1. Do I need any special prescriptions before face lift surgery?

No, although there are prescriptions that will be needed afterwards. I give my patients their prescriptions at the preoperative visit so they can have them filled by the time they get home from the surgery.


2.Will I be asked not to eat or drink anything?

Yes, if the surgery is in the morning you can’t eat or drink anything after midnight. If the surgery is in the afternoon, you can have clear liquids six hours before. These are the criteria that my anesthesiologists use. There may be different criteria in other offices. There are many homeopathic preparations that should be stopped before surgery, such as those containing Ginger, Ginseng, Ginko, Garlic (the 4 Gs”) – my patients receive a comprehensive list.


3. What does it feel like when I wake up from face lift surgery?

Most people are not in pain. They feel like their face is swollen. Smiling and drinking feel funny.


4. Can I do anything to prevent bruising after my face lift?

Yes. I give my patients Arnica montana, a homeopathic medication, which they start before the surgery. This is the most studied of the homeopathic medications, although there are others, such as bromelain, that may also reduce bruising and swelling. I find that preoperative acupuncture and other holistic modalities also decrease bruising and swelling. My integrated medicine team includes reflexology, acupuncture, holistic medical esthetics, nutritional counseling and psychotherapy: this team approach helps postoperative recovery. Any patient can buy Arnica montana wherever they are. It is also important to avoid things which can cause increased bruising and swelling, such as certain medications, and certain homeopathic preparations, such as the 4Gs listed above, St. John’s Wort, Vitamin E, and many others.


5. Tell me more about the face lift sutures.

Different surgeons use different sutures. I use dissolvable sutures on the inside, which usually take several months to disappear. On the outside, I use sutures which I remove in 7 to 14 days. These are tiny, about the size of a hair.


6. When can I shower?

After one day.


7. When can I go back to work?

Most of my patients go back to work in 10 to 14 days. It depends on the kind of work you do: those people who are in sales and who would only feel comfortable with no bruising on their face may need to wait two weeks. Those who work from home usually can concentrate enough to do so in several days. Some counselors, whose patients scrutinize their every pore, may need to take three or more weeks off.