A recent article on NewBeauty offers suggestions to prospective plastic surgery patients to help them avoid some of the pitfalls they may be concerned about. While acknowledging that recovery can sometimes be difficult, the article explains that the process can be made much easier with a combination of support from close friends and family, extensive preparation, patience regarding results, following all post-operation instructions, light exercise as proscribed by a medical team, and finally, maintaining a light and healthy diet. Following your plastic surgeon’s recovery instructions is critical for ensuring the best results, as is the choice of the best possible provider.

Immediately following most procedures, it is normal for patients to experience such minor but bothersome issues as bruising, swelling, and discomfort. You should not worry though: discomfort is manageable with prescribed and/or over-the-counter medications as suggested by your physician. The group notes that such information is always personalized to suit the patient and is given in detailed post-operation instructions that patients should follow closely. In addition, they should always take care to inform the medical team about any questions or concerns.

The Recovery Period

In general, patients can expect to do little else but rest immediately following their procedure while gradually getting back to a more normal routine in the days and weeks to follow. In some cases, the timeframe may be longer or shorter depending on how invasive the procedure was and the specific techniques employed. A facelift, for example, may require significantly less downtime than when multiple involved body procedures are performed together such as following a mommy makeover which involves combination of procedures that typically combines a tummy tuck with breast augmentations and lifts, as well as the increasingly popular procedure referred to as a Brazilian butt lift.

While recovering patients need to get sufficient rest, that does not mean they should be completely sedentary. As the NewBeauty article mentions, light exercise tends to benefit the healing process, so patients need to follow their doctor’s instructions regarding what kind of exercises they should do and how much.

Long-Term Outcomes

Above all, patients who want to be happy over the long term with their procedures should communicate any questions to their doctors, follow instructions, and maintain a positive and patient outlook on their results. At the same time, a good plastic surgeon should always provide a patient with a clear timetable so they know what to expect during their recovery process and such matters as how long it might be before the full outcomes of a procedure. It can take some patience to wait weeks or months before the intended results appear but the wait is nearly always worth it.