You’ll be back on your feet and ready to get back to life just a few days after your facelift, but many patients still have visible incisions, swelling, and bruising. Many patients cover this bruising and discoloration with foundations and concealers so they can return to work and social engagements more quickly. How soon can you wear makeup after a facelift?

Makeup and Incisions- What’s the Risk?

After your facelift, avoid using makeup and other skincare products for a few days, especially in the areas near an incision. Skincare products and makeup can easily enter the new incision, increasing your risk of infection. Putting pressure on the skin too soon can split incisions open and delay healing. Give your face time to heal by avoiding makeup, skincare products, and pressure to the skin.

How Soon Can I Resume Makeup Use After Facelift Surgery?

We’ll meet with you several times after your facelift to assess healing. When you’ve healed sufficiently, you can resume using makeup and other products, if you apply them carefully. It can take several days or longer to reach this point of healing. Most patients can use makeup again within a week or two, depending on how quickly their body heals.

If your incisions aren’t healed sufficiently for foundations and concealers, you may be able to wear makeup on other areas of the face, including mascara, eye shadow, etc. Talk with Dr. Slupchynskyj about the products you hope to use.

One Must-Wear Product After Facelift Surgery

After you’re cleared to resume wearing makeup, make sunscreen your most important product. You’ll be very susceptible to sunburn while you heal from your facelift. Sunscreen can help to protect your skin. Additionally, sunscreen will protect your incisions from sun damage and darkening. Too much sun before your incisions are fully mature can cause permanent changes to your skin. Sunscreen also prevents premature aging and sun damage. Careful care of the facelift incisions leads to better post-surgical results.

Many patients are anxious to resume makeup use after facelift surgery, but it is important to wait until you’ve been cleared by your plastic surgeon. The best facelift results require patience and a skilled plastic surgeon like Dr. Slupchynskyj. Call us to schedule your facelift consultation.