Are you experiencing sagging or folds of skin on the cheeks and jawline? Do you feel like your skin has become less elastic, or the fat deposits have decreased in some areas of your skin? Well, these are some of the effects of aging. As you get older, the appearance and shape of your face and the areas around the neck develop some changes due to natural age-related changes.
Fortunately, new trends and technologies have revolutionized cosmetic surgery. Recently, it is easier to restore your youthful appearance through facelift surgery. A facelift surgery, also known as a rhytidectomy, is a cosmetic surgical procedure that helps minimize face wrinkles and the folds around the jawline and neck tissues to reverse aging effects.
Just like any surgical procedure, facelift surgery can cause various complications. In most cases, patients experience specific side effects after a facelift, such as pain, bruising, swelling, etc. However, the effects must be there for full recovery to take place. Doctors recommend massage after the facelift to expedite the healing process and enhance a smooth recovery.
Facelift Massage General Overview
Massage after a facelift is more profound and different from the typical facial treatment offered in a beauty salon since it goes beyond the epidermis. The primary purpose of a facelift massage is to help in the recovery process. It entails stimulating pressure points on the face, the neck tissues, and the area around the shoulders to enhance skin elasticity and tighten the facial contours.
You can start your post-operative massage a few days after the facelift surgery or after a few months depending on the magnitude of your surgery. Doctors recommend facelift patients to refrain from the local massage if the treatment areas are still scabbed and bruised from the procedure. Since there are different types of massage, you should consult your plastic surgeon to apply the correct type.
Types of Massage
Below are the different types of massage that you can apply after a facelift:
Swedish Massage
Swedish is the first type of massage to use on a patient after facelift surgery. This type of massage is so gentle and light, and it helps restore sensation to the affected area. For Swedish massage to be effective, stitches must be removed first.
Lymphatic Massage
This type of massage is used to lessen the discomforts that occur after facelift surgery, such as swelling and bruising. To avoid an upsurge of inflammation on the affected area, doctors use lymphatic massage on the patient.
Unlike aggressive massage, which can hurt you after the procedure, lymphatic massage is gentle and helps to increase blood flow and trigger lymph drainage. Although lymphatic massage does not give instant results, facelift surgery side effects tend to reduce sooner due to improvement in blood circulation.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound massage is essential after a facelift surgery as it helps to enhance tissue healing and minimizing chronic pain. After facelift surgery, you might develop lumps or bumps under the skin; ultrasound massage can help reduce the deep scars or accumulation of blood.
How Does Massage After Facelift Helps
If you have undergone facelift surgery, it is imperative to go through massage as it has the following benefits:
1. Pain Reduction
The expected pain after facelift surgery may cause anxiety in people planning to go through the procedure. Painkillers are always administered for days immediately after the surgery. The fact is, facelift surgery leads to soreness and tenderness due to tissue manipulation. However, light upward massage of a facial soothe can help stimulate pain receptor that sends signals to the brain to interpret discomfort.
Post-operative massage also increases circulation through reduction of tissue congestion which helps to ease the pain. If tissues are congested, there is an increased risk potential of developing infections, resulting in major complications.
2. Help to Speed up Healing Process
After facelift surgery, toxins may build up around the affected facial area, derailing the healing process. Massage helps accelerate the healing process as it helps to get rid of the toxins, thus increasing the smooth flow of blood to the areas that edify the skin and the underlying layers of tissue.
By stimulating a healthier blood flow, massage can assist in restoring nourishment and flexibility to the affected area. Massage is also essential as it plays a significant role in developing the immune system, thus helping expedite the healing process.
3. Minimize Scarring
When the body is recovering after facelift surgery, it produces a scar to secure the injured area from further harm. However, the body can overproduce collagen fibers, leading to the formation of conspicuous hypertrophic or keloid scars. At this point, massage can be embraced on the newly healed scar tissue to bring down the formation of tough fibrous tissue and soften the skin around the scar tissue.
4. Reduction of Inflammation and swelling
Some massage, such as lymphatic massage, helps eliminate the accumulation of fluids from the facial tissues into lymphatic vessels. Fluid cellular wastes tend to clog, leading to swelling. Massage helps lessen the swelling through muscle relaxation and ensures proper blood circulation. Lymphatic drainage massage imitates the pulse and flows within the lymph system, and this helps to reduce the edema and activate the immune system.
Massage also plays a role in reducing cortisol and arginine -vasopressin production, thus lowering blood pressure, which helps reduce levels of some inflammatory.
5. Help to Reduce Stress and Anxiety
There is anticipated anxiety before and after facelift surgery. Massage is typically used to reduce ease stress and tension after the surgery. It does this by initiating a pain-inhibiting sensation due to endorphin-like chemicals produced in the body. The chemicals minimize pain which helps to eliminate stress and anxiety and create a sense of well-being.
Fact About Post Facelift Massage
Massage is essential after facelift surgery, but it can bring more damage if not done the right way. To prevent this from happening, ensure you communicate with your plastic surgeon as he or she will be able to select the perfect type of massage for you. Facelift in Minneapolis is performed by Dr. Peter Hilger and Dr. Sofia Lyford-Pike, who are highly experienced in facelift surgery. They can advise you on the perfect massage to use and how to go about it.
