Beauty and Anti Aging

How to Recover After Plastic Surgery

How to Recover After Plastic Surgery

Introduction to Recovery

Recovering from plastic surgery is not a simple task, and one is urged to ensure that they take care of their bodies, especially the area that underwent the procedure. Though plastic surgery procedures are usually simple in nature, it is paramount that you don’t take the healing process lightly because the implications of carelessness could cost you greatly.

Failure to follow the instructions issued at the hospital could cause possible infections, opening along the incision lines, swelling, and sometimes pain. Patients are normally not aware that immediately after the surgery they will look worse than they did before the surgery. During the healing process, people get frustrated and act out or fail to follow instructions. The results of plastic surgery are not instant. They take time.

During this period, the irritation and misshapen looks that come with surgery are normal. One has to be prepared for this kind of feeling in order to start the journey back to normal looking features.

Below are the steps to recovery that one should consider:

 

1. Be Aware of What to Expect

After the surgery, the patient is expected to recover after a few days or a few weeks, depending on what one underwent. Sometimes, this could stretch to months. It is of importance that you speak to the surgeon so he or she can tell you what to expect during the healing process. This will prepare you for unprecedented changes, making it easier to take all that in stride, no matter how drastic the effects could be to you.

Surgery will most likely break up your normal schedule and routine. You may fail to get together with your friends and engage in other social activities, because you will be running the risk of infection among other things.

 

2. Follow the Instructions of The Surgeon

This is perhaps the one thing you should be keen about during and after the surgery. If it is possible, you could actually take notes. It is important for you to remember the things you should and should not do.

These instructions are most likely to include facts and instructions on medicines to take, managing the pain and swelling, and taking care of the incision lines. You will most likely be told to avoid direct sunlight and keep indoors to make sure you don’t risk infections.

In procedures like breast implants, there are instructions about the most optimal way to use the tubes provided to drain away excessive fluid that is part of the healing process. The minute details that are given should be followed, as they are very important to ensure you get it right, because if you get anything wrong, it could cost you more than just money.

 

3. Follow-Up Checks

It is important that one ensure they attend all the appointments the doctor will assign to make sure that they receive the best healthcare they can get. The wounds are monitored and healing is ensured so that the patient gets the best desirable results. Take the professional advice given and follow it to the letter.

Also, there could be complications that develop, and the doctor will most likely detect them and correct them in time. Never miss an appointment, as it could be the day something bad happens.

Consult your doctor to ensure that you are taking the correct medicines to prevent irritation and self-inflicted pains. Blood thinners and aspirin have been known to delay healing and actually cause bleeding. Most people buy these and take them without prescription and will most likely not know that they are dangerous. This is where your doctor saves your life.

Some medicines claim to be original and natural but are in fact not in the least bit safe. The doctor will also tell you what you should not take and what medications you should inculcate into your regimen.

 

4. Get Plenty of Rest

After the procedure, you will find that most patients will want fast visible results, almost like getting a haircut and getting back to work immediately. It is recommended that one avoids this hassle and gets plenty of rest to reduce the pain and inflammation that may occur in places where laser surgery was performed.

The inflammation and redness is usually expected to last from a few hours to a couple of days. It all depends on the body of the patient in question, as well as the surgery that was performed.

More complex surgeries, like body contouring and breast accentuation or enhancement, will take more time to recover and go back to normal. This period of rest is recommended mainly to reduce the swelling that is left after the procedure. It will also help avoid skin tearing along the scar lines or damage that could be potentially nasty. 

For things like liposuction or scar removals, the period of recovery is less than with the other procedures. It is usually only a day or two before one can be out and about. However, tummy tucks and breast surgery or contouring is more delicate work and requires delicate handling. Rest should last for up to two weeks and above.

Prior to the surgery, people are supposed to have a different diet with good nutrition and ensure that they are getting the right amount of foods into their systems. This will actually help with a quicker recovery.

 

5. Don’t Get Your Hopes Up Too High

Plastic surgery is done with the hopes of looking and feeling better. When one fails to get the results they desire, they sink into depression, and they may give up and become careless. This causes the healing process to be prolonged and difficult.

They become withdrawn and may fail to take care of themselves effectively. Don’t think that surgery will solve your work problems or boost your career or even save a sinking marriage. This is mostly not the case. The situation could need a psychiatrist instead. Not to stray from topic, it is imperative that you expect the worst while hoping for the best.

 

6. Involve Family and Close Friends

You should be able to seek the support of family and friends to ensure that they provide you with moral support. You may feel inadequate, as simple tasks will seem to be gigantic, and frustration sets in after some time. It is not good to be alone at times like these. Getting the family to help you recover is a good way of encouraging yourself and boosting your spirits.

Restrictions are normal during recovery, and your family and friends will be the ones to help you get through this. They can provide meals and monitor medications to ensure that, in your addled state, you don’t get it wrong.

 

Bottom Line

When you undergo surgery, you should make sure that the instructions sink in and that you follow them. Expectations should not exceed the limit, and the diet and medications should be followed with religious zeal.

Recovery is not an easy task and should be handled with all the gravity it deserves. This is the only way to ensure that the recovery is risk free and that you get the best possible results. Now that you know what to expect, be sure that you are keen with the rules and go get the surgery with confidence.