One of the most important parts of a cosmetic surgery is the Recovery. This is the time when your body is healing and adjusting to change, so it can be a scary yet exciting part of your surgical journey. Here is a guide to help you make the best possible choices after surgery. Ensure a beautiful and healthy result from your procedure by following these tips:
Organize Your Life
Arrange everything in your personal life before going into surgery. Pay all upcoming bills, stock up on groceries, have a nice clean house, and arrange child care and transportation. This alleviates many causes of stress, allowing you to focus solely on relaxing and recovering.
Follow Instructions
Your doctor and nurse will have given you a thorough list of pre- and post-operative dos and don’ts prior to your date of surgery. Make sure you review them and ask questions before undergoing the procedure, so that when the time comes you know exactly what to do. The doctor knows best, so avoid any complications after surgery by sticking to the rules and allowing your body to heal properly.
Avoid things that Encourage Bleeding
A variety of medications and supplements can cause bleeding to occur more easily, which is exactly what you want to avoid during the surgical process. Doctors recommend avoiding all of these at least two weeks before and after surgery. Common ones include NSAIDS (Advil, Motrin, and Alleve), Aspirin, green tea, and even fish oil. Alcohol and smoking also lead to a bleeding tendency and should be avoided. Your doctor will give you a list, so give yourself the best possible chance at healing beautifully by staying away from these things.
Stay Calm and Relax
High stress and high activity environments are not idea for the healing body. Avoid any situation or activity that will raise your heart rate or increase blood pressure. Exercise only when your doctor clears you and start slow in order to accustom to your new body. Avoid stressful activities or situations until your body has returned to its new normal self. Above all, take this time to relax and recuperate so you can enjoy the new you once you’ve healed!
Stay Positive and Realistic
Most importantly, maintain a positive and realistic attitude throughout the entire surgical process. Big changes don’t happen overnight. Have realistic expectations for the result and give yourself plenty of time to recover both physically and emotionally from the procedure. Swelling and bruising are a part of the process, and are your body’s way of coping with change in a healthy manner. A positive attitude throughout your recovery will facilitate healthy healing and positive changes in your body. Avoid over-analyzing your results in the mirror the first few days after surgery. Give everything plenty of time to heal properly so that the result will make you shine! It will be worth the wait.
For more questions about recovery and post-operative care, please visit the procedure pages on our website, or call our office at 859-254-5665. We would love to help you along your path to a beautiful cosmetic result. Call us today to set up a consultation with our amazing surgeons!