- Essays
- Rhinoplasty I
- Rhinoplasty II
- Rejuvenation I
- Rejuvenation II
|
 |
 |
 |
|
Face lift instructions |
|
The night of surgery |
|
After surgery you will have a large dressing
around your head. Don't turn your head back and forth. Turning puts a tug on the incision lines. If you
must turn your head, turn at your shoulders, as if you have a stiff neck. In the morning the bandages will be
removed. Usually no dressing will be required after the first night.
In the morning, the dressing will be removed, your incisions will be cleaned at the office, and Dr. Denenberg will check you out. You will be instructed on how to care for your face until your next visit, one week after surgery. |
|
|
Care of your face after surgery |
|
You or a family member will be responsible
for keeping the incisions clean. Starting the day after surgery, get into the shower and wash your
hair with warm water and a mild shampoo once or twice every day. Don't use hot water, which dilates blood
vessels and may provoke bleeding. Don't let the water directly strike the sides of your face, where
the incisions are, but it's fine for the water and the shampoo to flow over your incision lines. The water will
keep them clean.
All incisions should be cleaned a couple times a day with a Q-tip saturated with hydrogen peroxide. The peroxide will help keep the incisions clean and free of crusts. The Q-tips should be rolled gently along the stitches. Do not put the Q-tips into your ears, and be careful around your earlobes; don't pull them up to see the incision. Above and behind your ears there will be small metal clips hidden in your hair. The incisions that have the clips should be cleaned with peroxide, too. The hydrogen peroxide may lighten your hair color slightly in the areas you clean. If lightening is a concern, dilute the peroxide with water. You may also use the peroxide to clean the small incision under your chin. |
|
|
This patient had a face lift and a skin peel.
|
|
After each cleaning, apply a thin layer of Vaseline to the stitches in front of your ears. The Vaseline helps the stitches dissolve. Do not place Vaseline along the metal clips. They will not dissolve; the Vaseline will just get messy in your hair. The clips will be removed painlessly on your one-week visit. If any bleeding occurs during the cleaning, simply press a dry Q-tip or washcloth gently against the oozing spot and the bleeding will stop on its own. You may clean your face carefully with mild soap on cotton balls or a makeup sponge, using a soft upward motion. Be very gentle with the skin in the operated areas; don't press on your skin hard enough to move the skin surface back and forth. You should now be starting to realize that the work of achieving the best possible result does not stop when you leave the operating room. Care of your face in the week following surgery can be time-consuming, but attentive care after surgery is just as important as the operation itself. Consider yourself part of the surgical team. Dr. Denenberg will take responsibility for performing the operation well and guiding you through the healing period. You must take responsibility for following all of the postoperative instructions accurately and faithfully. |
 |
Clear all red checks in the Essays |