FACELIFT POST-OP: Week 7

High ponytails are still out. I now sport a “phoney-tail”, a low version of a ponytail with loose tendrils strategically (I mean winsomely) placed both in front of and behind each ear. At least the scabs have mostly fallen off..

——WARNING——GRAPHIC SURGICAL IMAGES——WARNING——

Left ear - still significant bruising around the temples, and fresh scars Frankenstein himself would appreciate.

AT LAST! I can feel most of the skin on the sides of my face. For the past several weeks it’s been like touching the skin of a corpse. Washing my face or hair has been unpleasant at best, uncomfortable, awkward and stomach-churning at worst.

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

But this morning, on the seventh anniversary of my face and neck lift (with fat transfer and meso-mix to the “T” zone), I could feel my entire face from the temples to the bottom of my ears. The area behind my ears is still numb and tender on both sides. The neck muscles continue to feel tense and “bunched up” when I first wake up. I’m continuing with gentle stretching to relax the muscles at these times, which seems to work. My surgeon had told me not to stretch or attempt “physical therapy” to my neck muscles, and assured me they would relax on their own over time.

As you can see by the photos, there is still some bruising along the sides of my face, and the scars still look quite brutal. Most plastic surgeons’ websites will admit it can take a year or more for the scars to fade. Still, summer is coming, and I’d really like to pull my hair back, especially when biking or gardening. Yes! This week I returned to gardening, and even took one five-mile bike ride. I also did a 20-minute Boho Beautiful yoga class, and am excited to share that I retained some muscle memory, and completed the flow! I paid the price with some soreness the next day, but was relieved to learn I wouldn’t have to start “from scratch”.

Five things I learned this week:

Even if your surgeon says it’s OK to get your hair colored, you probably won’t want to. My scar areas hidden by my hair are still quite tender, and lumpy in places. My scalp behind my temples is still bruised, slightly swollen and sore. The last thing I want to do right now is shock a hairstylist, or scorch my tender, scarred skin with chemicals. This summer I’m bringing hats back.
Bringing hats back is now required. After all, you’re not supposed to expose your scars to sunlight until they are healed (or ever, according to many skincare professionals). Considering sun exposure is probably a large part of the reason I ended up needing a face and neck lift in the first place, bring on the glamour hats.
Side sleepers rejoice - this is your week! At least for me, sleeping on my side is now somewhat comfortable. The left side still feels like a folded and semi-detached mule ear at first, and I have to touch it to reassure myself that it’s normal sized. But I’m finally getting a full night’s sleep.
You will go several hours without noticing how numb/itchy/tight your face feels.
As your discomfort fades it may be difficult to remember to hide the scars. Even if you can’t see them, everyone around you will get a good look. If you don’t want people to know you had surgery, keep the scars covered.

Right ear: This side was less traumatized by the surgery, and consistently healed faster and felt better. I’ve read that uneven healing is fairly common, but if you have concerns make sure to share them with your surgeon. (A reminder this weblog reflects my personal experience, and is shared for entertainment).

The seventh week anniversary photo-shoot revealed that I still have bruising, but it’s more yellow now and less purple. Not that either alien-style color is a great shade for a fair-skinned individual. I wondered if people with deeper skin tones face different issues with scarring and healing. I didn’t find a whole lot of information online, so if you have naturally darker skin tones, you may want to bring this up with your surgeon.

As I review these pictures I cringe, but am still happy my jowls and the deep lines on my neck are gone. I look forward to the three-month mark, when the “average” patient’s bruising and swelling will be 90% gone. There are still quite a few scabs clinging to the back of my left ear, and some tender areas around the right. I’m hoping this week the healing will advance enough so that I can experiment with makeup. If so, I’ll take some images and let you know the brands I’m using. Here’s hoping…!