The recovery period after a stem cell facelift varies from patient to patient. What follows are only general time frames. Your recovery period may vary significantly from this. Your doctor will be able to tell you what kind of recovery you can expect. Most patients take a week to 2 weeks to recover from the procedure. It depends on the extent of the procedure and your general health conditions.
- During the first 2 or 3 days there will be some amount of swelling and redness of the skin. The look is similar to a case of bad sunburn.
- Over days 4, 5 and 6 the surface skin can be expected to gradually begin shedding. The newly exposed skin will normally have a pink tinge of a light to medium hue.
- From day 7 or 8 onwards, the condition of the skin will continually improve with the pink tingefading away. The contours of the face will become more clearly defined and it is at this time that mostpatients resume their normal work and social activities.
- Over the following weeks any residual swelling will gradually disappear and the improvement in the skin volume and texture will become more noticeable. The definition of the facial contours will continue to improve.
- Patients can usually resume their normal activities at home within a day or two of the procedure. If there is significant discomfort, your doctor will prescribe medication to alleviate it.
How Long Do the Results Last and is any Follow Up Required?
You can expect the results of a stem cell facelift to last anywhere from 2 to 4 years, although this can vary from person to person. No follow up is normally required. However, in some cases a second growth factor injection 4 or 5 months after the procedure may be recommended to support the ongoing stimulation of the transplanted cells. This is a minor procedure that is done in the doctor’s office and there is no downtime, discoloration or bruising. Most women are able to walk out of the office and get back to their normal routines immediately. A topical DNA cream is typically prescribed for application on the face for 6 to 12 months after the procedure to optimize the regeneration of both the surface and subsurface skin.
Are You A Candidate?
The stem cell facelift is best for women looking for a nonsurgical facial rejuvenation procedure. It is also ideal for those who do not wish to “go under the knife” for any reason and those for whom the long recovery from a surgical facelift is not a viable option. It is also good for women who have had a previous surgical facelift and are looking for a more convenient option to make up for the signs of age that have occurred after the last procedure. If you are looking for facial rejuvenation without the typical signs of a surgical procedure, a stem cell facelift may be right for you.
To learn more about stem cell facelifts, what they can do for your appearance and if you are a good candidate, consult a board certified cosmetic surgeon. She will talk you through the procedure in detail, advise you about the results you can expect, answer all your questions and tell you if you are a good candidate, or if another rejuvenation procedure may be better for you.
