5 tips for maintaining cosmetic surgery results
Cosmetic surgery, while complex, is a wonderful way to improve physical parts of your body that just can’t be enhanced otherwise. It is not as simple as just having the surgery and moving on with your life. It requires some changes to be made to ensure that the surgery has a long-lasting positive effect and fewer side-effects. Here are some tips on how you can achieve this.
1. Healthy diet and exercise
In body contouring surgery, like liposuction, the shape of the body is altered to the patients’ desired look. Due to fat cells being removed, weight gain in the operated area is basically impossible. This, however, doesn’t stop the weight from accumulating in any other area of the body. Many satisfied patients continue an unhealthy way of life after surgery and find themselves getting fatter again after some time has passed. The general shape that the surgery has created stays the same, but after weight-gain, the person is simply a larger version of that shape.
Counteract this by keeping your weight under control, drinking lots of water and avoiding certain foods. An exercise regime is highly recommended for keeping the results from the surgery, as well as for creating a nicely toned body.
2. Check for problems with implants
Implants are considered long-term solutions, but they aren’t permanent. Being part of the body means that they are subjected to trauma, immune system complications and failure of materials. They are expected to last ten to fifteen years due to complications such as implant hardening, change in appearance, or even rupture.
Consider semi-regular or regular screenings to check for these complications. It is recommended you do an MRI scan, or magnetic resonance imaging scan, 3 years after the original operation and repeat it every two years thereafter. The MRI can detect tiny changes in the tissue surrounding the implant, as well as the implant itself.
3. Schedule regular treatment sessions with your surgeon
When being injected with Botox, it is important that you continue treatment regularly. Botox, or botulinum toxin, is used to block nerve transmission to wrinkle-creating muscles, thus preventing them from wrinkling. This prevents that old and weathered look that wrinkles give your face. The effect of the toxin wears off after about four months, so re-applying it is absolutely necessary for maintaining the smooth look.
More Botox being injected per session leads to a longer-lasting effect as well. Four to six months is the recommended wait before injecting it again. With regular treatments, your muscles will eventually get used to the relaxation and you can possibly wait longer than the recommended amount of time for the next session. Consult your cosmetic surgeon on the proper timetable for Botox injection.
4. Proper skin care
Facelift surgeries are a great way to maintain a younger look, but they are more work than they seem at first glance. Just because the scars are healed doesn’t mean that you are free to do whatever you want with your skin- it needs to be taken care of. Maintaining your new youthful look will require some lifestyle adjustments.
The first step should be drinking plenty of water to keep your skin hydrated. Being well hydrated is good for every system in your body. Avoid spending too much time in the sun or tanning, as these can make your skin look wrinkly and withered. Weight gain and loss are known to affect skin tightness, so balance your diet around this. These are all steps you can take and which will help you avoid getting a revision facelift procedure. That saves not only your nerves but time and money as well.
5. Follow your surgeons’ advice
Your surgeon is the person most familiar with your history of health, and they can give invaluable advice regarding how to care for yourself after the procedure. The tips the surgeon gives you will probably be specific to your needs. He or she will know the probable side-effects and complication from the surgery, so ask them what to watch out for.
Your surgeon may tell you to avoid certain vices, like alcohol, tobacco, and drugs because these can affect both the surgery and post-surgical maintenance. Smoking is considered very harmful for your skin and body overall, so avoiding it is crucial for a youthful look. It is also expressly prohibited before the surgery for health reasons. Alcohol might be healthy in small amounts daily, but heavy drinking will affect your waistline and skin significantly.
Conclusion
Some of these changes don’t just affect your skin in a post-operative sense. They are often good for overall health and well-being, so following them will do you good no matter which cosmetic procedure you have chosen. But they also strongly affect how you’ll maintain the new look you’ve been given, so keep them in mind.
