Minimize Scars and Heal Skin Faster After Cosmetic Surgery
Cosmetic surgery can cause scars if you do not treat your body properly. By taking a few preventative measures you can reduce this risk. Just remember these principles for before and after your surgery and your cosmetic surgery results will be improved.
For your body to heal properly you need good blood circulation. Your skin needs oxygen to heal and your blood is what carries oxygen throughout the body. Smoking causes blood vessels to constrict and blood circulation is lowered. This increases your risk of scars during all cosmetic surgery procedures. Nicotine should also be avoided for the best results after surgery. So try to put away the cigarettes, patches, and gum and try to go cold turkey before and after your surgery.
Many professionals in cosmetics will tell you to quit smoking even before you get a surgical procedure. Smoking not only poor for your lungs it also causes skin cells to die or even necrosis which is cell death. Healthy oxygen plays one of the biggest roles in healing skin cells after surgery. It plays a large role in determining whether or not you will scar.
Don’t use any anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin around the time of surgery (2-3 week before and after) . Most of these drugs cause the blood to thin. This will increase the risk of post operative bleeding. Don’t take vitamin e as it is also a blood thinner. You must discuss with your surgeon any medications you are taking. They will also provide you with a list of OTC products that have to be avoided.
Drink more water. When you are properly hydrated toxins are flushed from the body. Your skin will receive more oxygen when you drink more water because your blood volumes will be higher. It is recommended that you should drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.
Dehydration is also caused from not drinking enough water. It causes dry skin, loose skin elasticity, and your skin to lose its fullness. Drink more water to keep your body hydrated. There have been studies that correlate caffeine with dehydration. There results are inconclusive but try to avoid caffeine. Many cosmetic professionals recommend just this to their patients.
The healing process after the surgery must be taken great care of. It is important to talk to your plastic surgeon about the proper ways to clean and change your bandages to avoid infections. Do not miss these appointments. You have to follow these instructions so that you don’t have any complications post-op.
Recovery time after the surgery is very important. Your doctor will instruct you to avoid strenuousness activities that can last anywhere from three days to three weeks. If you swell after the surgery make sure to apply ice but not directly. Use a towel to separate the area from the icepack. Also during this time you should avoid direct sunlight.