Skin Care After a Facelift

Skin care after a facelift is a little more complicated than less invasive cosmetic procedures because you need to treat your wounds, manage swelling, and keep up with everyday skin care for the best result.

Dr. Miguel Delgado advises his Marin County cosmetic patients that they need to minimize swelling with the regular use of ice or cold compresses, especially the first three days after surgery. To avoid an increase in swelling overnight, sleep with your head elevated above your heart.

Arnica Montana, is an herbal supplement and may help minimize bruising or discoloration. It is usually started before cosmetic surgery and taken for a few days after.

Your face will be sore after facelift surgery, but you need to cleanse your skin regularly to help with healing and avoid build-up in your pores which can lead to breakouts. Wash with mild astringent pads gently. Then apply a gentle moisturizer that is non-comedogenic (something that won’t clog the pores). The goal is to keep the area clean and moist.

It is best to avoid direct sun for the first few days after a facelift, if you go out be extra vigilant about sun protection, use a sunscreen that blocks alpha and beta sun rays. SPF 30 or 40 is good; the ones with higher SPF tend to block the pores. Wear a hat and sunglasses for further protection.

It is extremely important to keep the skin hydrated. Drink six to eight glasses of water a day to rejuvenate your skin from the inside out and flush any toxins from your system.

Once your skin is healed and you get the go ahead that you can start using makeup, use a mineral based line such as Jane Iredale. Mineral based makeup is gentler on your skin and provides excellent coverage. If you have red skin or purple bruising after your facelift, a green base will help balance those colors and give a more natural looking skin tone. For the best result, top this base with a powder about one shade darker than you usually wear.

To maximize your facelift result be sure to follow a good skin care regimen with the highest quality of products. Dr. Delgado’s esthetician Alise Hassler assists his San Francisco Bay Area patients to get on a program that is individualized for their skin type. Alise is very knowledgeable of all the products available at Dr. Delgado’s office and the store on his website. The products include; Jane Iredale makeup, Dr. Delgado’s exclusive Preferred Line, Obagi, Skinceuticals and various prescription strength skin care products.

This entry was posted on Friday, December 9th, 2011 at 4:54 am and is filed under Facial rejuvenation, Home, Skin treatment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.