Whilst I can understand why people want to race out and show off their new features following cosmetic surgery, a big part of achieving the best result is giving your body the appropriate amount of time to heal properly writes Dr Warwick Nettle, Specialist Plastic Surgeon from Silkwood Medical and member of the Australasian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons.
Your downtime following cosmetic surgery is dependent on a number of factors including your general health before undergoing your procedure, including your smoking status, the type and number of procedures you are having done.
A lot of people underestimate the amount of bruising they will experience following cosmetic surgery. Whilst it’s true there has been a demedicalisation of the field, cosmetic surgery and undergoing anaesthetic is still major surgery and needs to be treated as seriously as any other type of surgery.
Face & Nose Surgery Recovery Times
Whilst being black and blue is not cause for major concern for your surgeon, it can be alarming to the patient and their nearest and dearest. Procedures such as a facelift can be quite horrific in the days immediately following but soon after the swelling and bruising subside people should start to see the results in action. In general, I find following surgery of the face and nose area the recovery time is as follows:
- Eyelid Surgery: 10 days – 2 weeks
- Facelift or Necklift: 2.5 – 3 weeks
- Facelift and Eyelid: 2.5 – 3 weeks
- Browlift: 10 days – 2 weeks
- Rhinoplasty: 10 days – 2 weeks
- Hairline Lowering: 10 days
- Lip Lift: 7 days
This downtime will require time off work and depending on your personal situation, it may require you enlisting the help of family and friends to help get you through. Especially if you have people dependent on you such as small children.
There’s no point, after all, arranging to have the time off work to recover but filling your days with household chores like cooking and cleaning. Especially in the first few days, when we really need you to rest. Having support from a family member or a friend is therefore extremely important, as well as preparing food and entertainment in advance. See your recovery as a chance to finally read that book you’ve always wanted to read or watch as much TV as you want without feeling guilty.
Another reason why I highly recommend taking off more time than you may think you will need is to avoid adding any undue stress to your recovery. If you’re constantly thinking about the fact you have to be back at work soon and how you can speed up your recovery, it’s quite likely you will trigger quite the opposite effect and chances are your body will take even longer to recover.
Post-Operation Diet Recommendations
When it comes to your post-op diet, I recommend my patients go on a three-day juice cleanse as it’s extremely common to get constipated after a general anaesthetic. The juice cleanse helps get your digestion going while also flushing out any toxins – plus, it’s super convenient when you aren’t feeling like preparing a full meal.
If you take it easy post-surgery and follow your Specialist Plastic Surgeon’s advice, your body will thank you for it and before you know it, you’ll be back at work making all your colleagues wonder which magical place you’ve visited to make you look so refreshed.
