I have significant numbness/lumpiness after a facelift 2 months ago, is this normal?
I am 47 yrs old. Since my facelift revision 2 months ago, both of my cheeks have been quite numb with lumpiness. My surgeon says that in 3 months all of this will be resolved, but there's been no improvement at all for the past few weeks. I am worried that this could be my permanent result. I healed beautifully after my original surgery but the tightening was not adequate. I would appreciate some honest perspective without sugarcoating. Thank you.
Without an exam, it is impossible to say whether what you have is normal or not after your secondary facelift. The numbness is quite normal and usually lasts for many months. Occasionally you may have to do some therapy to regain normal sensation. The lumpiness can be normal, but an exam is necessary to determine if this is abnormal or not. Occasionally massage is needed to hasten the resolution of this. Revision facelift generally does have a slower resolution than the primary procedure. See TodaysFacelift.com for more information.
Irene, primary and secondary facelifts usually do not heal the same especially if two different Plastic Surgeons were involved. I'm sure you mentioned that your first facelift was not "tight" enough so I suspect your next operation was performed with that in mind. I doubt everything will return to normal by 3 months in a secondary facelift. We usually don't expect lumpiness and numbness to resolve for 6 months even if you heal "beautifully" as you tend to do. There are things your surgeon can recommend to improve the lumpiness but the numbness will simply take time. Facelift Recovery Page
Normally patients have this kind of sensation for around 3 to 6 months after the procedure. Usually you will be feeling normal in a few weeks. Are you having fisiotherapy for the Edema?
After any facelift it is normal to have areas of numbness which may persist for several months and can be permanent. What caused the areas of lumpiness could only be determined by a direct exam as there are a number of different factors which could be responsible. It may be best to continue following up with your plastic surgeon as that person knows exactly what was done during the surgery and would be in the best position to answer your questions and propose a solution.
It is very common to have patchy areas of numbness after a revision facelift at 2 months. In most cases the area of numbness gradually becomes smaller but this can take at least a year for this to occur.
Areas of lumpiness is of concern at 2 months. Please revisit your plastic surgeon and ask if massage, lymphatic drainage, ultrasound, or deep skin tightening treatments can help.