Restoration, reconstruction, or alteration of the human body are the main goals of the surgical profession known as plastic surgery. The two main divisions are cosmetic surgery and reconstructive surgery. A person may decide to undergo a surgical procedure or other invasive medical procedure known as cosmetic surgery in order to change their physical appearance for aesthetic rather than medicinal purposes. Contrarily, craniofacial surgery, hand surgery, microsurgery, and burn therapy are all included in reconstructive surgery. It is mostly focused on altering and reconstructing a particular body part that has previously been changed by prior surgery.
- Reconstructive surgery is used to repair defects on the face or body. These include physical birth defects such as cleft lips and palates and ear deformities, traumatic injuries such as dog bites or burns, and the aftermath of disease treatments such as rebuilding a woman's breast after breast cancer surgery.
- Cosmetic surgery alters a part of the body that the patient is unsatisfied with. Common cosmetic procedures include augmentation mammoplasty or reduction mammoplasty, rhinoplasty, and liposuction. Some cosmetic procedures aren't even surgical in the traditional sense which don't include cutting and stitching. For example, the use of special lasers to remove unwanted hair and sanding skin to improve severe scarring.
Plastic surgery is a one-way ticket; when you've had it done, it's quite difficult to get your natural features back. The hardest part of making the decision to get plastic surgery is the "fear of the unknown." The list of information that every patient undergoing facial plastic surgery should be aware of is provided below..
PLASTIC SURGERY DO’S
- Be reasonable in your expectations. Even though you could wish you had Angelina Jolie's lips or Kim Kardashian's nose, it is absurd to expect to look exactly like your favorite celebrity. There is a science to beauty, and given your unique facial structure, Angelina Jolie's lips probably wouldn't look well on you. Although a good plastic surgeon can give you the broad characteristics of the celebrity feature you desire, no two faces are exactly same, so have realistic expectations for the procedure's results. The aim of a good cosmetic surgery is to produce outcomes that look real and enhance your appearance as a whole without looking artificial or out of proportion with the rest of your face.
- Before surgery, keep a healthy weight. Make sure any desired weight loss occurs before surgery if plastic surgery is a part of a bigger plan to transform into a healthier, thinner new you. Weight changes after surgery may cause unexpected volume changes, which could harm the success rates. For the same reasons, keeping a healthy weight following surgery will enhance results.
- Think of a caregiver or caretaker. When arranging surgery dates, keep in mind that you will need a person to drive you home and take care of you right after the procedure. Make plans for this individual to take care of you, at the very least, till the morning after your surgery. Your tolerance for pain will decide how long you need to take painkillers. While some patients can stop taking their painkillers in a day or two, others would rather take them for an additional week. It's important to keep in mind that certain plastic surgery clinics work with a caregiver service, where a nurse drives you home after surgery and spends the night with you.
- Plan to take appropriate time off. While returning to work after a long weekend of recovery is certainly possible, the vast majority of facial plastic surgery patients prefer to take one to two weeks off. Any stitches and bandages will be removed after the first week, but it may take up to two weeks before you are "restaurant ready," which means that if you go to a restaurant, the person at the table next to you won't be able to tell you had anything done.
- Wait at least six months before judging your results. We all want instant gratification, but plastic surgery recovery is a journey, not a race. Sure, you'll look "restaurant ready" in two weeks, but the final results could take up to a year. For example, residual swelling may take months to resolve. Friends won't notice the swelling or minor flaws, but you will! The healing process of the body is not only complex and involved, but it is also unique to each individual. Believe in yourself and your plastic surgeon, whom you carefully selected.
PLASTIC SURGERY DON’TS
- Don’t make cost your primary decision factor. Sure, most plastic surgery should fall within a general ballpark, but price should not be your primary consideration when deciding who to go with.
- Don’t let your friends and family do “arm-chair” doctoring. Everyone has an opinion, and whether you want to hear it or not, your close friends and family will share theirs with you during the recovery process! Swelling, asymmetry, tightness, and numbness are all normal symptoms of recovery. Don't let your friends' comments fester in the absence of professional advice.
- Don’t get too conscious of your new appearance. The recovery process is understandably the most important focus of your daily life following surgery. Every day, you'll get out of bed and look in the mirror. Avoid the urge to pull out the 10X magnifying mirror and start nitpicking. If you want a more objective view of your progress, take a photo once a month and try to be gentle with yourself in between. The healing process is a journey, not a race, and it is unique to each individual. The final results will not appear overnight, and you may appear worse before you appear better. That is simply how the body heals.
- Don’t attribute old flaws to your recent surgery. It takes time to heal from surgery and see how much you have changed from your previous features to your new altered ones. You must learn that it is critical in any plastic surgery procedure to never compare your current appearance from your recent surgery to the flaws you thought you had previously. You will notice how much of a difference you have made over time.
- Don't drink alcohol, smoke or take blood thinners in the 2-3 weeks before and after surgery. It may seem like a good idea to relax with a nice glass of wine once the bandages are removed after your surgery, but it's best to avoid alcohol for two weeks before and after plastic surgery. Alcohol, as you may know, dehydrates the body, which can cause additional swelling, and it also acts as a blood thinner, increasing the risk of bleeding.
