The 2 Things to Buy Before Facelift Surgery

Reviewed by Erin Rose — healthcare price-transparency analyst. Last checked August 29, 2026.

A facelift is entirely self-pay: Medicare excludes it as cosmetic surgery by federal statute, and the IRS names "face lifts" by name as a non-deductible expense you can't pay for with FSA or HSA dollars — on top of an average surgeon's fee of $12,000–$19,000 (ASPS's own 2024 report, surgeon's fee alone, not the full cost). What you actually need to buy afterward is short, and the single most-repeated instruction across every hospital source in this research is technically free: elevate your head 30–40 degrees for two weeks, and hold an ice-water-soaked washcloth to your face every 30 minutes for the first two to three days. Two things are worth buying if the free version doesn't fit your setup — plan on roughly $50–55 for both, as of August 2026 (always check current prices on Amazon).

Every fact here comes from six hospital and professional-society discharge instructions — Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins, ASPS, University of Washington Medicine, UNC ENT, and University of Mississippi Medical Center — not a surgeon's marketing blog. how we choose →

The 2 essentials

Both are optional convenience buys over a free technique — see each card's own flaw line.

Because two hospitals independently landed on the same number: elevate your head 30-40 degrees for two weeks, and the swelling comes down faster.

01 The sleep wedge

Bekweim Adjustable-Height Bed Wedge Pillow, 12 Inch

A steady incline for two weeks of sleep — the buy-path if 2-3 pillows or a borrowed recliner don't work for your setup.

• ✓University of Washington Medicine: "Keep your head elevated, especially while you are sleeping. Using 2 pillows, a foam wedge, or sleeping in a recliner chair will keep your head elevated the right amount."
• ✓University of Mississippi Medical Center, independently: "Elevate head of bed 30 to 40 degrees for two weeks... the more you keep your head elevated, the less you will swell and the quicker the swelling will go down."
• ✓UNC's ENT department is more permissive — sleep elevated "ideally," but lying flat is fine if you can't manage it; ask your own surgeon which instruction applies to you.

The count: Built for shoulder-surgery recovery, not marketed for facelift — the mechanism (a steady torso-and-head incline) is identical to what two hospitals here independently describe, and no listing on file for this hub markets itself for facelift recovery specifically. Only one alternate wedge is on file for this category, so this isn't a large comparative field.

One flaw (not a dealbreaker): UW Medicine names 2-3 pillows or a borrowed recliner as equally valid free options — buy this only if neither one works in your bedroom.

See the Bekweim Adjustable-Height Bed Wedge Pillow, 12 Inch on Amazon →

Also good if this doesn't sit right: Bedluxe 3-Piece Adjustable Wedge Pillow Set ($39.98) →

See the full swelling and sleeping-elevated timeline →

Because the free technique two hospitals describe — ice water and a washcloth, every 30 minutes, for the first two to three days — is the single most evidence-backed thing on this whole page, and it costs nothing.

02 The cold compress

Hilph Wisdom Teeth Ice Pack Head Wrap

A hands-free version of the exact technique two hospitals describe — an optional convenience, not a hospital-recommended must-buy.

• ✓UW Medicine: "apply gauze or wash cloths soaked in ice water to your eyes, face, and neck... 20 to 30 minutes each hour... for the first 72 hours (3 days)."
• ✓University of Mississippi Medical Center, independently: "place several bath cloths in a basin of ice water, wring them out and drape them over the face and eyes, changing them approximately every 30 minutes... for the first two days."
• ✓Neither hospital source names a purchasable product — both describe the same free DIY technique, in almost identical words, without ever mentioning a wrap.

The count: Built for wisdom-teeth recovery, not facelift-branded — but it wraps under the chin and over the top of the head, covering both cheeks at once, the same coverage area Cleveland Clinic's own facelift page describes the surgical dressing itself covering ('hairline at your temples... around your ears... at your lower scalp... under your chin').

One flaw (not a dealbreaker): The hospitals' own instructions just call for a wet washcloth held to your face — this saves you from holding one in place every 30 minutes for three days, nothing more. If that sounds fine to you, you don't need this.

See the Hilph Wisdom Teeth Ice Pack Head Wrap on Amazon →

Also good, no rigid gel insert: TheraICE Soft Wisdom Teeth Recovery Ice Pack Face Wrap ($12.95) →

See the full jaw and cheek cold-therapy wrap comparison →

This page has Amazon links — we may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. It never changes which product we recommend. See our methodology.