When you decide to do a facelift, your mind might go through a whirlwind of emotions, from the excitement of looking younger to the stress of potential side effects. If you’ve chosen to move forward with undergoing a facelift, you’ve already weighed out the pros and cons.

When there’s a few weeks left for your appointment and time continues to tick, you might feel anxious about your next steps. Whether you’re calling the doctor five times a day or obsessively Googling, how do I prepare for a facelift – here is a guide to preparing for a facelift to reduce your burden.

1. Prepare a Payment Plan

A facelift is an investment that can shake up your bank balance a little bit. Discussing your payment options with your doctor during your consultation will enable you to create a plan beforehand. After you figure out the cost, you can discuss the payment timeline with your doctor or other staff members at the clinic.

Preparing a plan will enable you to pay for your treatment without facing financial problems in the future. So, it is crucial to ensure that you have the payment sorted out before the treatment date.

2. Toss the Cigarettes in the Garbage

Smoking is off-limits when you’re preparing for a facelift, and it would help if you made sure you don’t use any nicotine products six weeks before and after your surgery. So, if you’re a chain smoker that cannot commit to a long break from nicotine, you may need to reconsider the facelift.

Any form of nicotine can affect the circulation as nicotine restricts blood flow, leading to complications during the procedure. Smoking can also adversely impact your healing process. If you were looking for ways to quit anyway, this might be a perfect time!

3. Adjust Your Medications

You will need to inform your doctor about any medication you’re taking a few weeks or days before the treatment. You may also need to avoid some over-the-counter medications as certain medicines can cause complications during or after the procedure. Your doctor can look into your medication list and make necessary adjustments to ensure a safe surgery.

4. Plan Your Recovery Process

Since the facelift requires downtime, you may need some help during recovery. Whether it is to clean up around the house, cook meals, or run errands, many basic tasks might be challenging to carry out. Ask a friend or family member for help ahead of time to ensure you can rest and recover properly. After the procedure, it is also essential to keep your head elevated for a few days to enhance a speedy recovery.

5. Stop Eating & Drinking at Midnight

Although you need to stay well-hydrated for a few weeks leading up to the facelift, you must stop eating and drinking the night before the surgery. The doctor needs to administer anesthesia on an empty stomach. Eat a healthy meal before midnight and make sure to put all the food and drinks away to avoid accidentally consuming anything.  

6. Follow a Skincare Regime

Preparing your skin for a facelift is just as essential as taking care of it after the procedure. The last thing you want is to get a sunburn and perform a facelift on burnt skin. To save yourself from the pain and hassle of dealing with a facelift on damaged skin, wear plenty of sunscreen every day before your appointment.

In addition, you should take measures to keep your face clean and use gentle skin products to avoid any complications during your facelift. Although your doctor will recommend any products you should stop using, take preventive measures to be on the safe side.

7. Discuss Your Expectations

If you have any doubts about your facelift before the appointment, discuss them with your doctor. Your surgeon will explain the procedure, benefits, and risks to you. However, it is essential that you set realistic expectations and talk to your doctor about your desired results.

Most likely, your facelift results won’t immediately reflect what you noticed in a different person. Since every person is different, your facelift results may vary. According to a study, social media sets unrealistic expectations for plastic surgeons because people want to look better in a selfie. Be prepared for results slightly different from what you imagined.

8. Don’t Skip the Physical Exam

Your doctor may want to conduct a physical exam of your face structure before proceeding with the facelift. If they ask you to come in before the facelift, follow their instructions. The surgeon will examine your skin, bone structure, and neck. They may postpone your facelift if they feel the need to do so. If that occurs, ask them for an explanation as to when you might be ready to ease your mind.

If you’re facing any problems with your face or skin, be open about it during your consultation or physical exam. You want to avoid any difficulties during the procedure.

9. Stock up on Essentials

It might be difficult for you to go shopping for essentials during your recovery process. Take some time before your treatment to purchase all the items you need. You could prepare meals beforehand and buy ready meals or easy-to-cook items.

You should also buy gentle skin products to use during your recovery process. It can be helpful to keep button-up tops around so that you can avoid clothing that goes over your face.

10. Do Your Research

Even after speaking to the doctor and setting up everything for your recovery process, you may still have some questions. Although the most accurate answers will come from your surgeon’s office, you can find minor details about your procedure by researching online.

You may want to dig deeper into the recovery process, before and after photos of other patients, or potential side effects. Do whatever it takes to ease your mind and step into the appointment without any stress.

The most crucial step is to relax, take a deep breath, and be excited about your facial rejuvenation. A facelift can transform your face and completely change your outlook on your physical appearance. You might feel tempted to stare at yourself pretty much all day after you recover!