tightness and numbness that should gradually return to normal within several weeks. The scars will remain pink for a few months before maturing to less visible white scars, which can be hidden with makeup. Furthermore, the scars are often hidden within your hair and in the normal creases of your skin.