After facelift surgery, your recovery will involve a series of follow-up visits with your surgeon to make sure you’re healing as expected. These appointments aren’t just a formality – they’re a vital part of how your surgeon monitors your progress and ensures your recovery is going as it should.
While it can be tempting to assume you’re fine and skip these check-ins, especially once the early healing period has passed, there’s more to postoperative care than just how everything looks or feels in the mirror.
So, how often should you see your surgeon after a facelift, and what actually happens during these appointments? Let’s look at what you can expect from the follow-up process and why attending each one really matters.
Why do you need follow-up appointments after a facelift?
A facelift involves the repositioning of deeper facial tissues and the tightening of skin. Even though most patients recover without complications, the healing process is still complex, involving multiple layers beneath the skin’s surface. Follow-up appointments are how your surgeon checks that those internal structures are recovering properly, not just the outer incisions.
These reviews also give your surgeon a chance to spot potential complications early, such as delayed wound healing or fluid buildup, which might not always be obvious to you. The earlier these are picked up, the easier they are to manage. Sometimes, even when everything looks fine from the outside, small adjustments in wound care or movement can make a big difference in your long-term recovery.
Beyond medical checks, these appointments help guide you on what’s suitable for each stage of your recovery – whether that’s resuming exercise, sleeping in certain positions, or gently massaging areas of firmness that can occur as healing progresses.
How soon after your facelift should you see your surgeon?
Your first appointment is usually booked within the first week after surgery. This early visit allows your surgeon to check your incisions, assess any swelling or bruising, and ensure there are no early signs of infection. If sutures or staples were used, this may also be when they are removed, depending on how your wounds are healing.
In this initial stage, you’ll also receive more specific instructions about caring for your incisions at home – how to clean them, what to avoid touching, and when to change dressings. Many patients also use this visit to ask practical questions about washing their hair, sleeping positions, and when they can return to light daily activities.
It’s completely normal for swelling and bruising to still be present at this point. Your surgeon will likely explain that these effects will subside gradually, and may provide guidance on managing them, such as through elevation or cold compresses.
What happens at your later follow-up appointments?
After the first week, the next appointment is often scheduled for around two to three weeks post-surgery. By this time, your swelling should be starting to reduce, and your incisions will have closed more securely. During this review, your surgeon will assess how your healing tissues are progressing beneath the surface and may discuss the gradual return of normal facial movements.
These appointments aren’t only about wound checks – they also give your surgeon a chance to evaluate how your tissues are adapting as swelling subsides. In some cases, they might advise gentle massage techniques to help with firmness or tightness, which can be part of the natural healing process.
As you move further along, usually around six weeks post-surgery, your surgeon may recommend another review. By this stage, you should be resuming more daily activities, and this appointment focuses on ensuring your tissues are healing evenly. Your surgeon may take progress photos to compare with your preoperative ones, helping them track changes over time.
Depending on how your recovery goes, additional appointments may be scheduled at the three-month, six-month, and one-year marks. These later visits allow your surgeon to assess the long-term healing of the deeper layers and how the tissues are settling. Even though your external healing might appear complete, these reviews help confirm that the underlying support structures have fully stabilised.
How long do follow-ups usually continue?
For most patients, formal follow-ups tend to continue for around 12 months after surgery. This doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be seeing your surgeon every few weeks for a year, but rather at gradually increasing intervals as your healing progresses.
The early appointments are closer together – typically within the first few weeks – and then they spread out to every few months. By the time you reach the one-year mark, your surgeon will usually confirm that your tissues have fully stabilised and that ongoing care can shift to general skin maintenance or scar management if needed.
That said, recovery timelines vary between patients. Some may require more frequent reviews, particularly if the surgery was more extensive or if adjustments were made during the early stages of healing. Your surgeon will guide you on the appropriate timeline based on your individual recovery.
What should you prepare for before your review appointments?
It can help to make notes about any symptoms, sensations, or changes you’ve noticed between appointments. This might include areas that feel numb, tight, or slightly uneven. Bringing these details to your reviews can give your surgeon a clearer picture of how your recovery is progressing and whether any further recommendations are needed.
You may also want to bring photos you’ve taken during your recovery to show your surgeon how your healing has evolved between visits. Some patients find this helpful for tracking progress and understanding which changes are part of the natural recovery process.
Book your consultation with Dr Hunt in Sydney
Led by Specialist Plastic Surgeon Dr Jeremy Hunt, our team of plastic surgeons, clinicians and administration staff provide a surgical care to the highest standards.
If you’re thinking about undergoing a facelift, please contact our team to book a consultation with Dr Hunt or another experienced surgeon in Sydney.
Further reading about facelift with Dr Hunt:
- What is a facelift (Rhytidectomy)?
- How much does facelift surgery cost in Sydney?
- How to prepare for face lift surgery?
- What questions to ask your surgeon before facelift?
- Are there any age restrictions for facelift surgery?
- Does facelift surgery leave scars?
- What is a jowl lift (lower facelift)?
- What can you expect after facelift surgery (day by day)?
- How to reduce bruising and swelling after face lift surgery?
- How to sleep after facelift surgery?
- What should I know about the post-facelift facial massage?
- How to protect your face from the sun after facelift surgery?
- What should you not do after a facelift?
- What procedures can I combine with a facelift?
- How to prepare for a face lift consultation?
- How lifestyle habits can affect face lift results?
Medical references about facelift:
- https://plasticsurgery.org.au/procedures/surgical-procedures/facelift-surgery/
- https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/facelift
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/11023-facelift
- https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/facelift-meloplasty
- https://www.realself.com/surgical/facelift