Thanks to advances in cosmetic surgery, from breast augmentation to facelifts to tummy tucks, you have several ways to look good. However, the work of a qualified plastic surgeon such as Dr. Joel Aronowitz isn’t the only step in improving how you look and feel. It’s your responsibility to adjust your lifestyle appropriately before and after any cosmetic procedure for the best results. Otherwise, your cosmetic procedure may be a waste of money.
Food
A balanced diet is essential to ensure your body can function optimally. That’s why most doctors recommend a balanced diet of colorful fruits and vegetables for a range of nutrients like calcium, vitamin K, proteins, amino acids, etc. Eating appropriate food is even more essential to ensuring that the body can heal after invasive surgery such as a cosmetic procedure.
Focusing on nutrient-dense foods that provide antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, you’ll need to help advance tissue regeneration repair and reduce the likelihood of complications. Therefore, if your diet often includes a lot of greasy fast foods, sugar, and salt, you may want to phase that out of your diet before the procedure and after. Failure to do so may affect your ability to qualify for surgery, as excessive salt and cholesterol can raise your blood pressure — jeopardizing your ability to be put under anesthesia.
Water
The standard recommendation for water is to drink about 8- 8-ounce glasses daily. You may want to increase regular water consumption since additional hydration is essential for helping your skin maintain elasticity and flush out toxins. If the body is dehydrated, it can’t function optimally, increasing your risk of complications. To make it easier to drink more water, consider adding fruit, which can make the water even more refreshing with more nutrients.
Alcohol and Drugs
One are the worst things you can do when preparing for or recovering from surgery is to overindulge in alcohol or drugs. Excessive alcohol use can interfere with pain or anti-inflammatory medication that you may need to use for recovery. It can also increase your risk of swelling, high blood pressure, or excessive bleeding since it is the blood. Alcohol also dehydrates you, which can also slow healing. Recreational drugs can also interfere with pain-relieving prescription drugs or anesthesia required for the procedure.
Sleep
A good night’s sleep is essential for your mental and physical recovery. Therefore, when recovering from plastic surgery, sleep becomes even more imperative to your well-being. Adults should get 7 to 9 hours of restful sleep each night, according to the Sleep Foundation. Proper sleep goes hand-in-hand with the strong immunity you need to avoid post-surgery infection. Poor sleep has been linked to inflammation, weight gain, and cognitive impairment. If you can’t think straight during the day, it may be hard for you to be mindful of the daily activities you should practice for better recovery.
Activity Levels
One of the benefits of working out, whether it’s light activity like power walking or strength training in the gym, is you burn calories, strengthen your core, and improve circulation. Good circulation ensures that all your organs receive the blood and oxygen they need. It’s also vital to help avoid blood clots, which can form after surgery.
However, some surgery requires you to reduce your activity in the initial couple of weeks to avoid stitches or sutures from opening up or developing infections. Therefore, listen to your surgeon like Joel Aronowitz and others who advise patients to gradually work their way from bed rest to resuming normal activity after a procedure.