This post is the last installment of my 3-part series on plastic surgery and discusses my facial plastic surgery recovery to date. Topics include plastic surgery recovery timeline, post-surgery side effects and the 11 symptoms that I wish I had known about beforehand. I also share pre and post-surgery photos in the form of a chronological slideshow at the end of this piece.
The two previous plastic surgery posts are here: Plastic Surgery Stigma and Plastic Surgery Considerations.
It’s been a couple of minutes-3 months’ worth of them-since I first wrote about my aesthetic plastic surgery. In case you missed it, I had a neck lift, lower facelift and upper blepharoplasty at the end of June this year.
So, let’s first get the million-dollar question out of the way. Was it worth the time, discomfort and money? Absolutely. My litmus test was still looking like me but a better more rested and refreshed me. Check, check and check. And, the bonus is my increased confidence.
With that said, it doesn’t mean that everything has been completely smooth sailing.
It’s been a marathon, not a sprint-and continues to be. And that brings its own difficulties. For context, 3 months is really only about 25% of the way to the recovery finish line. According to the experts, the complete healing of 2 of the 3 surgeries I underwent will take upwards of a year. And from what has transpired so far, that makes sense. The third procedure, the upper eyelids or upper blepharoplasty, heals and has healed much quicker.
Was the recovery as I expected? Mostly no. In some ways, the recovery was and is going much better than anticipated. In other ways, there were and are many unexpected symptoms that I hadn’t heard of or planned for even after doing a lot of research. I will highlight those things.
Disclaimer
The information presented below is not by any means medical advice. I am sharing my personal and unique plastic surgery journey and recovery experience (with specific procedures). The intent is to bring awareness to what may happen during recovery for anyone considering facial plastic surgery.
Plastic Surgery Recovery
Recovery Timeline Overview
I would segment my 12 weeks of recovery by healing milestones. The beginning is the beginning. Four to five hours of surgery happened and that is the starting point. Below is how I looked right after the procedure and in a wheelchair.
This is much scarier looking than it really was as I was feeling absolutely no pain. In fact, while you might not be able to discern, that’s me with relief on my face.
The first month is fast active healing and visible transformation. The next 2 months are as well but the visible changes are more subtle and there are lingering side effects.
Here are my milestones:
MONTH 1 Healing milestones
Days 1-3-Coming out of the fog, little pain if at all, mainly numbness, and discomfort from stitches, particularly on the eyes
Day 2-Uncomfortable cap and drains are removed; replaced by removable ace bandage; felt much less discomfort
End of Week 1-Felt much less discomfort because stitches are removed from face and eyes
Weeks 3 and 4-Tired, napping, continued foggy brain a bit, considerable visible healing (from bruising and swelling); important to take time off work for the first few weeks
MONTHS 2 AND 3 Healing milestones
Month 2-Energy level increasing throughout the month, less numbness although still there, less swelling under the chin and around the neck although still there; ears are still very sensitive; bruising has diminished under the chin but still there; eyes are healing great and are really an afterthought to what’s happening on my face
Month 3-Everything continues to improve from month 2 although the effects are still there; eyes by the end of month 3 are almost completely back to normal without many visible signs of stitches on the skin; by mid-month, bruising under the chin is gone
Plastic Surgery Recovery Unexpected Symptoms
I believe that in preparing for the surgery, I focused a lot of attention, perhaps too much, on the immediate (1st month) recovery and less on what happens during recovery over the longer term. As a result, there were some important and unexpected symptoms that took me by surprise. Below is a list of 11 that are both positive and less positive.
I am hoping that this may help give you a more complete picture as you consider your plastic surgery options.
#1 Pain after surgery
This was a wonderful surprise. I braced myself for some pain at least for the first few days and thankfully, it just didn’t happen. There was a bit of discomfort, particularly for the first week or two after surgery, however, that feeling is very distinct from pain. I had pain meds but only had to take them once and then Tylenol a couple of times thereafter.
The reason for the lack of pain is that nerves are cut during the surgery. The result is just numbness. As nerves regenerate (and they do!), I have and continue to experience tingling all around the edges of my face. The numbness is slowly dissipating.
#2 Bruising after plastic surgery
Another wonderful surprise. I was expecting a lot of bruising and had virtually none with the exception of under my chin and some redness around my neck. I typically bruise easily, so I have to attribute this to the skill of my doctor as well as following his pre-surgery protocol.
#3 Dry eyes after Blepharoplasty
My eyes are already dry and the dryness increased exponentially. It was very uncomfortable, and I couldn’t wear contact lenses for about a month. It took over 2 months for my eyes’ dryness level to feel back to normal.
#4 Sensitive ears after plastic surgery
I didn’t think about how much the ears would be affected by the surgery, but there is cutting around the ears for the neck and lower facelift. My ears remain sensitive and numb even now 3 months later although they are slowly improving. I haven’t worn earrings yet but am hopeful I will in a couple of months.
#5 Muffled hearing after plastic surgery
Speaking of ears, my hearing became noticeably muffled for a few weeks right after surgery. This does happen but would never know to research it until it did happen. It is completely resolved now.
#6 Hair loss after anesthesia
I have written about hair loss on this blog and my 6-month journey to less thin hair. So it was a shock to see so much hair at the bottom of my shower a few weeks after surgery. 3 months later and my hair loss continues but appears to be lessening.
I attribute the underlying cause to the anesthesia. If so, it is telogen effluvium and typically grows back. There are many theories as to why anesthesia can do this. If you are interested in learning a bit more, take a look at this article here. My hair post explains the different types of hair loss in a bit more detail here.
#7 Postoperative depression
This was baffling and I now know it could have been from the anesthesia. About a month after the surgery, I felt extremely “down”. It lasted for a couple of weeks and then slowly over the next 2 weeks lifted. I now have read about this issue and it is real.
#8 Tight neck after neck lift and lower facelift
My neck and lower face are tight. Now as I am in the 4th month, the tightness has lessened. While I don’t notice it as much, it still continues. I believe the feeling is a result of the tightening of the muscles and skin from the neck lift and lower facelift.
#9 Plastic Surgery Recovery Buddy
As a very independent person, I couldn’t really wrap my head around why it was so necessary to have someone help me for the first few days. As I discovered, it is important to ensure meds are taken, drains aren’t pulled out, you are able to get to the bathroom, eat, etc. I couldn’t have done it alone. Really.
#10 Facial swelling and jade roller
I didn’t realize how long the face and neck remain swollen although it decreases over the course of about a year. You may be able to detect some of that decrease in the slideshow below. In order to help with the fluid, my surgeon’s protocol is twice a day jade roller use all the way through at least 4th month. I have now experienced the lymphatic drainage benefits of this underrated and inexpensive tool. It definitely works and is worthy of a blog post.
#11 Scars after facial plastic surgery
I have no visible scars from the surgery with the exception of under my chin. This is a wonderful surprise. As an FYI, my surgeon is treating all suture sites with multiple laser sessions to lessen any scarring.
Plastic Surgery Before and After Photos
Below is a slideshow of the past 3 months so you can see a visual progression.
Recovery Slideshow First 3 Months by Andrea Berman
Final Thoughts
This post was the third and last post of my 3-part series on aesthetic plastic surgery and discusses my personal experience with plastic surgery recovery specifically with a neck lift, lower facelift and upper blepharoplasty. Topics include plastic surgery recovery timeline, post-surgery side effects and unexpected symptoms. I have also shared a personal recovery slideshow to give some visual representation of our discussion.
For those you considering plastic surgery, I hope this additional and very candid information is helpful as you make your decision.
Thank you for reading! My next post will be the second of a 2 part discussion on brows. Part 1 can be found here.
xO
Andrea
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