Practical Advice Before Cosmetic Surgery

Most of what determines whether a patient is satisfied with an operation is settled before the operation happens. This is the part of the process that is within your control.

Choosing the surgeon

Select a board-certified plastic surgeon who performs the specific procedure you are considering regularly, rather than one who performs a wide range occasionally. Check credentials against the certifying body’s own register, not against the surgeon’s website.

Book consultations with more than one. Look at photographs of their own patients with anatomy comparable to yours. Pay attention to how they communicate: whether they answer the question you asked, whether they tell you anything you did not want to hear, and whether you would be comfortable telling them you were worried about something at two in the morning.

Expectations

An operation changes a feature. It does not change your life, and a surgeon who implies otherwise is selling rather than advising.

Be specific at consultation about what you want changed, and expect a specific answer about what your anatomy and the technique allow. The constraints are real: skin quality, underlying structure, the amount of tissue available to work with.

Preparing

Pre-operative instructions are tailored to the procedure and to you. Follow them exactly — dietary restrictions, hydration, skincare, medication adjustments and activity limits all exist for reasons specific to the surgery you are having.

If any instruction is unclear, ask before the day rather than guessing.

Smoking, alcohol and medication

Smoking constricts the blood vessels that supply the operative site. Reduced circulation means less oxygen reaching healing tissue, which delays healing, raises the infection risk and, in the worst case, causes tissue death. It is the single most damaging thing a patient can do to a surgical result.

Alcohol thins the blood and increases bleeding risk.

Tell your surgeon about every medication and supplement you take, including over-the-counter ones. Blood thinners — including aspirin and several common supplements — are stopped or adjusted before surgery on medical advice, never on your own initiative.

Recovery

Allow enough time off work and normal activity. How long depends on the procedure, and the figure you are given at consultation is the one to plan around.

Rest is not optional. Avoid strenuous activity, heavy lifting and vigorous exercise for the period specified.

Expect temporary discomfort, swelling, bruising and scarring. Take prescribed analgesia as directed, use cold compresses where advised, and follow any scar management protocol — topical ointments, silicone sheeting or massage — as instructed. Report severe or prolonged pain rather than waiting for the next appointment.

Lifestyle during healing

Healing is a metabolic process. It needs adequate protein, a diet containing fruit, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats, and enough water. Gentle movement promotes circulation once you are cleared for it.

Protect the operative site from the sun. UV exposure during healing causes pigmentation change and worsens scarring. Sunscreen, covering clothing and shade — and in a Mediterranean summer, all three.

Non-surgical alternatives

Worth raising if you are undecided. Dermal fillers restore volume and soften contours; botulinum toxin relaxes the muscles that produce dynamic lines; laser treatments address pigmentation, acne scarring and uneven texture. All involve minimal downtime and none of them does what surgery does — which is the point worth clarifying at consultation.

Communication

Stay in contact through the whole process, from consultation to final follow-up. If something is worrying you during recovery, the surgeon who operated on you is the person to ask.

The decision

It should be yours. Not a partner’s, not a response to a photograph, and not a reaction to pressure from anyone. A surgeon who senses otherwise should raise it with you, and a good one will.