Deep Plane Facelift Recovery Stories From My Austin Practice
I can explain deep plane facelift recovery all day. But patients often want to hear it from someone who has actually been through it. So I asked two women who know my Austin practice well to sit down and talk about it.
Wendee is on my staff. She had her facelift in February. Deb has been my patient for about ten years and had her surgery at the beginning of June, so she was about four months out when they filmed. Deb lives a little over three hours away and came to Austin for surgery.
Deb had a brow lift along with her deep plane facelift and neck lift, and both of them had a lip lift. Here’s what they shared, with a few notes from me along the way.
“She Said I Was Her Guinea Pig”
Wendee joked that Deb waited until after Wendee’s facelift to do her own. Deb had known me much longer, but she wanted to see Wendee’s result first. Once she did, she was ready.
I hear this a lot. Seeing someone you know heal well is often what gives people the confidence to move forward.
Sleeping After a Facelift
Wendee’s first tip to Deb was to buy a wedge pillow. Both of them are side sleepers. Surgery didn’t break the habit for good, but the wedge helped them stay on their backs and elevated while they healed, which helps with swelling.
Deb also used a comfortable recliner to rest in. Eventually, both of them went back to sleeping on their sides.
Keeping your head elevated is one of the simplest things you can do for swelling. My post on managing swelling after a facelift has more on this.
“Way Easier Than I Was Expecting”
This was the part that surprised them both. Deb said the recovery was much easier than she expected. Wendee agreed, and said she’s almost afraid to tell people how easy it was.
Both had done Morpheus8 treatments with us before surgery. In their experience, those skin treatments felt harder to recover from than the facelift itself. That’s their personal take, and every patient’s recovery is different. It’s still a useful reminder that a deep plane facelift often isn’t as rough as people fear.
Going Back to Work
Deb went back to work at two weeks.
Wendee went back at six days, but she was clear that it wasn’t because she looked ready. She works in our office, and people wanted to see her result. If she worked anywhere else, she said, she’d have taken the full two weeks.
We tell patients this all the time, and they sometimes look at us like we’re a little crazy. After some laser treatments, people still don’t feel or look ready to go out at two weeks.
The Lip Lift Was a Favorite
Deb said her lip lift was her favorite part. Right after surgery, her daughter, who was her caretaker, picked her up and said, “Mom, you got your lips done.” Deb told her she hadn’t. It was the lip lift. The change was that noticeable.
Wendee feels the same way. She thinks it may be the most anti-aging piece of the whole surgery, or at least the part people notice most. Her husband’s only comment was that he sees her teeth more.
That’s exactly the effect I’m after. A lip lift brings back a little upper tooth show, which reads as youthful without looking like filler. You can see more in my lip lift before and after gallery.
Numbness and Itching After a Brow Lift
Deb was in a stage they both laughed about. After a brow lift, the top of the scalp is numb for a while. As feeling comes back, it can itch, or feel a little like something is crawling on your scalp.
Deb said scratching her head and washing her hair felt amazing once the sensation returned. Wendee said she almost missed that feeling when it stopped.
This is normal. Returning sensation often shows up as tingling or itching, and it settles down with time. My post on where brow lift scars are located covers the incision itself.
Swelling Behind the Ears
The facelift incision runs along the tragus, around the ear, and into the hairline behind it. For both of them, that was the area that lingered the longest. Nobody else could see it, but they could feel it.
Deb noticed a little swelling behind her ears when she woke up in the morning. She’d been massaging it with her hands, and Wendee reminded her to use the gua sha stone from her recovery kit.
Wendee made an important point here: with gua sha, gentle movement is what matters. Pressing too hard can do damage. She moves the stone up and down and back and forth with a light touch. My post on how to perform gua sha massage walks through it.
One Side Felt Different
Both of them noticed that one side felt a little different from the other, the right side in their case. Wendee has a theory: I’m right-handed, I’m standing above the patient while I suture, and the ear might change how I hold the needle on that side.
That’s Wendee’s hypothesis. What I can tell you is that it’s very common for the two sides to heal on slightly different timelines.
They also both had a small suture knot inside the nose from the lip lift that they worried about at first, until they learned it was normal. It’s usually at the start or end of the suture line, and it heals.
The Recovery Box
Both of them loved the box of post-op supplies we give every surgical patient. It has everything you need for recovery, including the gua sha stone, so you don’t have to shop for anything.
Traveling to Austin for a Facelift
Deb stayed near the surgery center when she came to Austin. Our office is in southwest Austin, toward Dripping Springs, about 20 to 25 minutes from downtown, so patients can choose to stay close to the surgery center for the early morning, or near the office for the next day.
Deb’s drive home is a little over three hours. With a facelift, you have a post-op visit the next day, so you do need to stay overnight. Deb had her next-day visit and drove home the same day.
You can find more on planning your stay on our out-of-town patients page.
“I Wish I Would’ve Done It Sooner”
When Wendee asked if she had anything to add, Deb said she wished she’d done it sooner. I hear that from a lot of facelift patients.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long until I can go back to work after a deep plane facelift?
Many patients plan for about two weeks. Some go back earlier, depending on their job and comfort with visible healing. Healing varies.
Is it normal for my scalp to itch after a brow lift?
Yes. Itching and tingling are common as sensation returns after a brow lift. It fades with time.
Do I have to stay in Austin after my facelift?
You’ll need to stay overnight for your next-day post-op visit. How long you stay after that depends on how far you’re traveling, and we’ll plan it with you before surgery.
Small Things That Made a Big Difference
Recovery stories like these are a good reality check. Small things, like a wedge pillow and a light hand with gua sha, made a real difference for both of them. If you’re considering a deep plane facelift, schedule a consultation at my Austin office and we’ll build your own recovery plan in detail.
