How to Prepare for Your Facelift: A New Jersey Patient’s Pre-Op & Incision Care Checklist

Preparing for a facelift involves much more than marking the surgery date on your calendar. The procedure itself is only one part of the process: what you do before surgery and how carefully you manage your recovery afterward can also influence healing, comfort, scar maturation, and your overall experience. From medications and nicotine use to transportation and incision care, planning ahead helps you enter surgery prepared for the weeks that follow.

At Center for Eye and Facial Plastic Surgery in New Jersey, board-certified oculofacial plastic surgeon Sathyadeepak “Deepak” Ramesh performs individualized facial rejuvenation surgery with close attention to facial anatomy. If you are preparing for a facelift, the following guide can help you understand common preoperative steps. Always follow the specific instructions our team provides for your procedure.

Weeks before surgery: Health, smoking & medications

Your preparation begins several weeks before you arrive for your facelift surgery. This period gives you time to address factors that could affect bleeding, anesthesia, wound healing, and recovery without making last-minute changes.

Stop all nicotine products

Nicotine constricts blood vessels and reduces blood flow to healing tissues, making cessation particularly important for facelift surgery. Facelift incisions involve carefully repositioned facial and neck tissues that need an adequate blood supply to heal properly.

Patients should generally stop all nicotine products for at least four weeks before and four weeks after facelift surgery to support healing, according to Cleveland Clinic guidance. This includes cigarettes as well as vaping products and other nicotine-containing products. Do not assume that switching from smoking to another nicotine source solves the problem.

Be candid with Dr. Ramesh about your nicotine use during your preoperative appointments. Your cessation instructions may differ depending on your health, procedure, and surgical plan.

Review your medications and supplements

Give our team an accurate list of everything you take, including prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, herbal products, and dietary supplements. Some substances can increase bleeding or interact with medications used during surgery.

You may be instructed to discontinue aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) before surgery when medically appropriate. Supplements such as fish oil may also need to be stopped because of their potential effects on bleeding. But do not stop a prescribed medication simply because it appears on a preoperative checklist. If you take aspirin or another medication for a medical condition, Dr. Ramesh may coordinate changes with the prescribing clinician.

Complete your medical clearance

Depending on your age, medical history, medications, and surgery, you may need preoperative testing or clearance. This can include blood tests and, when appropriate, additional evaluation to make sure you are healthy enough to undergo the planned procedure and anesthesia.

Complete requested testing promptly. Doing so gives your surgical team time to review the results and address unexpected findings rather than discovering an issue immediately before surgery. If you develop a new illness, fever, infection, or significant change in your health before your procedure, contact the Center for Eye and Facial Plastic Surgery. Even something that seems unrelated to your face can be relevant to surgical safety.

Follow your personalized treatment plan

No two facelifts are identical. Dr. Ramesh tailors facial rejuvenation to your anatomy and the changes you want to address, and your preparation instructions may therefore differ from those given to another patient. Read the instructions from our New Jersey team carefully and keep them accessible. If anything conflicts with general advice you have read online, contact our office rather than guessing which recommendation applies to you.

The week before: Skincare, hair & logistics

The final week is your opportunity to make recovery as uncomplicated as possible. Take care of errands, household responsibilities, meals, transportation, and personal care before surgery so that your priority afterward can be healing.

Follow your skincare instructions

Dr. Ramesh may provide specific skincare instructions before surgery. Use only the products you have been cleared to use and discontinue anything our team asks you to avoid. Avoid experimenting with aggressive new treatments immediately before your facelift. Irritated or injured skin is not what you want heading into facial surgery. If you develop a rash, breakout, wound, or other skin problem near a planned incision area, let us know.

Plan your haircare

Facelift incisions are commonly made to blend around the ears and hairline, depending on your surgical plan. That means washing, coloring, and styling your hair require planning. Follow Dr. Ramesh’s instructions about when you should have your final preoperative hair wash and when treatments such as coloring can safely be performed. You may have temporary restrictions on washing or treating your hair after surgery while the incisions begin healing.

Arrange your driver and caregiver

You will not be able to drive yourself home after facelift surgery. Arrange for a responsible adult to transport you and remain available during initial recovery. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons generally advises facelift patients to arrange for someone to stay with them for at least the first 24 to 48 hours after surgery. Your caregiver can help with meals, medications, getting around safely, and contacting the office if you need assistance.

If you are traveling to New Jersey for surgery rather than recovering at home nearby, organize your accommodations in advance. Center for Eye and Facial Plastic Surgery regularly works with out-of-town patients and can provide guidance regarding travel planning.

Stock your recovery supplies

Set up a comfortable recovery area before surgery. Keep your phone, medications, water, clean towels or gauze, and any ointments or wound-care supplies within easy reach. Stock the kitchen with easy-to-prepare, soft foods so that you do not need to cook. Choose comfortable clothing that opens in the front rather than garments you need to pull over your head. A little preparation can eliminate unnecessary bending, lifting, and household activity during the recovery period.

The day before and morning of your facelift

By the final 24 hours, your focus should be on following your surgical instructions precisely. Avoid making assumptions about eating, drinking, medications, or personal-care products.

Follow your fasting instructions

You will receive specific instructions explaining when to stop eating and drinking before your procedure. Follow these directions exactly, as fasting requirements are important for anesthesia safety. Do not assume that water, coffee, gum, or a small snack is acceptable simply because it seems insignificant. If you accidentally eat or drink outside the permitted window, tell the surgical team rather than withholding that information.

Remove makeup, jewelry, and hair products

Arrive with a clean face and without makeup unless you have been instructed otherwise. Leave jewelry and unnecessary valuables at home. Do not apply hairspray, gel, dry shampoo, or other styling products. Because facelift surgery involves the face, ears, hairline, and potentially the neck, keeping these areas clean helps your team prepare the operative field appropriately.

Shower as directed

Follow the showering protocol provided by the Center for Eye and Facial Plastic Surgery. You may be instructed to shower and wash your hair before arriving so that your skin and scalp are clean. After showering, avoid applying products that your instructions prohibit. Wear loose, comfortable clothing to the surgical facility. A button-down or zip-front top is particularly useful because you will not have to pull it over your face or fresh incisions when getting dressed afterward.

Caring for your incisions after surgery

Once your facelift is complete, protecting your incisions becomes an important part of recovery. Dr. Ramesh uses strategically positioned incisions based on your anatomy and surgical plan, but even carefully concealed incisions require postoperative care as they heal and mature.

Clean your incisions gently

Wash your hands before touching the surgical area. Follow the specific cleansing schedule and technique our team gives you, as instructions can vary according to incision location, dressings, and your stage of recovery. If you have been instructed to clean an incision, use the cleanser or solution that’s recommended and handle the area gently. Avoid scrubbing, picking at crusting, or attempting to remove sutures yourself. Apply prescribed ointments only as directed.

Resume hair washing when cleared

Do not wash your hair simply because you feel ready. Your incisions may extend around the ears or into the hairline, and vigorous shampooing, water pressure, heat, or pulling at the scalp could disturb healing tissue. Dr. Ramesh will inform you when and how you can resume hair washing based on your procedure and early healing. Continue to postpone hair coloring, chemical processing, and other irritating treatments until our team specifically clears them.

Begin silicone scar care when appropriate

Silicone scar gels or similar products can be useful during scar management, but they should not be applied prematurely to an open or incompletely healed incision. Wait until Dr. Ramesh confirms that your incisions have closed sufficiently and that silicone therapy is appropriate. Once you are cleared, use the recommended product according to instructions.

Protect your scars from the sun

UV exposure can make healing scars more noticeable by contributing to prolonged redness or pigmentation changes. Once your incisions are sufficiently healed for sunscreen, protect them with a broad-spectrum product as recommended by our team. Physical protection also matters. A hat and shade can reduce direct sun exposure when you are outside, although you should avoid anything that rubs against healing incisions.

Call the office about warning signs

Some swelling, bruising, tightness, and discomfort are expected after facelift surgery. However, you should understand which changes require prompt medical attention. Contact Center for Eye and Facial Plastic Surgery if you develop symptoms that concern you or warning signs identified in your postoperative instructions, such as rapidly increasing or markedly one-sided swelling, significant bleeding, worsening redness, drainage that appears infected, fever, severe or escalating pain, or changes around an incision that seem abnormal.

What not to do during incision healing

The first two weeks deserve particular attention because postoperative bleeding and hematoma are important early facelift concerns. Follow Dr. Ramesh’s exact activity restrictions, even when you are beginning to feel better.

• No bending over or repeatedly lowering your head below your heart
• No straining during exercise, household tasks, or bowel movements
• No heavy lifting during the initial restricted period
• No strenuous workouts until Dr. Ramesh clears you
• No activities that substantially raise your blood pressure during the early healing period
• No picking, scratching, or pulling at healing incisions
• No premature hair coloring or chemical treatments near the incisions
• No direct sun exposure to healing scars without appropriate protection
• No nicotine during the postoperative cessation period
• No resuming restricted medications or supplements without clearance

Prepare for your facelift with Dr. Ramesh

A successful facelift begins before you enter the operating room and continues long after you leave it. Preparing your health, medications, home, transportation, and recovery supplies in advance allows you to focus on healing. Just as importantly, careful incision care can help protect delicate healing tissues as swelling resolves and scars mature.

Dr. Deepak Ramesh is a board-certified oculofacial plastic surgeon with advanced training in eyelid, face, and neck rejuvenation. He develops each surgical plan around your individual anatomy and goals, with an emphasis on refined, natural-looking rejuvenation and thoughtfully positioned incisions. If you are considering facelift surgery in New Jersey, contact the Center for Eye and Facial Plastic Surgery to schedule a consultation today.