As we age, our faces wrinkle and sag. Fortunately, you can enhance your beauty through facelift surgery which involves the surgical altering of soft tissue on your face to give it a natural contour. The procedure removes and reshapes excess fats around your ears and neck to give you a youthful look. For the success of these procedures, there are numerous things you need to do in preparation and after the facelift surgery. Similarly, you must avoid several things regarding drinking, eating, hygiene, and medications.

Here are the dos and don’ts of facelift surgery:

Dos

Eat a Balanced diet

To hasten your healing process, you need to eat a balanced diet. Eat plenty of vegetables, fresh fruits, whole-grain foods, and lean proteins. You can eat soft foods like yogurt, scrambled eggs, and mashed potatoes since they are easy to chew. In most cases, patients’ appetite goes down after the surgery, and they may experience constipation. To avoid that, eat fiber-rich foods, and take a lot of water to be hydrated.

Plan Ahead

Purchase items you may need for the few days after the surgery. You can buy soft foods rich in protein and low in sodium. Buy extra pillows to use during the recovery period to help you elevate your bed and keep you more comfortable. Also, remember to fill all your prescriptions to have them readily available once you get home.

Consider Having a Caretaker

It will help if you have a caretaker once you undergo surgery. The caretaker will help do house chores and other things you may need to do. So, when discussing the surgery date with your doctor, have someone in mind to help you during the recovery period.

Don’t Miss Follow-up Appointments

It is vital to attend your appointments. Your doctor will closely monitor how your wounds heal and remove any drains or sutures during these appointments. Your doctor will also answer any questions or concerns regarding your surgery and advise you when it’s safe to go back to work or your everyday routine.

Plan for Time Off

Your body takes time to heal. So, it’s recommendable to have enough sleep to fasten the process. Ask for at least one to two weeks off work to allow your wounds to heal. Again, your bandages will be off by then. Maintain a sleeping schedule because sometimes patients complain of sleepless nights.

Have Patience

Most people may want instant gratification, but that cannot happen in plastic surgery. Facelift surgery is a journey, and after two weeks, you may start seeing the results, but it can even take a year or more for the final results.

Don’ts

Don’t Apply Makeup or Do Exercise

Avoid strenuous physical activities unless advised by your doctor. In most cases, some patients think they have fully recovered after four to six weeks, and they embark on their daily activities. Consequently, a facelift operation needs time to heal, and so, if you engage in these activities, you may cause discomfort, swelling, or dislodge stitches. Again, applying makeup to your skin may irritate your skin. Therefore, it would be best if you altogether avoid them.

Don’t Consume Alcohol or Smoke

For quick recovery, you need to quit smoking and alcohol intake. Smoking hampers blood flow to your skin, slowing the healing process. On the flip side, alcohol also prolongs the healing process because it restricts blood clotting leading to bleeding.

Avoid Sleeping Flat on Your Back or Side

Sleeping flat on your back can initiate swelling and irritate your skin. Dr. Jacono, one of the best surgeons in New York City, advises patients to prop themselves up on pillows or sleep on recliners to enhance their comfort. The use of wedge pillows will help patients recovering from surgery since they are popular and well-designed. So, if you are looking for an experienced facelift surgeon in New York, contact Dr. Jacono for professional and risk-free procedures.

Avoid too Much Salt

Limit your salt intake for the success of facelift surgery. If you take too much salt, water retention in your body will be high, encouraging swelling after the surgery. Therefore, low salt consumption will help control swelling on the surgical site.

Avoid Direct Sunlight Exposure

Your skin will be susceptible for a few weeks after the surgery. So, whenever you go outdoors, ensure you protect your skin from direct sun exposure by wearing a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen.

Conclusion

There are specific things you should expect after facelift procedures. Swelling, bruising, numbness, and mild or moderate pain are some of the effects of facelift procedures. However, following the above recommendations will help reduce the pain and shorten your recovery time. Speak to your surgeon about any fears, worries, and discomfort for guidance and clarifications.