One of the biggest concerns people have when planning their surgical procedure is how long their recovery will take and when they can expect to return to work and other activities. While recovery times can vary from person to person and will depend on the procedure performed, your lifestyle, the type of surgery you’ve undergone, and other factors that can play into how your body recovers from plastic surgery.
While you may be researching and gaining information on surgical procedures, don’t forget one crucial detail. Your lifestyle!
Lifestyle Effects On Plastic Surgery Recovery
Plenty of things are taken into account when you are considering a cosmetic or plastic surgery procedure. The list includes your pros and cons about the surgery, the board-certified plastic surgeon you’ve chosen to perform the surgery, and the kind of surgery you’ve chosen to have.
A significant aspect of your recovery that you shouldn’t overlook is your current lifestyle. How you live, eat, and exercise can significantly impact the success of your procedure before, during, and after it’s done.
If you have some unhealthy habits, such as smoking, excessive sun exposure, or sleep deprivation, you may want to resolve these issues before you schedule your surgery. Doing so will help you heal faster with better results during your recovery process and will also help you maintain those results, ensuring that you love the results of your new body for years to come.
Your board-certified plastic surgeon cares about your health and wants to make sure that you are receiving the best medical care possible. That’s why it’s extremely important that you share your entire medical history, including any past mental health issues and your family history of certain conditions that may influence the safety or outcome of your procedure. If you’ve ever heard horror stories of people with poor healing situations or going through an extended healing period, most likely the culprit behind these incidents will be related to unhealthy habits or an underlying condition that the plastic surgeon was unaware of.
Here are some of the most important lifestyle factors that need to be taken into consideration before and after having plastic surgery.
Weight and Nutrition
Most plastic surgeons have a rule about a patient’s weight, especially when it comes to procedures like abdominoplasty or liposuction. It is necessary that a patient be close to their ideal weight, usually within 20 pounds of their goal weight, before having surgery. You should be at a place where you can easily maintain your goal weight without the yo-yo effect that often comes with dieting fads. Monitoring your diet will guarantee that you are healthy and fit so that recuperation from the surgery will be easy and recovery will be quick. In addition to keeping an eye on your weight, you will also want to watch out for foods and drinks that may cause complications with anesthesia, bleeding, immune function, and healing. You can also assist with the healing process by ingesting the right nutrients and drinking plenty of water to maintain hydration.
Medical History (Including Psychiatric)
Inform your plastic surgeon of important medical issues such as problems with anesthesia, heart problems, sensitivity to infections, and all allergies. This helps your surgeon make sure you are safe during your procedure. You will also want to reveal any mental health issues that may affect your surgery or recovery such as stress, anxiety, and depression, regardless of whether you are dealing with these issues or have had them in the past.
Stress causes delays in wound healing, a serious problem for plastic surgery patients, as the infection becomes more likely and complications can arise. Depression and anxiety may cause you to turn to unhealthy behaviors like drinking or smoking, and can also cause insomnia and fatigue, both of which can hamper the healing process.
Your doctor will be able to help you or direct you to someone else who can help you manage these issues, so they won’t become a problem. Having clear expectations and a clear understanding of the processes involved with your chosen surgery will help you manage and minimize your fears.
Exercise Habits – Creating an exercise routine is one of the best things you can do for yourself, before and after surgery. Thirty minutes of regular exercise performed daily can dramatically change your overall health.
Your recovery process will go much smoother if you are already somewhat physically fit and have enough stamina to follow your post-op instructions. Keeping up your routine after surgery will also help you maintain your goal weight and keep your body looking slim and toned.
Smoking and Excessive Alcohol Consumption
You’ve probably heard a lot of information about the side effects of smoking and alcohol. When it comes to surgery, these two substances can really make the difference in having a successful outcome and a complete disaster. The nicotine and carbon dioxide found in cigarettes can decrease the blood and oxygen supply to tissue, impairing the healing process and increasing risks during surgery which can lead to serious and maybe even life-threatening complications.
Alcohol is commonly known as a blood thinner. What you may not know is that it also dilates blood vessels which can cause serious bleeding and swelling during surgery. It can also interfere with your anesthesia which can cause serious risks during the operation. Consuming alcohol after surgery can cause problems with pain medication, and can prolong healing that can leave you with unsatisfactory results.
Sun Exposure
The sun has many negative effects on the skin and can also increase the amount of swelling, inflammation, and bleeding experienced after surgery. The sun can also cause changes to skin pigmentation which can increase the risk of scarring. If you are having a procedure such as Botox, Juvederm, or any type of facial anti-aging or laser treatment, you must remember that you are treating the damaging effects the sun has already made on your skin.
Protecting your skin is very important to maintaining the longevity of these treatments. Taking proper precautions such as making sure to stay inside during the hottest part of the day, always wearing sunscreen, and staying far away from tanning beds can also help to preserve lasting results.
Types of Plastic Surgeries and Recovery
Recovery from certain types of surgeries is going to be more affected by lifestyle than others. For example, if you have a Smartlipo procedure and then put on a significant amount of weight afterward, it will obviously detract from how good you’ll look. You may still get a significant benefit from the Smartlipo because if the Smartlipo brought a better balance to the shape of your body, even if you put on weight, you will likely still have a better overall shape.
A tummy tuck is even less sensitive to minor weight gain since you will have a much flatter abdomen after a tummy tuck than before. Even if you gain weight, you should still look much better than before surgery. Weight gain, if it’s not too excessive, will generally not lead to loose abdominal skin, so the benefits of a tummy tuck will remain. The muscle tightening that is usually done with a tummy tuck will still remain if a few pounds are added after surgery. Of course, if you put on a lot of weight, some of the weight will be belly fat and this could cause your abdomen to protrude.
Procedures such as blepharoplasty that involve cosmetic fillers or Botox are not going to be affected very much by mild weight gain. Similarly, minor weight gain after a breast reduction will not have much effect.
On a more in-depth level, cosmetic procedures can be a stepping stone for transformation. If we look better, we typically feel better about ourselves. We realize that if we feel better about ourselves, we can feel empowered, expend more energy, and treat the people around us that we know and love better.
It’s our goal at Aristocrat Plastic Surgery & MedAesthetics to help you not only look your best but also feel your best. After surgery, Dr. Tehrani may prescribe a lymphatic massage to some patients. A lymphatic massage is the best way to ease swelling, bruising, and discomfort after surgeries such as Liposuction or Abdominoplasty. While this detoxification process can boost immunity at any given time, it’s particularly helpful after these types of surgeries.
Your lymphatic system is in place to help eliminate your body’s waste using natural movements of smooth muscle tissue. However, fluids can sometimes build up in your lymph system and lymph nodes. This is when a lymphatic massage done by a licensed massage therapist may be effective. Using a series of gliding, compressing, stretching, and cupping motions over your body, the lymphatic system is being stimulated, allowing lymph to move easily through the tissues and lymph nodes. By draining your lymph system, you are riding your body of toxins, which can help with lymphedema, swelling, fatigue, bloating, digestive problems, along with other physical conditions.
We recommend a lymphatic massage for almost all of our surgery patients. It is great for those individuals recovering from surgeries because it is known to reduce swelling. Many of our patients go into the massage feeling very sore and leave the treatment, feeling rejuvenated. Aside from post-operative patients, virtually everyone is a good candidate for lymphatic massage. However, if you suffer from any physical condition or illness, please speak to your doctor before booking a massage session.
Let Aristocrat Help You Achieve Your Plastic Surgery Goals
At Aristocrat Plastic Surgery, our goal is to attain the highest level of patient satisfaction. We are here to help you reach all your goals. From the time you enter our beautiful waiting room expect to receive the highest level of care. Our facilities are equipped with the latest and safest technologies in the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery. When you’re ready to look more closely at plastic or cosmetic surgery options to help you achieve the perfect look for you, give us a call to set up a one-on-one consultation!