Cosmetic surgery is a lifetime investment, and it helps to increase confidence and improve physical appearance. Cosmetic surgery is not only done for a look; sometimes, it is done to help a patient correct an imperfection. For example, rhinoplasty because of a previously broken nose or skin graft to treat burnt patients. There are also those that are done to physically enhance parts of the body. Taking care of your investment and ensuring that you’re achieving successful cosmetic surgery results requires a few additional steps, which may differ for each treatment.
1. Dental Enhancements
Not all dental care is cosmetic dentistry, but those that include permanent changes like dental implants and braces could be considered more of a cosmetic process. Why braces are mentioned is because it alters the jaw, aligning it so that the teeth can shift on the gum and become straight. Braces have fixed overbites, underbites, spaces on the gums, and lots more. After the braces, the next phase would be retainers like Invisalign.
Other cosmetic dentistry procedures include but are not limited to teeth whitening (teeth bleaching), veneers to restore the look of chipped teeth, gaps, and crowding. Porcelain veneers are more permanent than composite veneers, with an average timeframe of up to 13 years. Composite veneers only last about four to maybe eight years if it is properly taken care of.
Seeing an implant dentist will help you restore your smile even if you have teeth missing. For instance, missing teeth anywhere in the mouth can be restored using prosthetic teeth. The implant is fitted into the gum, which looks like a screw-like object. After that, it is left in the mouth to see how well the body accepts it; if it goes well, a dental crown is then placed over the implant.
2. Cosmetic Rehab, AKA The Smile Makeover
Besides the above dental work, there are also smile makeovers or cosmetic rehab. Outpatient rehab services are available in most hospitals, providing dental work. Cosmetic rehabilitation is often characterized by dental restoration. Unlike “full mouth restoration,” which focuses on cosmetic surgery to restore the function of the teeth and mouth, cosmetic rehab restores the physical appearance of teeth. Restoration may include repair to an over or underbite.
Taking care of your teeth after dental cosmetic surgery
- Practice proper oral care.
- Maintain oral hygiene.
- Use a new toothbrush every three months.
- Visit your dentist twice a year.
- Floss your teeth.
- Use a sleep guard (bite plate) to protect your teeth at night if you have bruxism.
3. Renewal of Your Skin
Skin cosmetics include beauty treatments and going under the knife. A chemical peel is a skin cosmetic beauty treatment where a special laser is used in the process. It is designed to take a top layer of dead skin, and by removing this, the skin underneath will become vibrant, fresh, and have a natural glow. Chemical peels are good for acne and help reduce scarring. Dermaplaning is another non-invasive skin procedure to reduce scars, acne, and wrinkles to some extent. Botox and fat injectables can help improve the look of skin, reducing lines and giving the face a more youthful look.
Other cosmetic skin procedures, including vein removal, scar repair, laser tattoo removal, and glycol peels, are all part of the beauty and cosmetic enhancements, with most of these skin procedures being non to minimally invasive.
Taking care of skin cosmetics
Depending on what the cosmetic procedure was, always take care of the skin according to the doctor’s instructions.
- Avoid makeup or other topical applications.
- Keep out of direct sunlight.
- Opt to use a mild cleanser that won’t cause irritation.
- In the same way, use a gentle moisturizer.
- Allow the skin to heal naturally.
4. Laser Treatment and Vision Improvements
Your eyes, with time, can lose their ability to see properly, and you may notice that you’re becoming nearsighted or far-sighted for some. You don’t have to be of a certain age to start wearing reading glasses, and oftentimes, the sooner you get prescription glasses, the sooner you can enjoy better vision.
A vision therapist can assist with eye therapy and aims to improve and strengthen the patient’s ability to see. It treats eye conditions like eye fatigue, double vision, depth perception, crossed eyes (Strabismus), and lazy eye (Amblyopia). According to Boston’s Children’s Hospital, around two to three children out of 100 are affected with lazy eye conditions. If these eye concerns are treated early enough, they can be restored.
Cosmetic surgery of the eyes can include laser therapy to restore the vision of a patient with astigmatism, farsightedness (Hyperopia), and nearsightedness (Myopia). Patients with laser eye surgery may notice positive results almost immediately.
Taking care of your eyes after laser therapy
- Avoid rubbing your eyes.
- Attend your follow-up visits to check your eyes.
- Avoid swimming with your eyes open in the water for the first week after surgery.
- Don’t drive for the first few weeks.
- Avoid bright light for the first few weeks after surgery.
4. Enhanced Body
Body contouring is one of the latest editions in beauty treatments as it helps create a perfectly shaped body even in the harder-to-tone fat areas. The procedure uses fat-freezing technology to freeze the fat under the skin in place of which the body will gradually and naturally work away and dispose of. This procedure is wonderful for the thighs, buttocks, and stomach area.
Taking care of your newly contoured body
- Do gentle massage to relax the area.
- Keep track of visceral fat.
- Stick to your treatment and recovery plan.
- Stay hydrated every day.
5. Face Lift
If you’re getting a facelift, consult the top plastic surgeons, as these are often intricate surgical procedures, and when done incorrectly, they can turn out badly botched. Achieving successful cosmetic surgery results can only occur when the surgery is done correctly, and the healing and recovery steps are followed. Facelifts enhance a youthful look and reduce lines. It is thus the more invasive cosmetic procedure to reduce signs of age compared to injectables.
Care after a facelift
- Avoid any heavy lifting and over-exertion.
- Get rest. Take a few days off from work to rest and recover.
- Avoid direct sun exposure.
6. Breast Augmentation
Breast augmentation or augmentation mammoplasty has helped many patients be able to lead normal lives and gain confidence. For instance, double mastectomy patients have a reconstructed breast or a prosthetic breast constructed in its place. Sometimes abnormalities with the nipple may also require surgery. Breast augmentation may require a breast reduction doctor, and if you’re going up in size, it also requires augmentation to change the current breast size.
Men with gynecomastia may also require breast augmentation to reduce the size and make their chest look normal. Gynecomastia occurs when there is a hormonal imbalance during puberty. In boys, there is more estrogen, while the testosterone is lower. They can grow out of this condition, and those who don’t can opt for surgery
Taking care of breast augmentation
- Get plenty of rest so your body can recover.
- Get assistance from someone, and try not to overexert yourself.
- Take the medication prescribed for that time, including anti-nausea meds, pain medication, and others.
- Sleep on your back for the first few weeks, and avoid sleeping on your sides or stomach.
- Wear the prescribed breast augmentation bra, as this will aid recovery post-surgery.
7. Hair Replacement Surgery
Hair replacement or hair transplant surgery has changed many lives and is suitable for men and women; patients suffering from hair loss, alopecia, and other hair loss conditions are suitable candidates. After transplanting the hair, it will continue to develop and grow and later become a full head of hair. Once the implants have fully grown in and the transplant is successfully done, the hair will look normal with no traces of implants.
Non-surgical options for hair loss include but are not limited to mesotherapy, low-level light therapy, PRP therapy (platelet-rich plasma), scalp micro pigmentation, and Reginera Activa, which is similar to PRP regenerate actively uses your stem cells to help promote hair growth. Achieving successful cosmetic surgery results is possible.
Care after hair replacement cosmetic surgery
- Special cream is used on the head to help soften the hair and the scabby areas at the implant sites.
- Medical soap is used to wash the hair and prevent infection. Medical soap is used on the implanted hair areas.
- Within an estimated 14 days, most patients with hair transplants can wash their hair with regular soap. The head won’t be scabbing anymore.
- Follow your doctor’s instructions so that you have an effortless healing process.
- There will be mild swelling and pain, which is normal for the procedures.
8. Abdomen Cosmetic Procedures
Achieving successful cosmetic surgery results takes care and rest. Unlike fat freezing also done in a body contouring procedure, cosmetic abdomen surgery is more invasive and aims to sculpt and tone the body. Liposuction sucks out the fat deposits reducing things like cellulite and excess fat. Liposuction is an easy and quick way to get rid of fat without having to work out.
There are also body contouring invasive procedures that require going under the knife, such as a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty. Tummy tucks are often opted for by women who have had children and want to banish stubborn excess fat and skin.
Care after a tummy tuck
- Get plenty of rest so your body can heal.
- Avoid overexertion.
- Attend your follow-up visits
- Take medication as prescribed.
Care after liposuction
- Try walking every day, a little bit at a time.
- Get plenty of rest, especially after the surgery.
- Avoid straining and overexerting.
- Take the medication prescribed by your surgeon.
- Eat a balanced diet, but if your stomach is sensitive, eat bland foods, as seen in the BRAT diet.
9. Cosmetic Surgery: Head, Eyes, Brows
Cosmetic surgery covers many areas of the head, face, eyes, and eyebrows. Achieving successful cosmetic surgery results requires a skillful and experienced surgeon. Eyelid lifts can reduce a droopy eye look and open the eyes for a more youthful appearance. Brow lifts are excellent procedures to reduce frown lines and forehead lines. Cleft lip surgery is often done on children, but adults can also receive surgery to correct the lip and mouth. Facial implants help enhance facial features and can contour the face.
Care after cosmetic surgery on the face
- Rest is required to heal.
- Use cool pads to reduce swelling.
- Only remove the bandages and dressing when the doctor says it is ready.
- Go for follow-ups.
- Don’t use any harsh chemicals on your face. Only mild moisturizers and cleansers when the face is mostly healed.
- Stay out of direct sunlight for a few weeks as instructed.
- Take any medication as prescribed.
10. Further, Maintain Your Cosmetic Surgery Process
Eat a balanced diet:
Balancing your meals to contain each food group is important, and it helps your body to get the nutrition, vitamins, and minerals it needs to function.
You must find a routine to incorporate into your exercise regimen. If you have physical procedures done, then first wait to recover before tackling intense exercises. Working with a physical trainer may benefit you even more as the routine will be suited to your conditions, weight goals, age, and gender.
Hydration is vital:
Because our bodies consist of about 60% water, water is crucial to function. Water helps with lubrication, it regulates body temperature, produces sweat, and detoxes the body. It also assists with tissue and cell repair, to name a few.
Before getting any form of cosmetic surgery, ensure that you have thoroughly done your homework before the procedure. Achieving successful cosmetic surgery results requires outstanding skills and expertise. Check if the hospital and the doctor are board certified and licensed. Ask your surgeon about their experience, risks, implications, and recovery times. The doctor should also use a certified anesthetist to administer anesthesia. Whatever your reason for cosmetic surgery, ensure that you follow the doctor’s instructions and take time off to fully recover.
