A revision corrects a problem from the first operation, such as a pulled look, a bad scar, or a pixie ear. A secondary facelift treats new aging after a prior lift that was otherwise acceptable. The exam decides which word fits.

Not while swelling is still the main change. Most corrections wait until the first operation has healed, often 6 to 12 months. An early problem such as bleeding or skin loss is a different timetable and is handled as a complication, not as an elective revision.

Often it can be improved, if skin was used as the handle and deeper tissue can still be released. It cannot always restore the face to the way it looked before the first surgery.

A pixie ear is a lobe pulled down by tension. It can often be set back when there is enough tissue. A perfect pre-surgery ear is not a promise.

A wide scar can often be excised and closed under less tension, usually in the same hairline and ear line. The scar fades. It does not disappear.

A skin-only lift often thins out sooner because the deeper layer was never moved. Weight change and sun also shorten a result. A later lift is not automatically a failed first operation if the first plan was the right size.

Bring it if you have it. It tells which layer was lifted and where the scars were placed. The exam still decides. A missing report does not block a consultation.

Yes, in some ways. Scar, thinner skin, and less clear planes raise the chance of healing problems and nerve irritation. That is why tension and scar matter more the second time.

The goal is the opposite. Skin is laid back without tension. Tight is what a skin-only pull produces. A revision that pulls the skin again repeats the problem.

Yes, when the face is hollow as well as scarred or sagging. Fat on top of untreated tightness can look heavy. The release comes first. See Facelift With Fat Transfer.

Yes, when bands or fullness under the jaw were missed and one session is safe. A facelift scar alone does not treat a turkey neck. Read Neck Lift Surgery.

Often longer than a first lift, because scar must be released. You get a schedule after the exam, not from a web average.

Plan on 10 to 14 days for desk work if bruising can be hidden. Public-facing work needs more. Do not book a camera week in the first 10 days.

Walking starts early. Heavy lifting and anything that raises blood pressure wait until you are cleared, often several weeks.

Most patients describe tightness and soreness more than sharp pain. The first three days are the peak. Medicine is used as directed.

You may see a change when the dressing is off, then lose some of it to swelling. Judge the correction at three months. Scars keep changing for a year.

A revision resets the problem it was built to treat. It does not stop aging. There is no honest number of years for every face.

Yes. Beard pattern and hairline change the incision plan. The same rules apply: do not use skin as the handle.

That is common. Bring records if you have them. The operation is planned from the face you have now, at 2311 M Street NW.

No. Filler adds volume. Threads are temporary. Neither releases a tethered SMAS or repairs a pixie ear.

Most revision facelifts here are outpatient. You go home the same day with a responsible adult. An overnight plan is the exception and is decided before surgery.

On your back with the head up. Side-sleeping and stomach-sleeping put pressure on the lift and the incisions. Use the position you were given until you are cleared.

Not until follow-up says the early risk window has passed. Out-of-town patients should plan enough days in DC after surgery.

Not while you are taking narcotic pain medicine and not while swelling keeps you from turning to check a blind spot. Get the all-clear in the office.

Some numbness around the ears and cheeks is common. It usually fades over weeks to months. Lasting weakness or numbness is uncommon and is reviewed in follow-up.

Yes. Early swelling is often uneven. Sleeping position and prior scar can make one side fuller. It usually evens out as the swelling comes down. Call the office if one side is rapidly larger, hot, or painful.

Yes, early on. Fluid settles overnight. It is not a failed revision. It usually eases through the day as you are up and moving.

After you are shown how and told the incisions can get wet. That is often within the first week, not the first night. Do not scrub the suture line.

Bring every medicine and supplement list to the pre-op visit. Do not stop a prescribed blood thinner because a web page said so. The office will tell you what to pause and what must stay.

See a surgeon who performs the revision himself, operates in an accredited facility, and will say when you are still swollen rather than failed. That is the standard at The Center for Cosmetic Surgery.