Plastic Surgery Tips
Prepping the Skin for Plastic Surgery
Most surgeons will agree that healthy skin makes a better canvas for their ?artistry?. So it makes sense to look after your skin especially in the weeks leading up to facial cosmetic surgery.
However, certain products may contain ingredients that hinder rather than help the skin.
Here are some tips on prepping the skin prior to surgery, gleaned from the experts in the field ? the surgeons themselves.
1. Tell your surgeon what products you have been using. Certain additives such as Retinol-A can cause skin to be more reactive to laser treatment, for example.
2. Quit smoking ? here?s a great incentive to those of you who?ve been meaning to give up smoking for a long time. Smoking causes vascular constriction which means the blood flow to the skin is restricted, slowing down healing considerably. Even if you can?t quit for good, two weeks smoke-free either side of surgery is a good idea.
3. Treat severe acne medically if possible before going under the knife. The bacteria associated with acne may increase the risk of infection at the site of surgery.
4. Be sun-smart ? keep out of strong sun and wear a total sunblock in the pre-surgery weeks. The skin cells can get so busy fighting off sun-radiation that they can?t get to the healing process from the operation. Intensive moisturizers for skin that is often tanned is also advisable.
5. Exfoliation can make for better results as the dead cells will be sloughed off preparing a smooth surface for certain procedures such as chemical peels.
6. Avoid the following medications and supplements before surgery, as they may increase the risk of excessive bleeding: Aspirin, vitamin E, ginkgo biloba.
7. The following natural ingredients can assist the healing process: B vitamins, plant derived calcium, ginger, vitamin K, burdock root. These may improve the skin?s defense while reducing skin stress.
8. Avoid strict weight-loss regimes and follow a healthy balanced diet to ensure that your body has no vitamin deficiency before surgery. Drink plenty of water and eat fresh fruit and vegetables regularly.
9. Alternative therapies such as manual lymphatic drainage before and after surgery can reduce fluid retention, thereby decreasing swelling and enhancing the healing process.
While there is no hard evidence that any of these tips will lead to optimum results, anecdotal evidence suggests that many patients feel they are contributing to their health and well-being, while certain surgeons recommend them strongly.
Nicole writes for a leading http://www.plastic-surgery.co.za/procedures/index.html plastic surgery website. To read her latest articles on
