u/Short-Most

I have been scouring various forums and surgeons' sites across the globe to best prepare for Face and Necklift surgery. I wanted to give back to you all and share this Facelift Prep and Recovery Checklist.

**DISCLAIMER — PLEASE READ**

This checklist is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and does **not** constitute medical, surgical, pharmacological, or professional advice of any kind. It is based solely on my personal research, personal preparation, and opinions gathered from public forums and various surgeons' websites — it is **not** written or reviewed by a medical professional, and it is **not** a substitute for individualized care.

I am not a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or medical professional of any kind. Nothing in this post creates a doctor-patient relationship between me and any reader. Every surgery, patient, medical history, medication list, and hospital/clinic protocol is different — you must always follow your own surgeon's, anaesthetist's, and care team's specific instructions, as their guidance overrides anything listed here in every instance.

This checklist mentions specific brand names, supplements, over-the-counter products, medications, and timelines. These reflect my own personal choices and what was recommended to *me* by *my* surgeon for *my* procedure and circumstances — they are not recommendations or endorsements, and they may be inappropriate, unsafe, contraindicated, or illegal in your country for your situation. Do not start, stop, or change any medication or supplement — including over-the-counter products — without first checking with your own surgeon, physician, or pharmacist. Dosages, timing, and product availability also vary by country, so always verify against your own care team and local regulations, especially if you are travelling overseas for surgery.

**I accept no responsibility and assume no liability whatsoever for any outcome, injury, complication, loss, or damage — direct or indirect — arising from any reader's use of, reliance on, or actions taken based on this checklist.** By reading and using this post, you acknowledge and agree that you do so entirely at your own risk, and that I am not liable for how you use this information or for any decisions you make as a result of it.

If you are experiencing a medical emergency, or have concerns about your health at any point before or after surgery, contact your surgeon's office, local emergency services, or emergency care immediately — do not rely on this post or any online forum.

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I am travelling overseas for my surgery and will be alone, so this list is extensive and a little over the top. But since I will be in another country I want everything within arm's reach (haters, comment on another page please).

**Seoul weather in October:** cool, clear, dry — highs ~21°C (70°F), lows ~10°C (50°F).

## Reminders

- Create and print out the post-op supplement/medication schedule 🙂
- Take daily progress photos — these will help when you are feeling down and may feel like you are not getting less swollen.

## In-Person Final Pre-Surgery Consult with Surgeon

- Come with a list of all your questions and specific instructions, separated into questions that must be answered by the surgeon and those the office staff can answer, so you don't waste the surgeon's time.
- Have your desired lift intensity decided (1–10) and your younger-self reference photos ready for the consult to show the surgeon what your expectations are. This way you can have a discussion about what is possible.

## Clothing

- Zip-up/button cardigans (easy over drains)
- Shirts — to avoid pulling items over the head
- Slip-on shoes — so you don't have to bend over to put them on
- Slippers
- Scarf x2 — a sun hat may feel too tight or irritate the stitch area
- Sunglasses — with loose arms so they don't squeeze the incision area
- Hat

## Post-Surgery Recovery Room / Bedroom Set-Up

- Set up accommodation/bedside table so everything is within reach at table height
- Wrap-around body pillow or wedge — for elevated sleeping
- Phone holder/arm to keep phone at eye level
- TV desk/lap table to keep computer/phone at eye level so as not to bend the neck

## Showering

- Shower cap
- Eye shield for shower (bleph protection)
- Lanyard for securing drains in the shower
- Non-slip bath mat — some bathrooms are slippery

## Deswelling

- Compression socks/stockings for the flight home
- Compression band for face (buy extra — they get dirty) from surgeon
- Frozen peas instead of ice packs — these seem to work best, especially for bleph
- Small zip-lock bags for peas
- Clothes peg to clip two ice bags together so they stay on the eyes without holding them
- Gauze to place between ice pack and skin

## Recovery Support Accessories

- Neck brace — to limit head/neck movement
- Elasticised headbands / tiny hair clip claws to keep hair back
- Silk pillowcase
- Trifold mirror that hangs on the door to assist with incision cleaning

## Tech

- Long charging cords for phone, laptop, etc.
- Velcro straps to attach charging cords to hospital bed rails, etc.
- Cord clips/attachments to keep cords in place
- Plug powerboard so all devices can plug into one socket
- USB drive for a copy of the surgery video recording
- Travel converter

## Daily Hygiene

- Soft toothbrush
- Cup to spit into (bending to spit into the sink is not advised)
- Alcohol-free mouthwash (Listerine)
- Water flosser
- Body/face cleansing wipes
- Cetaphil/CeraVe face wash for the shower
- Baby shampoo + conditioner for hair
- Cotton buds and cotton pads
- Bronner's soap
- Wide-tooth comb

## Food & Drink

- Own protein powder from home
- USB-charged blender cup / mixer cup for protein smoothies
- Bone broth — low sodium
- Chamomile tea (2–3/day) with medical-grade manuka honey
- Pumpkin tea
- Fibre supplement
- Straws
- Creatine
- Celtic salt
- Collagen peptides
- Chia seeds
- Jar for chia + water
- Stanley cup with straw
- High-polyphenol olive oil for drinking

## Supplements / Medication — Over-the-Counter Items

*(Check every item below with your own surgeon before use — see disclaimer above.)*

- Extra-strength Tylenol 500mg
- Cepacol spray or lozenges — for sore/scratchy throat
- Stool softener — start the day after surgery with fluids, until first bowel movement
- Bromelain supplement
- Arnica Montana supplement
- Healrite pre- and post-op supplements
- Dex pre-surgery drink (dex.com.au)

## What to Pack in Your Surgical Stay Bag

- Lip balm
- Straw bottle
- Slippers
- Slip-on walking shoes
- Button-up pyjamas
- Button-up shirt for the following day
- Warm cardigan
- Underwear
- Toothbrush/paste
- Toiletries
- Cash — for the anaesthetist

## Pre-Surgery Prep

*(Timelines and medication instructions below reflect what my own surgeon advised me — always confirm your own schedule directly with your surgeon.)*

**3 weeks before**
- Stop NSAIDs: aspirin, ibuprofen, Advil, Aleve, Anacin, Bayer, Motrin, Excedrin
- Stop OTC supplements — check with your surgeon
- Check whether Bromelain, Arnica Montana, and Healrite pre/post-op supplements are approved by your surgeon
- Panadol/paracetamol is generally okay to continue
- Ask your surgeon:
- Whether you can continue HRT
- When to stop/resume GLP-1s
- When to stop retinoid/retinal and other skin actives
- Colour hair up to 1 day before surgery (face/neck/browlift); avoid for 4 weeks after

**2 weeks before**
- Start Recovery Support AM/PM supplement

**5 days before**
- Stop red wine (white wine/other alcohol may be okay — confirm with your surgeon)

**2 days before**
- Continue Hibiclens
- Start Bactroban (mupirocin) nasal swabs 2x/day
- Start Valtrex/Valacyclovir if prescribed — 1 tablet 3x/day

**Night before**
- Hibiclens wash — face, neck, ears, hair; no other products after
- Continue Bactroban and Valtrex
- Male patients shave
- No food or drink after midnight, including water

**Day of surgery**
- No food or drink at all
- Take Emend with a small sip of water before heading to the surgery centre (check with your doctor before consuming)
- Bactroban nasal swab
- No makeup
- Wear a comfy zip/button-up top
- No contact lenses

## Post-Surgery Aftercare

*(Ask your surgeon for their specific recommendations — the below is a general guide only.)*

**Shower Instructions (Day 2)**
- Remove gauze and Telfa strips around ears/chin, discard
- Clean incisions with hydrogen peroxide on Q-tips — first shower only
- Shower, wash hair and face, resume own shampoo/gentle cleanser
- Pat face dry with a clean towel
- Send incision photos to the nursing line
- Apply a thin layer of Aquaphor to incisions, 2x/day for 2 weeks
- Apply compression chin strap with a Telfa strip under the chin
- Wash hair at least every other day; wide-tooth comb only; no blow dry

**Icing**
- 20 minutes on / 20 minutes off, for the first 48 hours while awake
- Never place ice directly on numb skin (frostbite risk)
- Not required after 48 hours
- Not while sleeping

**Chin Strap**
- Week 1: wear as much as possible (not required for sleep or icing)
- Week 2: a few hours during the day
- Week 3: discontinue

**Activity/Exercise Progression**
- Days 0–2 weeks: casual walks from day 3, no elevated heart rate; no other exercise; no bending/heavy lifting
- 2 weeks: light activity — treadmill/bike at half pace, easy hike
- 3 weeks: stationary bike or run at full pace
- 4 weeks: strength training/weight lifting
- 6 weeks: swimming, yoga, Pilates, Zumba, golf, tennis, pickleball

**Sun Exposure**
- No direct sun on face for 6 weeks; wear a wide-brimmed hat/visor outside
- No sunscreen for the first week
- After cleared: SPF 15+ when outside, continue for 6 months

**Additional Restrictions**
- No hyperextending the neck / chin-to-chest (e.g., looking down at phone) for 4 weeks
- No earrings or headphones/earbuds for 3 weeks
- No face-down massages for 2 months

**Browlift-Specific Instructions**
- Follow Day 2 shower/incision care
- Wide-tooth comb only; avoid the area near incisions
- Don't touch incisions
- No blow dry for 2 weeks; no salon blow-outs or hair dye for 4 weeks
- Ice forehead/temples 20 min on/off, first 48 hours
- No helmets for 6 weeks
- Sutures dissolve in 2–3 weeks; scabs fall off in 2–4 weeks — don't pick
- Endotines may be felt/tender for months as they absorb

**Blepharoplasty-Specific Instructions**
- Preservative-free artificial tears 4–5x/day; Systane PM at night; stop if burning/irritation
- Lower bleph: antibiotic eye drop the day after, 2 drops/eye 2x/day for 7 days
- Aquaphor on incisions 2x/day with a clean Q-tip, not fingers
- No peroxide before the first shower
- Ice 20 min on/off; don't stay up to ice — prioritise sleep
- Bleeding: gauze pressure 10–20 min; clean dried blood with peroxide or soap/water, avoid eye contact
- No contact lenses for at least 10 days
- SPF 15+ on lids after suture removal, continue for 6 months
- Makeup allowed 2 weeks after (with sunscreen)

## What to Expect After Surgery (General)

- Bruising/swelling may increase and travel down the face/neck for several days — normal
- Asymmetry from swelling evens out over time
- Rippling near ears from dissolving sutures — normal
- Sutures generally removed 4–10 days; scabs fall off in 2–4 weeks — don't pick
- Numbness/tingling is normal; sensation returns ~4–5 weeks, unevenly
- Fatigue/low energy for a week or more is normal
- Feeling "not yourself"/down is common — temporary
- Firmness under the chin/face sides — normal, subsides
- Don't pull earlobes forward; they may feel rubbery/swollen; wear button/zip clothes to avoid catching them
- Don't put fingers in ears; use a Q-tip for itching; bumps behind ears resolve in 4–6 weeks
- Eye dryness/light sensitivity/blurred vision (if bleph) — normal, subsides within ~10 days

## Post-Surgery Treatments

- Red light / LED therapy for deswelling
- Hyperbaric chamber (HBOT) — a sitting chamber is available if you are claustrophobic
- Lymphatic drainage massage — check timing with your doctor

## Recovery Timeline

- Day of surgery: sedation, overnight stay
- 48 hours: icing only during this window
- 48 hours: can wash hair after this point
- Days 1–2: stay elevated, short walks okay, limit cold-weather walking
- Days 3–4: peak swelling, tightness, worse in the evening; some feel down in the first 3 days
- 5 days: sleep on back only, then may switch to side
- 1 week: head elevated on 2 pillows in bed
- 1 week: no makeup
- 1 week: keep hair off face; protect stitches from contact when flying
- Day 7: ear sutures removed
- Day 10: remaining sutures and tape removed
- Facial tape limits micro-movement, redirects swelling
- 2 weeks: no driving (avoid turning the neck)
- 2 weeks: no bending/heavy lifting
- 2 weeks: cardio can resume
- 3 weeks: face support strap — start day 2, wear 2–8 hrs/day at home/resting
- 3 weeks: no earrings
- 4 weeks: ~80% of swelling resolved
- 4 weeks: can colour hair
- 4 weeks: light weights okay
- 4 weeks: avoid hyperextending the neck / chin-to-chest for prolonged periods
- 6 weeks: no sun exposure
- 6 weeks: no retinol (before or after surgery)
- 6 weeks: no lifting over 30 lbs
- 6 weeks: keep sunblock off suture areas
- 6 weeks: Pilates okay, no neck strain until then
- 6 weeks: no submerging head

## Flight

- Compression stockings
- Avoid high-sodium food on the flight — a steroid is sometimes given before flying
- Protect stitches from contact during the flight

## Sample Daily Post Surgery Routine

- Breakfast
- Walk to LED deswelling
- Rest
- Lunch
- Walk to Hyperbaric session
- Relax
- Dinner
- Movie
- Sleep

## How to Spend Your Downtime While Resting

- MasterClass courses you can listen to
- Audiobooks
- Podcasts

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**Reminder:** This checklist reflects my personal experience and research only. It is not medical advice, I am not a medical professional, and I accept no responsibility or liability for how anyone uses this information. Always follow your own surgeon's and care team's specific instructions above anything written here, and consult them before starting, stopping, or changing any medication, supplement, or activity.

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