What Should I Expect After Plastic Surgery?

The best way to prepare for the time after your surgery is to do your homework well ahead of time. If you do not know all of the possible outcomes and how to handle them, you may experience significant problems in terms of your health, schedule, or even personal life. For example, if you are going to undergo a rhinoplasty that has a slight risk of requiring follow-up surgery, it is important to plan as if the second surgery was a sure thing. If the follow-up surgery would happen six months after the initial rhinoplasty, you would want to be sure not to schedule a business trip or vacation during that time period.

Depending on your type of plastic surgery, recovery time can vary widely. Some surgeries take only a few days of recovery time. An eyelid lift, for example, is very noninvasive and most patients can be back to their normal lives and work schedules within just a few days. Invasive surgeries, however, can take months of recovery time. Make sure that you build recuperation time into your schedule. Also, make sure that you have friends or family member who can help you in the time period directly following your surgery.

It is important to note that undergoing plastic surgery can be very emotional. Minor changes like eyelid lifts generally do not require much emotional adjustment. Rather, patients are simply pleased to see a fresher, younger-looking face in the mirror. A very dramatic plastic surgery, however, can take quite a while to get used to. Some people actually experience a period of post-operative depression. Be sure to talk to your doctor about this aspect of plastic surgery before going through with your procedure. Furthermore, know that many people engage in emotional counseling after plastic surgery. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it.

One of the main problems that patients experience after undergoing plastic surgery is criticism from others. If there is anyone in your life who is particularly against your decision to undergo plastic surgery, you may want to avoid contact with them for a few weeks after your surgery. If you have undergone plastic surgery, then there was probably something that you felt very strongly about changing or fixing. Furthermore, your doctors would not have cleared you for the procedure if the surgery posed a health risk. Reminding critics that your surgery was a very personal choice that posed no threat to your health can often help to diffuse their attacks on your plastic surgery.