After FFS: How long to be presentable again at work?

[cop4life]

Hi all.

I plan to have FFS with

• Rhinoplasty
• eyebrow lift
• forehead contouring
• chin implant

I work in law enforcement which means interacting with people on a daily basis.

Can somebody give me an estimate how much time after FFS it takes to be "presentable" again at work?

I know the nose will be swollen even months after the procedure. What about the other areas?

[Lagertha]

It very depends on your personal healing properties, and unless if you had similarly invasive facial surgery before, you can't really predict how will you healing and recovery go.
Upper face usually isn't most problematic. Shurely in first two weeks you will have swelling around the eyes, possibly some bruising. Most of the swelling goes down and it gets stuck in your lower face. Because you won't have any aggressive lower face work, you will be able to do very strong massage (and use lots of ice-packs) which helps with circulation in lower face area, and will help you to get rid of that swelling much sooner compared to someone who had more aggressive lower face work, and can only do really gentle massage. For example it could take you around 3 weeks to get rid of 90% of lower face swelling, in comparison to someone with more aggressive bone and soft tissue work in lower face, which could take them 2-3 months for the same 90%.
It's possible you will look presentable at 1 month, maybe even little sooner. Arrange for longer time off if you have the possibility.

[Paula1]

True but it also depends on the surgeon's techniques and,of course, what is done.

My burring by Dr Z took far longer to heal than the open surgery I had with Mr Eccles.

I was a mess for nearly 2 months after my original FFS in Feb 2004 and presentable within a week after the revision in Oct 2014.

Flying back from the USA, one week after surgery did not help either.

But I have seen 'Z' patients based in the USA who have healed far quicker than me.

It also depends on the patient's healing properties as Lagertha says.

PS. Dr Z suggests massaging, other's don't !!!

[deeiche]

4 weeks "could" be enough, really depends upon type of forehead work.

Also, remember, complications can occur.  I had an abscess under my chin from a strep infection, the bacteria most likely entered through the gum line incision used for chin work.  At a little over 4 weeks the docs drained it twice in 3 days, the next day it finally drained on it's own for several days. Not something I want to live through again.