Move the head and shoulders as one unit or as though you had a "stiff neck".
AVOID turning the head or bending the neck.
   Elevate the head of the bed thirty degrees to forty degrees while you are in the hospital and when you go home.
   Specific medication for pain etc. will be prescribed for you while you are in the hospital. AVOID straining at stool and ask for a laxative if you need it.
   I recommend that you remain in bed for the first twelve hours following surgery.
   You are usually discharged from the hospital the following day. If your dressing, which is applied under some tension, begins to feel excessively tight or uncomfortable, report it to me by calling the office at your earliest convenience. You may then sit in a chair, walk to the bathroom or around the house remaining out of bed as much as possible. While at home, you will wear a special chin sling for 2 weeks, day and night, for as long as tolerated. The sling may be removed for washing and drying. If you feel comfortable, it will be advantageous to wear the sling for an additional two weeks at night.
   If you live in another city I prefer you stay in town (motel, hotel, or with a friend) or approximately ten days following discharge.
Enquire about the special suite available for rent in our building upstairs for prolonged stay. This unit is not a part of the clinic but is run by a company well instructed in the needs of our patients following facial surgery.
   Excessive sunning of the face is always harmful to the skin. It should be particularly avoided for the first eight months after the surgery.
   Discolorations can be camouflaged by using thick makeup one week after surgery. A water base makeup may be applied with a moist sponge and after it dries, a second layer may be applied. It can be removed with water. DO NOT apply makeup over the incisions themselves for several days after the removal of the sutures.
   Measure your temperature by mouth daily in the morning and report any persistent elevations above 100.l degrees fahrenheit or 37.5 degrees Celsius.
    Glasses and contact lenses may be worn as soon as the bandages are removed. If eyelid surgery was carried out at the same time, refer to the instructions pertaining to blepharoplasty. If nasal cosmetic surgery was also performed refer to the instructions under rhinoplasty.
   You may wash your hair with lukewarm water in the shower and comb it gently with your fingers three days after the operation. You may have your hair washed at a salon ten days after surgery.

      DO NOT use the heat hair dryer, use the cap type.
      DO NOT rest your neck on the rim of the wash bowl in the area of the incisions.
      DO NOT colour the hair until four weeks after surgery.
      Use a gentle upward motion while washing your face with a mild soap applied with cotton balls three days after surgery.
      You may take a shower three days after surgery.
      DO NOT tweeze the eyebrows for two weeks.
      DO NOT wear clothing that must be pulled over the head until ten days after surgery.
      NO athletic activities or exercises that involve turning the head are recommended for at least six weeks.
      AVOID excessive grinning, smiling and turning, bending and extending the head for two weeks.
      AVOID foods that are hard to chew. Drink through a straw for the first two days.
      AVOID yawning with the mouth widely open for two weeks.

   Returning to work and resuming social activities is usually possible after three weeks. In some cases this period might be slightly extended.

   Your scars will mature and become a little noticeable within one year after surgery. Smoking may result in poor scar quality, the scars being much wider than in non smokers.

   Many patients frequently ask whether it would be possible to have more face lifts in the future. They are also under the impression that once they have had a face lift operation, another face lift will become mandatory a few years down the road. Modern techniques used in face lifting preserve a natural hair line, thus allowing for another operation if desired in the future. Such a procedure, however, will be less indicated than if the patient did not have the original surgery. There are two reasons for a second face lift; 1) When there are advanced tissue changes, the first operation may not succeed in the degree of the improvement desired by the patient, despite great efforts on the part of the surgeon, 2) The psychological effects of face lifting may be so remarkable that after a few years, despite still a relatively youthful look for the patient’s age, he/she may wish to experience again the same satisfaction.