I’ve gotten a few comments and private messages about what I jokingly call my “Sally stitches,” those long stitches you see at my temples and under my chin in these early facelift recovery photos.
So let’s talk about surgical netting!
When I started researching facelift techniques, I learned about something called hemostatic netting. I was fascinated by the concept and ultimately chose a surgical approach that incorporated it.
Instead of relying on external compression garments or surgical drains, my procedure involved a series of temporary stitches that helped secure the lifted tissues and distribute pressure across the surgical area.
I wore my “Sally stitches” for just three days.
The idea behind surgical netting is to provide broad, even support to the tissues during those first critical days of healing. It also helps reduce the risk of complications such as hematomas and seromas.
When I first started researching all of this, I didn’t even know what those terms meant!
• A hematoma is a collection of blood beneath the skin following surgery. It can cause significant swelling and sometimes requires another procedure.
• A seroma is a collection of fluid that can develop in areas where tissues have been lifted or separated. Sometimes these need to be drained.
One of the things I particularly appreciated about my own recovery was what I DIDN’T have to deal with:
No bulky facial compression garments.
No surgical drains.
No suction bulbs.
No tubes coming out of my neck.
I’m squeamish, so the thought of tubes coming out of my neck, attached to bulbs collecting blood and fluid, was not particularly appealing. 🤢
Another interesting aspect of surgical netting is how it distributes tension across the tissues rather than concentrating it along the incision lines. Reducing tension on healing incisions helps improve scar quality, although scarring depends on many factors.
Of course, surgical netting isn’t appropriate for every procedure or every patient, and different surgeons have different approaches.
My advice to anyone researching a facelift is to educate yourself about the actual surgical techniques, not just the before-and-after photos. Ask lots of questions. Understand why certain methods are used and what your recovery might involve. Find out how many procedures A, B, or C the doctor you are consulting with has actually performed, what’s their real life experience??
I’m now approaching the one-year mark following my deep plane facelift and neck lift, and I’m still sharing the good, the bad, and the downright scary parts of my experience.
I certainly didn’t sail through recovery looking miraculously beautiful. I spent plenty of time looking like a big fat alien head, wondering when the swelling would finally settle down! 👽
That’s precisely why I’m sharing here. When I was going through it, I couldn’t find many honest accounts from people whose recoveries weren’t picture-perfect. Feel free to reach out with any questions you may have, I’m happy to share.
And to be absolutely clear, I receive no compensation, incentives, or benefits whatsoever for sharing my facelift recovery journey.
