Why do some facelift patients swell more than others?

Let’s look at the article ‘Beyond Swelling: A Review of Postoperative Lymphedema in Aesthetic Surgery.’ The surgeons from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School state that:

• Lymphatic flow is redirected after facelift surgery, due to elevation of flaps. 

• Facelift plus nose job or eyelid surgery can increase likelihood of prolonged edema. 

• Age-related lymphatic atrophy can also increase postsurgical swelling 

• Edema after deep plane facelift peaks at day 7, reduces significantly at one month, leaving only modest swelling at three months. 

Phondge, V., Dornbrand-Lo, M., Deshpande, P., & Wong, A. K. (2025). Beyond swelling: a review of postoperative lymphedema in aesthetic surgery. Lymphatics, 3(3), 26. https://www.mdpi.com/2813-3307/3/3/26