When discussing a surgical procedure at Midwest Facial Plastic Surgery, one of our most asked questions is how to recover faster from facial plastic surgery. We understand that this is a big concern for our clients—no one looks forward to a long recovery. That’s why our team at Midwest Facial Plastic Surgery provides you with the information you need to have a smooth and speedy recovery.

 
Monitor Activity Levels + Prepare Your Home

Often the first thing people do after any surgical procedure is lie down. While most medical professionals will recommend this, it’s important to note that being too inactive can be just as harmful as being overactive during the healing process. Instead, it’s ideal to take short walks or complete small, non-strenuous stretches throughout the day…but remember to take it easy. Maintaining minimum activity, according to your surgeon’s directions, encourages healthy nutrients to move throughout your body, speeding up the healing process and helping you recover faster from facial plastic surgery. Doing so can also prevent blood clots from forming and help ease any stiffness or discomfort you may experience. If you want to make recovery easier on yourself, another tip is to arrange the layout of your home so that all essential items are easily accessible. Completing this step prior to your surgery will allow you to focus on recovery after you return home.

Listen to Your Facial Plastic Surgeon

To ensure that your post-op recovery goes as quickly as possible, be sure to review all post-op information and instructions and ask any questions you have before scheduling your procedure. This will ensure that you’re prepared for your recovery while also assuring you heal quickly and properly. Another important step in recovering from facial plastic surgery is making sure to attend all follow-up appointments scheduled by your physician. Your surgeon will assess your healing process and make changes depending on your specific needs and current progress. When we hold follow-up appointments at Midwest Facial Plastic Surgery, our patients have a chance to address any questions or concerns they may have with our double board-certified facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Paik.

Avoid the Sun

A third, essential recovery tip we recommend to our patients who are curious how to recover faster from facial plastic surgery is to keep your skin out of the sun as much as possible. Exposure to the sun can cause skin damage to the incision site, resulting in scarring and delayed healing. Try to avoid outdoor activities that lead to sun exposure, such as swimming, jogging, biking, etc. If you do expose your skin to the sun later in your recovery, make sure to use a SPF 50 or higher sunscreen. Always remember—sun can equal scarring if your skin is exposed soon after surgery.

Stay Hydrated

Finally, drink plenty of water. Water is used by our bodies to flush out toxins, which helps expedite through the natural healing process. When we don’t consume enough water, our bodies begin to build up toxins that are harmful to our skin, lengthening the recovery process and possibly resulting in sickness. Water delivers many wonderful benefits to our body and skin, including maintaining moisture, replenishing skin cells, flushing out waste, keeping us from becoming dehydrated.

There are multiple ways to recover faster from facial plastic surgery, but the most important is to refer back to your surgeon’s post-op instructions. For any questions regarding post-op care, please contact our office at (812) 469-3434.