Aftercare and recovery can be a daunting thought but it doesn’t have to be difficult as long as you plan ahead. Ensuring that you have appropriate plans in place before you go in for any cosmetic procedure is vital.
Proper aftercare delivers the best results, prevents complications and should be taken seriously.
Types of procedures
The recovery time and length of aftercare will vary for all procedures. Factors including which part of the body has been treated, personal resilience and quality of aftercare all make a difference to the length of recovery. Cosmetic procedures we offer can be broken into two kinds. Those that leave skin intact and those that result in broken skin.
Intact skin
- Mild chemical peel
- Microdermabrasion
- Dermal fillers
- Wrinkle relaxers
- Factora facial rejuvenation
- Platelet RICH plasma
Broken skin
- Intense chemical peel
- Breast augmentation
- Breast lift
- Breast reduction
- Arm lift
- Liposuction
- Abdominoplasty
- Bodytite
Those procedures involving intact skin will have little to no recovery time. Most signs of these will be visible rather than physically inhibiting to you. Some procedures may demand minimal aftercare like chemical peels requiring the patient to avoid sunlight for several hours, but overall recovery is a breeze for these types of cosmetic improvements.
Surgical procedures or those resulting in broken skin can take 1-2 weeks recovery time, during which aftercare should be your focus. It is important to note, however, that for a full recovery with any major surgery the healing time can be months. During this time it is important to minimise the physical strain you place your body under.
Going into a procedure it is important to know what to expect in your recovery. Many of our patients are surprised by initial swelling, bruising, tenderness and numbness. By becoming educated on what is normal and what should raise concerns you can reduce the stress involved with your aftercare and seek help before issues become serious.
It is important to adhere to downtime and aftercare directives. Some of the most important of these include:
Don’t become active before your body is ready. This can damage the healing process and reduce final quality.
Taking medication as directed is vital. We cannot stress enough how important this element of aftercare is. Prescribed medication prevents infection and serious illnesses that can be prevented as your body heals itself.
Attend follow up appointments. If something needs attending to, your surgeon can stop them becoming too serious.
Mistakes in aftercare extend downtime and create further inconvenience. Don’t add unnecessary risk or worry to your recovery period by following outlined aftercare procedures and contacting a doctor if you are unsure of what is ‘normal’. Smooth recoveries are entirely attainable only if you put in the work required for surgical aftercare.
If you unsure of any of your aftercare procedures, don’t hesitate to contact our helpful team for advice.
