A facelift can create a significant improvement in facial ageing, but surgery is only one part of the journey. Once you have healed, looking after the quality of your skin can play an important role in maintaining and complementing your results.
We asked Dr Risma, Dermatologist and Owner of Keina Clinic Bali, for her guidance on building a long-term skincare and treatment plan following facelift surgery.
Start with the foundations
Good skincare does not need to be complicated. According to Dr Risma, the foundations of a post-facelift maintenance routine are gentle cleansing, hydration and daily sun protection.
Once your surgeon or dermatologist has confirmed that your skin has healed sufficiently for normal skincare, a simple morning routine may include:
- Facial cleanser
- Hyaluronic acid serum
- Moisturiser
- Sunscreen
Daily sunscreen is particularly important. UV exposure contributes to collagen breakdown, pigmentation and premature skin ageing, so protecting your skin from the sun is one of the simplest ways to help protect the investment you have made in your face.
Your evening routine
Once the skin has fully recovered and your doctor has approved active ingredients, your evening routine can begin to focus more on skin quality and ageing.
Dr Risma commonly recommends:
- Facial cleanser
- Hyaluronic acid serum
- Moisturiser
For suitable patients, a retinol serum may be introduced on alternate evenings rather than used every night.
Retinoids can support skin renewal and collagen production, but they can also cause irritation. Following facelift surgery, they should only be introduced when the skin is adequately healed and your treating doctor considers them appropriate.
Don’t forget your neck and décolletage
A beautifully rejuvenated face can sometimes highlight sun damage and ageing on the chest and décolletage.
Dr Risma recommends extending the basic principles of facial skincare to this area, including cleansing, hydration, moisturiser and, importantly, daily sunscreen.
For some patients, prescription-strength topical retinoids such as tretinoin may also be recommended, often starting at a low frequency. These should only be used under medical guidance and once the skin is fully healed.
Going beyond skincare: maintaining your result
Skincare can support skin health, but there are also treatments that may complement surgical rejuvenation once healing has progressed.
Rather than doing everything immediately after surgery, Dr Risma recommends a staged approach.
For appropriate patients, fractional CO₂ laser combined with PRP may be considered to address skin texture, pigmentation and overall skin quality.
A collagen-stimulating injectable treatment such as Radiesse may be considered to support skin quality and collagen production.
Treatments such as microneedling combined with PRP, or polynucleotide or “salmon DNA” based treatments, may form part of an ongoing maintenance programme, depending on the individual.
The timing is important. After facelift surgery, your tissues continue healing and changing for many months. More treatment is not necessarily better, particularly during the early stages of recovery.
Think of your facelift as a long-term investment
A facelift addresses structural ageing by repositioning and supporting facial tissues, while dermatology and skincare focus on something different: the health and quality of the skin itself.
Combining the two thoughtfully can create a more comprehensive approach to ageing well.
“We want our patients to continue healing well, and once they are ready, we can create a maintenance plan designed to support their results for the future.”
— dr. I Gusti Ayu Risma Pramita, Sp. D.V.E.
About Dr Risma
Important: This article provides general educational information and is not an individual treatment plan. Recovery following facelift surgery varies considerably. Prescription skincare, retinoids, lasers, injectables and other aesthetic treatments should only be commenced following assessment and clearance from your surgeon or appropriately qualified medical practitioner.