Integrating Makeup After A Facelift
If you decide to get a facelift or facial implants to help contour the shape of your face, you can expect a variety of recovery times ranging from a weekend for a mini-facelift to over a week for a full procedure. It is highly important that you follow your doctor's recovery instructions, but it is understandable that you may want to show off your improved appearance as soon as possible. If you tend to wear makeup on a daily basis or are planning on going out and putting on makeup, here are some things to keep in mind after your facelift.
Avoid All Makeup Until You Are Approved For Fully Wetting Your Head
After your facelift, it is likely that you will not be able to wash your face and hair for a couple of days. This is because the water may cause an infection at the entry site. Until your wounds are closed enough, your doctor will recommend bathing only from the neck down. During this time, it is important that you avoid makeup. You will not be able to wash it off, and your skin and muscles will be sensitive to the pressure of application and removal.
Don't Try to Cover Up Bruising
After a few days, your doctor will approve normal hygiene and care for your face. However, you may still have bruising in several areas, depending on the extensiveness of your particular procedure. It is important to not try to cover the bruising with makeup, as the slight pressure of patting and blending makeup can actually increase blood flow and swelling to the problem areas.
If you need to go out during this period and do not want your bruises to be visible, a large pair of sunglasses or a loosely wrapped scarf are better options than makeup.
Skip Foundation for a Few Days
Once you begin wearing makeup, you may want to skip foundation. This is because foundation blends to the back of the ears, where your surgery site may still be healing. You can start with a bit of eye makeup, lipstick, and light blush. However, consult your doctor before you begin using foundation and other base layers again. You may have to wait until your stitches are removed, or a week or more after surgery.
Experiment With New Colors and Textures
Depending on your expectations and reasons for getting a facelift, the contour of your face may have changed drastically. This means that the makeup you used to use may not provide the same affects that you desire. You should be prepared to experiment with new techniques for application, slightly different shades, and different textures of makeup until you find a style that brings out the best features of your post-operation face.
Get Approval Before Adding Accessories
If you wear any facial jewelry such as a nose ring, eyebrow ring, or earrings, it is important to wait for approval before you insert them again. The weight of these pieces of jewelry, even though they may seem light, can pull the skin away from the healing site, resulting in undesirable blemishes in your overall appearance.
The basic recovery rule to follow after a facelift is to wait for full permission from your doctor before you start experimenting with makeup. The extra healing time can help you achieve the results that you desire. If you are concerned about wearing makeup, you should ask your doctor for a detailed recovery plan before you schedule your surgery so you can schedule appropriate activities that do not require makeup after the procedure. Additionally, you may want to look into hairstyles that cover a little more of your face during recovery.
To learn more about this topic, contact a local cosmetic surgeon.
