The Day After Cosmetic Surgery
By Shannon Davis, Thu Dec 8th

The extent of recovery required after dependson many factors--most importantly the type of surgery. In thisarticle we'll focus on what to expect after facial procedures.

Facial surgeries tend to cause a lot of swelling, and it iscrucial that you keep ice packs on the surgical sites asinstructed by your plastic surgeon (probably for the first 24hours). Patients who don't use ice packs as instructed oftencome into the office the next day with their heads resembling abasketball. The difference in swelling with or without ice packsis extreme.

The doctor will remove the bandages and maybe some packing toexamine the surgical sites. He or she will clean the wounds,check for any usual bleeding, redness, swelling, or otherconcerns. You will be given instructions on how to care for thewounds at home. If you have sutures that will need to beremoved, you'll be given an appointment for 3-7 days post op.Keeping facial sutures in longer can increase the visibility ofscars, so they will be removed very soon and the wound openingswill be held shut with a special reinforced tape (calledsteri-strips) until complete healing occurs.

Depending on the surgery, you may not be allowed to wash yourhair for a few days, so be prepared to feel grungy and try notto let it get to you. You can help keep your hair clean byapplying powder to the roots away from surgical sites andbrushing it through your hair. You will probably be instructedto forgo cosmetics for several days as well. Cosmetics are anexcellent breeding ground

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for bacteria, so take theseinstructions seriously.

If you are undergoing nasal surgery, be mentally prepared to bemiserable for a few days. Your nose will be tightly packed withgauze and surgical dressing, which can be pretty uncomfortable.It's difficult to breathe, and your throat may be uncomfortablefrom drainage. Just remember that it is only for a shorttime...and keep focused on the results that are making theprocess worthwhile.

The most important variable to recovery that you can control isattitude. For example, one week I saw two ladies who hadundergone identical breast surgeries. One came into the officethe next day dressed nicely with makeup on and a smile on herface. She was very sore and uncomfortable, but chose to enjoythe day anyway. The next day the other lady came in literallypushed in a wheelchair by her husband. She was wearing a robeand slippers, and she moaned and groaned like she was dying.

Both patients ended up with excellent results, but it's obviousthat one had a pleasant recovery and one did not. We choose ourattitudes every day, sometimes in spite of what is happening toand around us. Your frame of mind and perspective can actuallyaffect the level of pain you experience. We can make ourselvessick, and we can make ourselves hurt, just by using our brainsand minds destructively. This is a good lesson to learn forevery day life--not just for the day after cosmetic surgery.

About the author:Helping my visitors find Cosmetic Dentistry, Nursing Homes andcosmetic surgerytips.