When you decide to get a cosmetic procedure, the last thing you want is to stress about your recovery.
However, knowing what to expect during your post-operative period is essential. Like many cosmetic procedures, facelift surgery requires you to adjust your sleeping position.
This reduces the risk of developing post-surgery compilations and compromising the results. So, here’s how you ensure you get the best sleep after facelift surgery.
What is a Facelift?
A rhytidectomy or facelift surgery is a facial rejuvenation procedure that helps lift and tighten sagging and excess skin tissue. The procedure gives a more vibrant and youthful appearance by shedding years off your age. It can help correct several conditions, including:
- Fading jawline or drooping jowls
- Nasolabial folds, droopy skin folds between the mouth and the nose
- Marionette lines where one has visible lines between the chin and the mouth
- A double chin
- Drooping midface or saggy neck skin
- Any other sign of ageing that’s affecting your self-image
During a facelift, the plastic surgeon removes excess skin, smoothes the skin folds and lifts the deep facial tissue for a more youthful facial contour. Most of the time, a facelift will be combined with a neck lift for a complete facial and neck rejuvenation.
Facelift Surgery Before and After
Why is Quality Sleep So Important After Facelift Surgery?
Quality sleep plays a vital role when recovering from any invasive procedure. Good sleep helps promote adequate healing while boosting the immune system. Facelift surgery involves the surgeon making a few incisions to tighten the skin folds for a youthful look. Because of that, you need to ensure you get enough sleep during recovery. Here are some reasons why sleep is so crucial during facelift recovery.
- Reduced swelling: You will have some bruising and swelling after facial surgery. Sleeping with your head elevated helps decrease the amount of fluid that accumulates near the incision resulting in less swelling. When swelling reduces, it improves your comfort and helps speed up recovery.
- Protects incisions: If you don’t sleep well when recovering from facial surgery, you risk messing with your incisions. Sleeping on your back helps reduce the friction between your face and the pillow, thus reducing tension that could complicate the healing.
- Maintains results: Sleeping will help maintain the aesthetic results of your procedure. Sleeping also helps promote blood flow which works magic for your recovery, helping maintain your results.
All in all, your body needs rest after any surgery, but sometimes you may find getting quality sleep challenging. Your incisions and the bandages may prevent you from getting the quality sleep your body needs for recovery. Your doctor will advise you on how better to sleep following your surgery.
How to Sleep Better After Facelift Surgery
After your facelift surgery, your surgeon will give you post-operative instructions to follow. They will also instruct you on how to sleep comfortably.
1. Sleep On Your Back
Most people sleep on their sides or abdomen. But after your facelift, you must sleep on your back during the initial healing period.
Sleeping with your head elevated would be best, so using a pillow or a recliner can help. Sleeping on your back helps reduce the swelling that will occur after surgery.
It will also help protect the incisions. This prevents friction between the face and the bed or pillow. This tension can lead to healing complications.
Sleeping on your back also ensures that the results are maintained. After a facelift, contouring your face every night can lead to the development of wrinkles and creases.
To get quality sleep when sleeping on your back, try the following:
- Find a comfortable way to sleep. The best practice is to use a pillow beneath your neck and head and another beneath the knees so your body is comfortably contoured.
- If you turn and roll in your sleep, try and box yourself with more pillows. Most people add a pillow beneath each arm.
- Sleep on a firmer mattress. A firm mattress is usually ideal for back sleepers as it helps maintain your position during the night, something you will need when recovering.
- Stress and anxiety are common after a surgical procedure, which may prevent you from falling asleep. Consider breathing and meditation exercises before bed to lure yourself to sleep. You might also want to change to a more comfortable bed as you recover from the surgery.
2. Be Prepared
Before you go in for your surgery, you must ensure that everything in your life is ready for recovery. Clean the house, shop for your post-op meals, and finish up any pending work.
Go an extra step to ensure that you are as comfortable as possible. You can even rent a recliner or add extra pillows to your bed to help when you get home.
3. Don’t Stress About it
After facelift surgery, you will have some swelling and bruising. Don’t let this scare you enough to cause you stress.
Stress affects sleep quality which can have adverse effects on your recovery. So, remind yourself that the swelling, puffiness, and scrunched-up skin will go away in no time.
4. Manage the Swelling
A majority of facelift patients experience swelling and discomfort as they recover. To sleep better, you need to find ways of managing the swelling. Your doctor may recommend using a cold compress wrapped in a cloth.
The cold helps reduce swelling and inflammation by slowing down blood flow. If you are using ice packs, don’t apply them directly to the skin, as this can lead to skin burn.
5. Stay Active
Strenuous activities and exercises are a no-go during the first few weeks of recovery. However, you can still move around.
Unlike other cosmetic surgeries, facelifts don’t confine you to a bed. It’s therefore vital that you get moving to help improve blood circulation. Moving will also improve your mood, which can be vital to your sleep quality.
6. Stay Away from Caffeine
Coffee, energy drinks, espressos, and black tea contain caffeine. Caffeine is a well–known sleep disruptor.
Combined with antibiotics and pain medications, it can interfere with sleep. Instead, opt for non-caffeinated drinks like herbal tea.
Facelift Surgery London: Consult with a Facelift Specialist at The Harley Clinic
A facelift is one of the best anti-ageing treatments. When done by a qualified plastic surgeon, the results are usually permanent. Facelift recovery time differs from one person to another based on the extent of the procedure. During recovery, it’s important to follow all your doctor’s post-op instructions, including how to sleep during that period.
Do you want to learn more about facelift surgery? Or are you wondering if you are a good candidate for the procedure? Consult with an expert plastic surgeon today. To schedule a consultation, contact the Harley Clinic by calling 0203 582 4947 or send an email to [email protected].
