Doing a bit of pre-surgery prep can help ease the recovery process. The necessities include:

• Tylenol (generic: acetaminophen)

• Benadryl (generic: diphenhydramine)

• Stool softener (example: MiraLAX)

• Several shirts/jackets that button/zip up

• Someone to help support you and cheer you on during recovery

And the extras are often just as important. These can help improve the overall ease of the long process of recovery:

• Soft foods that are nutritious and protein-rich (soups, yogurt, smoothies, scrambled eggs)

• Water and drinks that promote hydration

• Entertainment (audiobooks, podcasts, movies, TV shows) to help pass the time

• Comfortable clothing that you enjoy lounging in

• Several dark colored pillowcases and soft blankets, for a cozy rest space

Your safety is our top priority on the day of surgery.

• Wear a dark colored zip-up or button-up shirt, comfortable pants, and easy-to-slip-on shoes

• No metal jewelry

• No metal hair extensions

• No contacts

• No makeup nor skincare products

• Nothing in your mouth (example: Invisalign trays)

It's normal to experience…

• Poor sleep

  • Difficulty finding a comfortable position

  • Trouble falling and staying asleep

• Tightness 

  • Neck and mouth tightness

  • Tightness with swallowing

  • Difficulty opening mouth and chewing

• Fatigue

  • Feeling fatigued by normal activities

  • Taking naps throughout the day

• Swelling

  • Peak swelling 2-3 days after surgery, then slow improvements

  • May be more pronounced around the eyes and through the lips

• Bruising

  • Some bruise a lot, some bruise none, most fall somewhere in between

  • Dark purple/blue progresses to green/yellow

  • Bruising can fall into the lower face, neck, and upper chest, with gravity 

• Ear sensations

  • Fullness, pressure, or pain

  • This is related to the suspension of the lift and nerve-related irritation

• Eye sensations

  • Scratchiness, graininess, almost as if something is “in the eye”

  • This is related to the small amount of swelling across the surface of the eyeball

Encouragement: these things are temporary and part of the healing process. By 1 week, most patients are physically feeling better. By 2 weeks, most patients are looking better. As always, we’re here to walk you through the entire process.

Fuel your body for healing. Even if you don't feel hungry, it's critical to eat several small protein-rich meals per day to give your body the fuel it needs to heal.

• Focus on foods high in protein and healthy fats

• Limit sodium to help reduce swelling

• Comfort foods can be the easiest to eat the first few days

• Gravitate towards soft, squishy foods that are easy to chew

• Healthy options include: soups, eggs, cottage cheese, yogurt, bone broth, casseroles

• Expect some lip swelling, difficulty opening mouth, tightness with swallow, and sore throat

Your body heals best with the right nourishment. Eat what feels good and is easy.

Quality sleep is vital for healing. Take one night at a time.

• Sleep is universally disrupted the first night after surgery

• Sleep on your back, not on your side or stomach

• You can position yourself flat or elevated, whatever is most comfortable

• A small rolled towel may feel good at the base of your neck

• A wedge pillow may make it easier to sleep at a slight incline

• Placing a pillow under your knees can relieve low back pressure

• Side sleepers: try wedging a few pillows against the side you commonly sleep on to try and trick your body into thinking you're on your side

Consistent care leads to the best results. Follow these steps for optimal incisional healing. We provide all necessary postop supplies (you’ll be given a bag of supplies on your day of surgery).

• Twice daily: clean incisions with warm soapy water

  • Use your hands and gently scrub incisions with baby shampoo

  • This will keep sutures clean and free of debris

  • This can be done in the shower or over the sink

  • Rinse soap away with water

  • Pat dry with clean towel

  • Apply thin layer of Vaseline over all incisions

• Avoid skincare and makeup for 2 weeks following surgery

This often makes you feel the most "human" after surgery.

• You may begin showering day 1 after surgery

• Allow warm soapy water to run over all incisions

• Use baby shampoo on the incisions for the first 2 weeks

• You can use your normal shampoo/conditioner in your hair

• We recommend showering at least once daily for the first two weeks to keep hair and incisions clean and free of debris

Every mark is part of your story of renewal. Be patient with your body as it heals.

• Clean incisions twice daily for the first 2 weeks (baby shampoo + Vaseline)

• After 2 weeks, you can stop Vaseline and switch to once daily silicone-based scar gel

• After 2 weeks, you can reinitiate skincare and makeup

• As incisions heal, they will become pink and firm - this represents the strengthening process

• Over time, they will soften in thickness and lighten in color

• It can take 12+ months for incisions to fully mature

Many factors can contribute to postoperative constipation. These things can help:

• Over-the-counter stool softeners like MiraLAX and Colace

• Drinking plenty of water

• Walking 2-3x per day

• Ensuring diet includes fiber-rich foods

Numbness is universal and takes months to improve.

Think of the skin as a tree that's being lifted away from its roots - when we lift the skin and reposition tissues, the tree is temporarily disconnected from its roots. After we lay the skin back down, it takes several months for those little roots to reconnect. The same occurs with the sensory nerves of the face.

Most patients regain full sensation by 12 months, although it is possible to have small areas of permanent numbness or altered sensation.

Dos: take it easy and allow your body to heal. Ensure you're staying hydrated and limiting sodium. Ice to help with swelling. Watch your favorite movies. Listen to your favorite albums. Wear comfy clothes. Save our office number to your phone and reach out with questions along the way.

Don'ts: don't push yourself activity wise. Now is not the time to re-organize your closets. Don't eat overly salty foods. Don't compare your progress to other patients.

While we all love our fur babies, it is important to keep your pets away from your healing surgical sites. Animals carry bacteria on their skin, fur, and feet and we want to minimize cross contamination during the critical healing phases.

For the first several weeks after surgery, please keep pets off of beds and away from pillowcases. Do not let your pets close to your face. Do not let them lick your face or incisions. Keeping yourself, your incisions, your clothing, and your bedding free of pet dander is important during healing.

And for traveling patients, unless absolutely necessary, it may be best to leave pets at home.

- Preoperative (before surgery): do not consume alcohol and/or marijuana/THC for a minimum of 24 hours before surgery

- Postoperative (after surgery): do not consume alcohol and/or marijuana/THC for a minimum of 2 weeks after surgery

The first 2 weeks are the most critical in terms of taking it easy and resting.

• Weeks 1 and 2: light walking is okay

• Weeks 3 and 4: moderate intensity walking is okay

• After week 4: it's okay to slowly ease into your normal workout routine. It's advised to incrementally increase the intensity of your workouts over the next several weeks, ensuring you're not overdoing it by assessing your swelling and discomfort the day after your workout.

The single most critical thing: do not stretch or strain your neck, intentionally, for the first 4-6 weeks after surgery, as this may result in the tissues pulling or tearing and negatively impacting your final result.

At a minimum, you will need a responsible adult by your side for the first 24 hours after surgery. This is a requirement of the surgery center.

Most patients will have a support person by their side for the first 3-4 days, assisting with medications, food preparation, wound care, etc. After 1 week, most patients are feeling good enough to begin caring fully for themselves.

If you prefer to hire a private nurse to care for you after surgery, please let our team know and we can relay our recommendations. Those nurses are privately contracted between the patient and the nurse.

You must meet 2 requirements before you resume driving:

1. You are no longer taking prescription pain/anxiety medication. This can impair your decision making and reaction time, making it unsafe to drive.

2. Physically, you feel comfortable seeing and moving your neck in response to traffic. This is something you have to decide.

On average, most patients resume driving 1-2 weeks following their surgery.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used after surgery to expedite healing. It works by delivering 100% oxygen in a pressurized cube, which helps your body carry more oxygen to healing tissues. This extra oxygen supports wound healing and reduces inflammation. Many patients feel it helps them heal faster and feel better sooner.

We offer several hyperbaric sessions to our postoperative patients after surgery. This is included in the upfront cost of surgery and can be scheduled at your convenience.

Lymphatic massage is a gentle technique used after surgery to reduce swelling, improve circulation, and support your body’s natural healing process. It helps move fluid away from the surgical area, which can speed up recovery and make you feel more comfortable. Many patients find it helps reduce tightness, bruising, and overall healing time.

In office / first 2 weeks: our team can perform gentle lymphatic massages after ~1 week. During the first 2 weeks of healing, it’s imperative to be gentle and not traumatize the tissues to allow for optimal healing.

After 2 weeks, you can begin your own at-home lymphatic massages once daily. Here’s an instructional video on how to do your own.

The skin is the icing on the cake - it's what you actually see. Make the investment in your skin now and your future self will be thankful.

Several months before surgery, you can arrange a complimentary skincare consultation with our team. We can review your current skin regimen and long term skin goals. And we can help you ensure that you're using all of the right products at home to give you the best skin health.

The first week: swollen, bruised, tight, uncomfortable.

After 2 weeks: you can be in public around strangers, with no one stopping to stare at you.

By 1 month: you're looking and feeling much more like yourself.

After 3 months: 90% healed.

By 6+ months: we're seeing our final result.

Everyone heals at a different pace following the CO2 laser. This is somewhat based on your skin type and the intensity of the treatment. 

Most patients experience a warm sensation in the skin as they begin to wake up in the recovery room. This warmth typically subsides within a few hours. During the first 1–2 weeks, the laser-treated areas will begin to crust and flake off—usually starting around the mouth and central face before progressing to the cheeks, sides, and forehead. The new skin revealed underneath is pink, delicate, and actively healing. If your skin is still pink, treat it gently: avoid sun exposure and stick to mild, non-irritating skincare products. In most cases, the pinkness fades significantly within 2 to 4 weeks.

Critical components of optimizing your laser healing:

- Do not rub or scrub the lasered areas

- Do not expose the skin to the sun, as this can cause hyperpigmentation

- If given a prescription antiviral (ex: valacyclovir), please take daily until medication until gone

If you were given a skincare laser kit (ex: Alastin), please begin using 2-4 weeks before surgery. Follow the instructions that come with the kit and be sure to reach out to our office (913-608-8223) with any questions.

Please remove all false lashes and hair extensions prior to surgery

Keep sodium intake <1500mg per day for the first several weeks to help reduce swelling .

It is completely normal to emotionally feel up and down after facial surgery – even when the change was your choice. You may feel impatient and discouraged, or question your decision. A gentle reminder that these feelings are common and temporary. Small actions can make a big difference – like taking a short walk, watching a good movie, or calling a friend. Be patient with yourself and don’t hesitate to lean on us for reassurance along the way.

Even though we aren't physically operating on the ears, they can often feel swollen and tender as the result of being near/adjacent to the surgical site.

• Ear swelling is common for the first 2-4 weeks after surgery

• Ear tenderness is common for the first 2-4 weeks after surgery

• Deep earaches can occur after surgery as the result of swelling and nerve-related pain

• Avoid q-tip usage for 4 weeks after surgery, as to not traumatize the incisions

• Facials/dermaplane: 4 weeks after surgery (or when most of pinkness has resolved from lasering)

• Botox/neuromodulators: 4 weeks after surgery (or when most of swelling has resolved)

• Haircuts/hair color: 4 weeks after surgery (or when incisions are feeling more healed/no longer tender)

• Sauna: 4 weeks after surgery

• Exercise: 4 weeks after surgery

• Home LED lights: 2 weeks after surgery