It may have taken a few minutes during your lunch hour, or a few hours under general anesthesia on a weekend, but whatever it was, the procedure is over. When patients return to their homes, normally with the assistance of a friend or family member, they normally do so with a set of instructions and guidelines from their doctors, to observe during the period of recovery. These are typically limited to immediate post-operative care, however, neglecting the fact that a cosmetic surgery is of a somewhat different character from a normal therapeutic treatment. Unlike a regular surgery, which is mainly concerned with restoring regular function to a body part or appendage, a cosmetic surgery aims to enhance one’s physical appearance, often dramatically, with all the issues of self-image and expectations of transformation that apply. It becomes very important for a cosmetic surgery patient post-operation to keep a level head about the results and act in a manner that will preserve the sometimes fragile structure of the treated area.

In the first instance, a patient must maintain realistic expectations about cosmetic surgery. Particularly in more invasive procedures, the body will have suffered a substantial amount of trauma from the incisions and adjustments, and a fair period of swelling, redness, bruising and bleeding is typical. Bluntly speaking, a patient will look worse the first few days after the surgery, and may even sink into depression if the anticipated results have not yet materialized. It must be emphasized that many surgeries will only produce visible improvement up to weeks or even months after the procedure has been performed. The body needs time to heal, but when it finally does and accommodates the radical changes that have been made to its underlying structure, it will gradually re-mold according to these changes, and the patient will then see what she was waiting for.

Many cosmetic surgeries are accompanied by the need to amend one’s lifestyle, to minimize the need for a repeat treatment, follow-up procedures, or a different method entirely to reverse any complications that may have arisen. One of the most important guidelines is to avoid exposure to direct sunlight, religiously applying sunscreen as necessary with an SPF rating of at least 45. Sun damage is largely responsible for skin aging effects, and skin in an area that has undergone treatment is especially susceptible to harsh heat, light and ultraviolet radiation. Another crucial lifestyle alteration is to adopt a healthy diet and exercise regimen, in the case of liposuction and other body sculpting procedures. Even if fat does not re-spawn in the treated areas, it will amass in other parts of the body, which may result in an uneven, if not deformed, appearance.

Periodical check-ups with the surgeon are also recommended, so the healing process may be monitored closely, and the surgeon can determine whether the surgery was as successful as hoped. It is during these sessions that the surgeon can evaluate when or if follow-up procedures are necessary, or if another technique altogether would have better served the objectives of the patient.

Lastly, once a patient has adapted to her new appearance, she should actively participate in social activities, be more open to networking and meeting new people, and perhaps pick up a new hobby or extracurricular activity. It is all too easy for a person to fall back into a regular routine, when one of the objectives of cosmetic surgery is to boost a person’s self-esteem and grant one the confidence to face the world on more positive terms. An uplifted attitude towards a new life after surgery should do wonders not only for the patient, but also for the people around her.