Preparing for Face Aesthetics Surgery: Blood Tests, Anesthesia Review and Medicine Changes

The envelope arrives a few weeks before the date, thicker than expected. Inside is a pre-assessment appointment, a form asking about every tablet and supplement in the bathroom cabinet, and a line in bold about not eating after midnight. The surgery itself, a facelift or eyelid procedure, suddenly feels less like a decision already made and more like a project with moving parts.

That reaction is common, and it is useful. The weeks before an operation are when most of the avoidable trouble is either caught or missed. Preparing for facial surgery is not about scented candles and a new pillow, though the pillow does matter. It is about blood work that flags a clotting problem before a scalpel meets skin, an anesthesia conversation that spots the snoring nobody mentioned, and an honest reckoning with medicines and habits that affect how a wound heals.

This explainer walks through each of those steps in the order patients usually meet them, with the evidence behind the advice and a clear line on what only your treating team can decide.

What preparing for facial surgery actually involves, step by step

Aesthetic facial surgery covers a family of procedures: a facelift (rhytidectomy, which tightens sagging skin and deeper tissues of the lower face and neck), a brow lift, eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty, which removes or repositions excess skin and fat around the eyes) and rhinoplasty (nose reshaping). Whatever the operation, the preparation pathway looks broadly similar, because the risks that matter most are shared: bleeding, infection, poor wound healing and reactions to anesthesia.

The pathway typically runs in three layers. First comes the consultation, where the surgeon examines facial anatomy, skin quality and your medical history, and explains what the operation can and cannot change. Mayo Clinic describes this stage as including photographs, a review of medicines and questions about expectations. Second is pre-assessment, a separate visit or call, sometimes weeks later, where a nurse or anesthesia clinician orders tests, measures blood pressure and weight, and walks through every medicine, including the ones you buy without a prescription. Third is the countdown: instructions on smoking, alcohol, fasting, skin care and what to bring.

Nothing in that sequence is decorative. The NHS notes that pre-operative assessment exists to check you are fit for the anesthetic and the operation and to plan any extra care you may need. If a test result is unexpected, the team may adjust the anesthetic plan, request a specialist opinion, or postpone. A postponement can feel like a setback. In practice it is the system working as designed, because the safest operation is one where nothing about your body surprises the people in the room.

Keep the letters, keep a list of questions, and treat the pre-assessment as the moment to say everything, especially the things that feel too small to mention.

Who is usually offered facial aesthetic surgery, and who is asked to wait

Surgeons tend to describe the ideal candidate in plain terms: an adult in good general health, at a stable weight, who does not smoke, and who has realistic expectations about what surgery changes. The NHS is direct that cosmetic surgery is a personal choice with real risks and that it should never be rushed or done to please someone else. Mayo Clinic adds that a facelift addresses sagging and jowls but does not treat fine wrinkles, sun damage or uneven skin color, which is why the consultation spends time on what the operation is for.

Some people are routinely asked to wait, or to do preparatory work first. Common reasons include:

• Uncontrolled high blood pressure, which raises the risk of bleeding under the skin (a hematoma, a collection of blood that may need draining).
• Active smoking or nicotine use, which narrows small blood vessels and starves healing skin flaps of oxygen.
• Diabetes that is not well controlled, because high blood sugar impairs immune response and wound repair.
• A recent illness, chest infection or unexplained weight change that has not been investigated.
• Medicines that affect clotting where the prescriber has not yet agreed a plan.
• Recent major life stress, a new mental health diagnosis, or uncertainty about the decision itself.

Waiting is not a judgment. It reflects how facelift surgery works: the skin is lifted from its blood supply and repositioned, and it survives on the vessels that remain. Anything that compromises those vessels, from nicotine to swings in blood pressure, threatens the result and the healing.

Only the treating team can weigh these factors for an individual. If you are asked to wait, ask what specifically needs to change and how it will be re-checked. A clear target, whether a blood pressure range or a smoke-free interval, turns a frustrating delay into a plan.

Pre op blood tests for surgery: what each one checks and why it matters for the face

Blood tests before facial surgery are not a formality, though they are often routine. The pre-assessment team chooses tests based on your age, medical history and the length of the planned anesthetic, which is why one person is asked for a single vial and another for several. The NHS explains that pre-operative tests are tailored rather than universal.

The panels most commonly requested include:

• Full blood count. Measures red cells, white cells and platelets. Anemia (too few red cells) reduces the oxygen carried to healing tissue; a low platelet count means blood clots less readily, which matters when a surgeon is working under thin facial skin.
• Clotting studies. Tests such as prothrombin time and INR assess how quickly blood forms a clot. They are especially relevant for anyone taking an anticoagulant (a medicine that slows clotting) or with a family history of bleeding.
• Kidney function and electrolytes. Kidneys clear many anesthetic drugs and painkillers. Sodium and potassium levels also influence heart rhythm during anesthesia.
• Blood glucose or HbA1c. A snapshot or three-month average of blood sugar. Poorly controlled diabetes is linked with infection and delayed healing.
• Pregnancy test where relevant, since elective surgery is generally deferred in pregnancy.

Some teams add liver tests, a blood group sample, or an ECG (a tracing of the heart’s electrical activity) for older patients or those with cardiac history. MedlinePlus notes that the anesthesia team reviews these results to plan which drugs to use and how closely to monitor.

An abnormal result rarely cancels surgery outright. More often it prompts a conversation: a repeat test, iron supplementation under medical direction, or a referral. Ask for a copy of your results and what each number meant for the plan. Understanding why a test was ordered makes the rest of the preparation feel less like a checklist and more like your own risk being managed.

The anesthesia review: what happens and why they ask about snoring

Facial surgery is performed under one of three approaches. Local anesthesia numbs the area alone; sedation adds medicine that makes you drowsy and relaxed; general anesthesia renders you fully unconscious with breathing supported by a tube or mask. Mayo Clinic notes that facelifts are typically done under sedation with local anesthetic or under general anesthesia, and the choice depends on the extent of surgery and your health.

The anesthesia review is where that choice is made safe. Cleveland Clinic describes the pre-anesthesia assessment as a review of your medical history, previous anesthetics, allergies, medicines and an airway examination. Expect questions that seem oddly specific: Do you snore? Has anyone said you stop breathing in your sleep? Do you have loose teeth, crowns or a stiff neck? Each maps to a real concern. Sleep apnea (repeated pauses in breathing during sleep) increases the risk of breathing problems after sedation. Loose dental work can be damaged during airway management. A limited neck range makes placing a breathing tube harder, and the anesthesiologist wants to know before, not during.

You will also be asked about nausea after previous anesthetics, motion sickness, and family history of unusual reactions. MedlinePlus explains that a rare inherited condition called malignant hyperthermia causes a dangerous rise in body temperature with certain anesthetic gases, so a family story of a relative who “nearly died under anesthetic” is exactly the kind of detail to volunteer.

This review is also the place to raise fears. Some people worry about waking during surgery, others about not waking at all. Modern monitoring measures oxygen, carbon dioxide, heart rhythm and blood pressure continuously, and the clinician can explain in plain language what will happen from the moment you enter the room. A good anesthesia conversation ends with you knowing who will be beside you throughout and what you are allowed to eat and drink beforehand, written down.

Medications to stop before surgery: how blood thinners, painkillers and supplements affect bleeding

The single most consequential part of preparing for facial surgery is the medicine review, and the most important rule is that no medicine is stopped without the prescriber’s agreement. The face has a rich blood supply and thin skin; even small amounts of oozing collect visibly. That is why the team scrutinizes anything that slows clotting.

Mechanisms help make sense of the list. Antiplatelet medicines, such as aspirin and clopidogrel, make platelets less sticky so they do not clump into a plug. Anticoagulants, including warfarin and the newer direct oral agents, interfere with the chemical cascade that turns a platelet plug into a stable clot. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, a class that includes ibuprofen and naproxen) also blunt platelet function, which is why surgical teams often ask patients to switch to other pain relief for a period before the operation, at the team’s direction.

Supplements are the blind spot. Fish oil, vitamin E, ginkgo, garlic and ginger extracts have all been associated with increased bleeding tendency, and St John’s wort can alter how the liver processes anesthetic drugs. Because they are sold as “natural,” people forget to list them. The NHS pre-operative guidance is explicit that herbal remedies and supplements count as medicines for this purpose and should be declared.

How long each is paused varies with the drug’s half-life (the time for the body to clear half of it) and with why you take it. Someone on an anticoagulant for a heart valve faces a very different risk calculation from someone taking aspirin without a specific indication. The prescribing clinician and the surgical team make that call together, sometimes with a cardiologist. Your job is to bring every bottle, including the ones at the back of the shelf, and to ask for the plan in writing.

Prescription medicines you should usually keep taking, and the ones needing a special plan

Stopping the wrong medicine is as dangerous as continuing the wrong one. Most long-term prescriptions continue right up to surgery, often taken with a sip of water on the morning itself, because the risk of a rebound problem outweighs any surgical concern. MedlinePlus advises that patients ask their surgeon and anesthesia team which medicines to take on the day and follow that instruction precisely.

Medicines commonly continued include blood pressure treatments (with some exceptions the anesthesiologist will specify), thyroid replacement, inhalers for asthma, most antidepressants and anti-seizure medicines. Abruptly stopping a beta-blocker, for example, can trigger a surge in heart rate and blood pressure, which is precisely what a facelift team wants to avoid.

Several classes need an individual plan rather than a blanket rule:

• Diabetes medicines, including insulin. Fasting changes how much is needed, and the team will set a plan to avoid both high and low blood sugar.
• GLP-1 receptor agonists, used for diabetes and weight management. They slow stomach emptying, which anesthesia teams consider when planning fasting because food may remain in the stomach longer than usual.
• Isotretinoin and other retinoid skin treatments, which affect skin healing and are typically discussed well in advance.
• Hormone therapy and combined contraceptives, which modestly raise clot risk in the legs; the team weighs this against the operation’s length.
• Steroid tablets, which suppress the body’s stress response and usually must not be stopped suddenly.

Notice the pattern: the decision depends on the reason you take the medicine, not just the medicine itself. The prescriber knows that reason; the surgeon knows the operation. Ask them to speak to each other if the plan is unclear, and never assume that a friend’s instruction for the same procedure applies to you.

What should I do 2 weeks before a facelift? A realistic countdown

Two weeks out is when preparation shifts from planning to doing. The medical decisions about tests and medicines should already be settled; the fortnight is about protecting the blood supply to your skin and organizing life so recovery is not improvised.

If you smoke or use nicotine in any form and have not yet stopped, this is the last meaningful window. MedlinePlus explains that quitting even a few weeks before surgery lowers complication risk, with the greatest benefit when the smoke-free period is longer. Nicotine patches and vapes still constrict blood vessels, so the goal is nicotine-free, not simply cigarette-free.

Alcohol deserves attention too. Heavy drinking affects clotting, immune function and how the liver handles anesthetic drugs, and the NHS pre-surgery guidance advises cutting down in the weeks before an operation. Reducing steadily is safer than an abrupt stop for anyone who drinks daily; tell the team if that applies to you, because withdrawal during recovery is dangerous.

Practical tasks that pay off:

• Confirm who will drive you home and stay the first night. After sedation or general anesthesia you cannot drive, and most teams require a responsible adult with you.
• Fill any prescribed post-operative medicines in advance, exactly as the team directs.
• Stock soft, easy-to-chew food and plenty of fluids; chewing is uncomfortable after lower-face surgery.
• Arrange time off. The NHS notes that facelift recovery typically involves taking a couple of weeks away from work, and longer before strenuous exercise.
• Photograph your face in even light so you have your own baseline.

Avoid new skin treatments, chemical peels, facial waxing or hair dye close to the date unless the surgeon has approved them; irritated skin heals less predictably. Sun exposure on the face should also be minimized. Two weeks is not long, but it is enough to change the conditions your skin heals in.

What to avoid before facelift surgery: smoking, nicotine, alcohol and the healing wound

Ask any facial surgeon which single factor they most wish patients would change, and smoking answers itself. The reason is anatomical. During a facelift the skin is separated from underlying tissue and lifted; it survives on a thinned network of small vessels until new connections form. Nicotine causes those vessels to clamp down, and carbon monoxide from smoke reduces the oxygen the blood can carry. The result can be skin necrosis (death of a patch of skin, usually near the incisions behind the ear), delayed healing and wider scars.

MedlinePlus lists the surgical harms of smoking in plain terms: slower wound healing, more infections, more breathing problems during and after anesthesia, and more heart complications. It also notes that stopping even shortly before surgery helps, and that the body begins to recover within days of the last cigarette as carbon monoxide clears and circulation improves. The longer the interval, the more of that repair happens before the operation.

Many people ask whether switching to a vape or patch is acceptable. Because nicotine itself causes the vessel constriction, most surgical teams treat all nicotine products the same way for this purpose. The exact smoke-free interval a surgeon requires varies, and it is theirs to set; ask for the number and the reasoning.

Alcohol is quieter but not benign. It thins the blood modestly, interferes with sleep and healing, and can interact with sedatives and painkillers after surgery. The NHS recommends staying within low-risk drinking limits and reducing before an operation.

Skin itself should arrive calm. Avoid tanning, harsh exfoliants, retinoid creams and any new cosmetic injectable close to the date unless the surgeon has agreed. Sunburned or freshly treated skin is more fragile and more likely to scar unpredictably. A boring, protected face is the best canvas for surgery.

Fasting, tooth brushing and the morning of surgery

The morning-of instructions cause more anxiety than almost anything else, mostly because they feel arbitrary. They are not. Fasting exists because general anesthesia and sedation relax the muscles that normally keep stomach contents down; if food or liquid comes up, it can enter the lungs. MedlinePlus explains that patients are usually told to stop eating and drinking for a set period before surgery, and that the anesthesia team gives the exact times.

Those times differ for solids and clear fluids. Many teams allow small amounts of water until closer to the operation than food, because clear liquids leave the stomach faster. Follow the specific instruction you were given rather than a general rule, and if you took a medicine that slows stomach emptying, expect a more conservative plan.

Can you brush your teeth the morning before surgery? In almost all cases, yes. Brushing and rinsing without swallowing does not count as drinking, and a clean mouth reduces the bacterial load near the airway. Spit thoroughly and skip mouthwash unless told otherwise. If a small amount of water is swallowed, tell the team; it is rarely a problem, but they need to know.

On the day itself:

• Take only the medicines the team told you to take, with the smallest sip of water.
• Wear loose clothing that fastens at the front so nothing has to pass over your face afterward.
• Remove makeup, false lashes, jewelry, contact lenses and nail polish; oxygen monitors read through the fingernail.
• Leave hair clean and free of product; some surgeons prefer no hairspray or oils near incision lines.
• Bring a list of medicines and allergies, your glasses case, and a phone charger.

Expect to be asked the same questions several times by different people. That repetition is a safety check, not a sign that the notes were lost.

Facelift preparation checklist: the timeline at a glance

People preparing for facial surgery often ask for one page they can pin to the fridge. The table below summarizes the typical sequence. Every timing is illustrative and depends on the individual plan your team sets; where a range is given, it reflects common practice described by the NHS and MedlinePlus rather than a fixed requirement.

Stage	What usually happens	Your part
Consultation	Examination, photographs, discussion of goals, risks and alternatives	Bring a full medicine and supplement list; ask about the anesthetic type
Pre-assessment	Blood tests, blood pressure, possible ECG, anesthesia history and airway check	Declare snoring, past anesthetic problems, allergies, alcohol and nicotine use
Weeks before	Prescriber and surgeon agree which medicines to pause, continue or adjust	Stop nicotine entirely; reduce alcohol; arrange time off and a helper
Final fortnight	Confirmation of date and fasting times; written instructions issued	Stock soft food; avoid new skin treatments and sun; fill post-op prescriptions
Night before	Fasting begins at the stated time	Shower with plain soap; remove nail polish; pack front-fastening clothes
Morning of	Final checks, consent confirmed, anesthesia begins	Take only approved medicines; brush teeth without swallowing; arrive on time
First days	Head elevation, dressings, swelling and bruising peak then ease	Have an adult present; follow wound-care and activity instructions

Two things are worth reading twice. First, the medicine plan sits in the middle of the table, not at the end, because pauses are decided well ahead and depend on the prescriber. Second, the helper appears early. Recruiting someone reliable is harder at short notice than most people expect, and the NHS is clear that you should not go home alone after a general anesthetic. Treat the checklist as a map of conversations to have, not tasks to tick off in isolation.

Setting up your home so recovery is not improvised

The best recovery environments share a quality: nothing needs to be reached, lifted or figured out in the first few days. After facial surgery you will be swollen, possibly bandaged, drowsy from painkillers, and told to keep your head above your heart to limit swelling. Mayo Clinic advises sleeping with the head elevated for the first days after a facelift and avoiding bending or strenuous movement.

Start with the bed. A wedge pillow or several firm pillows lets you sleep propped up without sliding sideways onto an incision. If you normally sleep on your side or stomach, practice on your back for a few nights beforehand; it is harder than it sounds. Keep a small table within arm’s reach for water, a phone, tissues, lip balm and the written instructions from the team.

Food should require minimal chewing and minimal preparation: soups, yogurt, smoothies, soft-cooked grains, scrambled eggs. Straws are sometimes discouraged after certain lip or nose procedures, so ask. Hydration matters more than appetite, particularly if you feel nauseated after anesthesia.

Other useful preparations:

• Clean cloths and a clean pillowcase daily; wound-care supplies exactly as the team lists them.
• Button-front tops and zip hoodies; nothing pulled over the head for several days.
• A hand mirror positioned so you can inspect incisions without craning your neck.
• Pets and children arranged so no one bumps your face in the first week.
• Prescriptions, including any antibiotics or antinausea medicine, collected before the day.

Screens and reading are fine when you feel like it, but expect concentration to be poor initially. Some people find the emotional dip of the first few days, when bruising is at its worst, harder than the discomfort. Having someone around who has been briefed that this is normal, and who knows the red-flag signs in the section below, is part of preparing the home too.

What the first days and weeks after facial surgery usually look like

Knowing the shape of recovery beforehand makes the strange parts less alarming. Timelines vary with the procedure, the technique and the individual, so treat what follows as a typical pattern rather than a schedule.

In the first day or two, dressings are usually in place and there may be small drains (thin tubes that remove fluid from under the skin), which Mayo Clinic notes are commonly removed within a couple of days. The face feels tight and numb rather than sharply painful; discomfort is generally managed with the medicines the team prescribed. Swelling and bruising build over the first few days before they start to fade.

Toward the end of the first week, sutures around the ear and hairline are often removed or begin to dissolve, and you may be allowed to wash your hair gently. Bruising migrates downward toward the neck and chest, which surprises people who expected it to stay put. Numbness in the cheeks and around the ears is common and typically improves over weeks to months as small sensory nerves recover.

The NHS describes facelift recovery as taking a couple of weeks before most people return to work and several weeks before strenuous exercise, with swelling settling over several months and the final appearance emerging gradually. Mayo Clinic similarly notes that incisions are placed in the hairline and natural creases and that scars fade over time but do not vanish.

Follow-up visits are built into the plan so the team can check healing and catch problems early. Keep them even if everything feels fine. Sun protection on the scars for many months, gentle skin care, and patience with asymmetry in swelling are the recurring themes. Results are never permanent, because the face keeps aging; what surgery changes is the starting point.

What people often get wrong about preparing for face aesthetics surgery

“There is a worst day of the week to have surgery.” Searches for this are common, usually driven by fears about weekend staffing or a tired Friday surgeon. For planned aesthetic surgery there is no robust evidence that any weekday is inherently unsafe. What matters is that your surgeon and team are available in the days afterward, when a hematoma or infection would declare itself. Ask who you call over a weekend or holiday, and choose a date that keeps that line open.

“Natural supplements do not count as medicines.” They do. Several herbal products affect clotting or drug metabolism, and the NHS asks patients to declare them at pre-assessment. Undeclared fish oil or ginkgo has caused more surgical bleeding surprises than most prescription drugs.

“I should stop my blood pressure or heart medicine so I am ‘clean’ for surgery.” Stopping these abruptly can cause dangerous rebounds. Most are continued, and the decision belongs to the prescriber and anesthesiologist.

“A bruise-preventing supplement or cream will guarantee less swelling.” Evidence for popular remedies such as arnica is weak and inconsistent. They are not a substitute for the measures that do have support: stopping nicotine, controlling blood pressure, head elevation and cold compresses as directed.

“Switching to vaping is fine.” Nicotine, not just smoke, constricts vessels. Teams generally treat all nicotine as off-limits before facial surgery.

“Recovery will look like the photos by the second week.” Mayo Clinic notes that swelling and bruising can take weeks to settle and that final results emerge over months. Planning a public event too soon is the most common regret patients describe.

“Losing weight fast before surgery helps.” Rapid loss changes facial volume and can leave the surgeon operating on a moving target. A stable weight for several months is what most surgeons prefer.

Questions to ask your care team before you sign the consent form

Consent is a conversation, not a signature. The NHS advises that you should feel free to ask as many questions as you need and to take time before agreeing to cosmetic surgery. The list below is drawn from what patients most often wish they had asked; bring it to the consultation and the pre-assessment and write the answers down, because memory under stress is unreliable.

• Which type of anesthesia is planned for me, and who will administer and monitor it?
• Which of my medicines and supplements should I stop, which should I continue, and who is making that decision?
• Which blood tests are you ordering, and what would an abnormal result mean for my date?
• What is your requirement for being nicotine-free before and after surgery, and why?
• What are the most common complications for this specific operation, and how would I recognize them at home?
• What are the alternatives to surgery for my concern, including doing nothing for now?
• How many follow-up visits are planned, and who do I call at night or over a weekend?
• How long should I plan to be off work and away from exercise, based on your usual patients?
• What will the incisions look like, where will they sit, and how do you manage scars?
• What would make you cancel or postpone on the day?
• If something needs revising, how is that decided and discussed?

Notice how many of these questions are about logistics and safety rather than appearance. That balance is deliberate. Aesthetic surgery is real surgery, and Mayo Clinic lists hematoma, nerve injury, infection, hair loss at incision sites and skin loss among the recognized risks of a facelift. A team that answers these questions patiently and without sales pressure is telling you something about how they will handle a complication. A team that rushes is telling you something too.

When to call your doctor: red-flag signs after facial surgery

Most recovery worries are the ordinary consequences of surgery: tightness, bruising that changes color, patches of numbness, a little clear or pink fluid at the incision. A small number of signs need same-day contact with the surgical team or, if you cannot reach them, emergency care. Your written discharge instructions will list specifics; these are the ones that matter across most facial procedures.

Contact the team urgently if you notice:

• Sudden, increasing swelling or tightness on one side of the face, especially with rising pain. Mayo Clinic identifies hematoma as the most common facelift complication and notes it usually develops within the first day and may need prompt treatment to prevent damage to the overlying skin.
• Bleeding that soaks through dressings or does not slow with gentle pressure.
• Skin near the incisions turning dark, dusky or purple-black, or developing a blister, which can signal compromised blood supply.
• Fever, spreading redness, warmth, foul-smelling discharge or an incision that opens.
• Severe pain not eased by the prescribed medicine, or pain that returns suddenly after improving.
• New weakness of facial movement, such as inability to close one eye or an uneven smile, that was not present immediately after surgery.
• Vision changes, severe eye pain or a bulging eye after eyelid surgery.
• Chest pain, shortness of breath, or a swollen, painful calf, which may indicate a blood clot and require emergency care immediately.
• Persistent vomiting, confusion, or an allergic reaction such as hives or facial swelling around the mouth and throat.

Trust discomfort that feels different from what you were told to expect. Surgical teams would far rather hear about a false alarm than see a delayed hematoma. Keep the after-hours number where your helper can find it, and do not drive yourself if you feel unwell; that is what the person staying with you is for.

Frequently asked questions

What should I do 2 weeks before a facelift?

Use the final fortnight to be completely nicotine-free, reduce alcohol, confirm your medicine plan with the prescriber, and organize a helper and time off. Stock soft food, fill post-operative prescriptions as directed, and avoid new skin treatments, sun exposure and facial waxing. The medical decisions about tests and pauses should already be settled; these two weeks protect the blood supply your healing skin depends on.

What pre op blood tests for surgery are usually ordered before a facelift?

Most teams request a full blood count, clotting studies, kidney function with electrolytes, and a blood sugar measure, adding an ECG or other tests for older patients or those with heart history. The NHS notes pre-operative tests are tailored rather than universal. Each result feeds into the anesthesia plan and helps flag bleeding or healing risks before the operation rather than during it.

Which medications to stop before surgery does a surgeon typically review?

Surgeons focus on medicines that affect clotting: antiplatelets such as aspirin, anticoagulants, NSAIDs, and supplements including fish oil, vitamin E, ginkgo and garlic. Drugs that slow stomach emptying or affect skin healing are also discussed. The decision to pause or continue belongs to the prescribing clinician working with the surgical team, because the reason you take a medicine matters as much as the medicine itself.

What's the worst day of the week to have surgery?

There is no reliable evidence that any weekday is inherently unsafe for planned aesthetic surgery. The practical concern is aftercare access: complications such as hematoma usually appear within the first day or two, so it matters that your surgeon or team is reachable in that window. Ask who covers weekends and holidays and choose a date that keeps that line open.

Can you brush your teeth the morning before surgery?

Yes, in almost every case. Brushing and rinsing without swallowing does not break the fast, and a clean mouth lowers bacteria near the airway. Spit thoroughly, avoid mouthwash unless approved, and take only the medicines the team specified with a small sip of water. If you accidentally swallow water, tell the anesthesia team so they can adjust timing if needed.

What do I wish I knew before getting a facelift?

Patients most often mention three things: bruising and swelling take weeks rather than days to settle, numbness around the ears and cheeks can persist for months, and the emotional low around day three to five is normal. Many also wish they had recruited a reliable helper earlier and scheduled no social commitments for several weeks. Mayo Clinic notes final results emerge gradually over months.

What to avoid before facelift surgery besides smoking?

Avoid alcohol excess, unapproved supplements, NSAID painkillers unless cleared, tanning, chemical peels, retinoid creams, facial waxing, hair dye near incision sites, and any new cosmetic injectable close to the date. Rapid weight change is also discouraged because it alters facial volume. Each item either affects bleeding, skin fragility or the surgeon’s ability to plan accurately, and your team will confirm the specifics.

Will I be asleep during a facelift, or awake with sedation?

Either approach is common. Mayo Clinic notes facelifts are performed under sedation with local anesthetic or under general anesthesia, depending on the extent of surgery and your health. Under sedation you are drowsy and comfortable but breathing on your own; under general anesthesia you are fully unconscious with breathing supported. The anesthesia clinician recommends one after reviewing your history and airway.

How long does a facelift preparation checklist need to start before the date?

Planning usually begins at the consultation, often weeks to months ahead, because medicine changes, nicotine cessation and blood tests all need lead time. MedlinePlus notes that the benefits of stopping smoking grow with a longer smoke-free interval before surgery. The final fortnight covers practical readiness, and the last day covers fasting and morning instructions issued by the team.

Is arnica or a bruise supplement worth taking before facial surgery?

Evidence for arnica and similar remedies reducing surgical bruising is weak and inconsistent, so it cannot be presented as effective. Some products also interact with clotting or anesthetic drugs. The measures with real support are stopping nicotine, controlling blood pressure, keeping the head elevated and using cold compresses as directed. Tell your team about anything you plan to take, herbal or otherwise.

References

• NHS: Facelift
• NHS: Having an operation: Preparing for surgery
• MedlinePlus: General anesthesia
• MedlinePlus: Smoking and surgery

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor about your individual situation.