HOW SHOULD I PREPARE FOR MY FACELIFT?
Preparing for your facelift doesn’t just happen the day before your scheduled surgery. It should be done at least one month before your facelift procedure.
Dr. Beale will discuss with you several things you need to prepare for your big day, but it doesn’t hurt to make your own checklist so you can be on the right track to a successful cosmetic surgery.
One Month Before
You reap a lot of benefits and reduce any chances of complications or cancellations when you prepare at least 30 days before your scheduled procedure. Within this period, make sure that you:
- Preformed all required pre-surgery tests requested by your doctor. You’ll also need to discuss any medications, whether prescription, over-the-counter or herbal supplements, with him so he can advise you on whether to pause taking them or not.
- Start building your immune system to ensure a fast recovery. You can do this by starting a healthy diet and exercising regularly.
- If you’re in your child-bearing years, take preventive measures to avoid pregnancy because a having a surgery while pregnant could harm you and your baby’s health.
- Color your hair or get a haircut unless you’re willing to do this four to six weeks after your facelift.
Two Weeks Before
As your surgery date draws near, you should focus on staying healthy. Additionally, you should also consider the following:
- Stop taking your medications as advised by your doctor. You should stop taking ibuprofen, aspirin, vitamin E and other drugs to prevent bleeding.
- Stop smoking, chewing tobacco, or wearing nicotine patches to allow your body to heal properly.
- File a leave of absence from work a few days before and after your surgery. This will give your body enough time to rest and recuperate.
One Week and One Day Before
At this time, you should consider the following:
- Avoid drinking alcohol.
- Do your household chores, especially laundry and cleaning. Also, prepare frozen meals that are easy to chew so you can just pop them into the microwave oven.
- Prepare entertainment to last you until you’re ready to get back to work. It’s going to be boring so at least have books, movies or TV shows lined up to pass the time.
- Arrange for someone to help you during your recovery period. Being stress-free is crucial to your recovery.
There are also other things to prepare, depending on the kind of facelift procedure you’re going to get, so be sure to talk to Dr. Beale about additional things you need to do before your surgery.