When you make the life-changing decision to have a facelift, you’re making a big investment in
yourself and your confidence. One significant way you can protect your surgical
investment—and preserve your youthful results—is by taking excellent care of your skin and
being diligent with aftercare. Remember, healing skin is extra vulnerable, so protecting your skin
from sun exposure after facelift surgery is crucial. Keep reading to learn why proactively caring
for your skin—including covering up—can help you show off your glowing results for many
years.
We all know that Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is damaging to the skin. It’s a common notion at this
point and daily sunscreen is vital for healthy skin in general. UV radiation causes the skin to
wrinkle, tan and/or burn. Over time, the sun’s ultraviolet light damages the fibers in your skin
called elastin. When these fibers break down, your skin begins to sag, stretch and lose its ability
to go back into place after stretching. Too much exposure to UV rays can eventually also lead to
skin cancer.
In general, UV exposure is never a good idea, and even more important after the skin is healing
from any kind of treatment. After a facelift, your face will be healing from the incisions and fresh
wounds that need time to heal from unavoidable swelling and bruising. Exposing one’s face to
UV rays immediately after a facelift might lead to increased swelling and possibly increase
scarring. There’s also the risk of postinflammatory hyperpigmentation, which results from
overproduction of melanin; leading to discoloration and uneven coloring of the skin.
It’s recommended that patients stay completely out of the sun for one-two weeks after a facelift.
After enough healing time has passed, it’s still important to practice sun safety. There are ways
to protect your face after your procedure. Things like wearing a wide-brimmed hat and of course
applying SPF 30+ or more continually are vital to ultimate protection.
While you’re recovering from a facelift, it’s important to take time to heal; so take advantage of
the time to rest and relax indoors in the hotter temperatures. If you have to go outside, try to
make your plans for when the sun is not at it’s peak. Remember, your facelift was a big
investment in yourself–do yourself and your face a favor by giving it the TLC and anti-UV
attention it deserves.
If you’d like to learn more about facelifts and after-care, we’re happy to set up a consultation.
Please reach out at https://www.facialartistrymd.com/contact/
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