8 Things You Should Know Before Getting Plastic Surgery

Ever since I got my Liposuction done, I’ve been getting lots of questions about my surgery. Many of us are very nervous because we don’t know what to expect neither before, nor after the surgery, that is why I’ve prepared this article for all of you who are thinking about getting liposuction or abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), to prepare yourselves.

Before anything, the doctor you work with will ask what medications you’re taking and prescribe some lab tests to be able to assess your particular case. Before anything, the doctor you work with will ask what medications you’re taking and prescribe some lab tests to be able to assess your particular case. It is very important that you are completely honest with your surgeon about everything since it is for our own safety after all.

These are eight things everyone needs to know before going under the knife for cosmetic surgery:

1. Plan to take some time off. If you are traveling out of state or to a foreign country such as Colombia (widely regarded as the plastic surgery capital of the world) or any other country outside the U.S., you will need to stay there for at least a couple of weeks after your surgery before you can board a plane to fly back home.

2. Eat a healthy diet. It is important that you have given your body the best nutrition so it has the vitamins and minerals needed to thrive in surgery. Leading up to plastic surgery, your diet should consist of grains, legumes, fish or meat, and low-fat or almond milk. In particular, you will want to consume foods high in vitamins A, D, E, and K and folic acid. Some of the key minerals your body needs at this time are calcium, potassium, and phosphorous.

3. Take iron pills if needed. Beef, lamb, and dark leafy greens are all high in iron, but your hemoglobin count needs to be at least 12 for surgery to be performed. If you aren’t getting enough iron from food, you might need to take a supplement.

4. Quit smoking. Nicotine has a dangerous effect on blood flow, and your system needs to be free of nicotine for surgery to be safely performed. It also affects the way your body heals. Recommendations vary among different doctors, but most say you should be smoke-free for a month before going under anesthesia.

5. Clear your social calendar. You shouldn’t drink alcohol or caffeine a few days before surgery, so make sure you don’t have a girls’ night out or coffee date planned for the night before.

6. Make yourself a care package. If you are traveling to a high-end surgeon, he will make you as comfortable as possible in a luxurious setting. If not, you will need to shop ahead of time for things you might need after surgery, like throat lozenges or cough drops, chapstick, and pain relievers. While you’re in bed recovering, you’ll want warm socks and comfy clothes. If your doctor has prescribed a cream or painkiller, it will be easier to pick it up beforehand. Depending on what your hobbies are, whether it’s reading or social media, you will also want to have some things to keep you busy on the days you are recovering.

7. Leave your contact lenses and jewelry at home. If you regularly wear contacts, don’t forget to bring your glasses with you. And in many cases, patients cannot have metal on them, so you will want to keep your rings and other jewelry in a safe place and remove piercings until you leave the hospital.

8. Buy a couple of fajas. Wearing a faja, which is a type of postoperative compression garments or girdle, is absolutely crucial for successful results from surgery. By applying uniform pressure throughout your abdomen, the faja keeps the skin firm to the muscles, reducing swelling, improving blood circulation, and reducing fluid retention. The faja is also essential for protecting your surgical incisions and helping them remain clean, so you can avoid getting an infection or a rash. 

Make sure you DO NOT buy your post-surgical garment according to your actual size since you are going to be swollen after the surgery, buy one that is at least 2 sizes bigger and the other one can be of a smaller size of your choice. Don’t forget that you are going to have to wear these garments every day, the whole day, and you are going to be draining a lot of blood, so you may want to buy as many fajas as you can if you don’t want to be hand washing them everyday.

Ask your surgeon to recommend you which garment he/she would want you to wear after the surgery. The recommendations usually depend on what type of surgery you are getting. 

These are the garments that were recommended to me by surgeon Harold Villalobos, From Cali, Colombia. 

My post-surgical garment also helped me recover faster. The fabric contains vitamins and minerals such as Ginkgo Biloba, which regenerates collagen in the skin and is an anti-inflammatory;  and vitamin E, which helps the skin regenerate and faster healing, reducing scarring and inflammation.

In many cases you will need to wear the faja the whole day for several weeks, so make sure to buy at least two fajas, if not more. That way while you are washing your faja you will not be stuck without one. If you have a friend that is about to or thinking about getting plastic surgery, share this email with them, I'm sure they will be very grateful for it.

ALSO CHECK OUT OUR: Guide To Choosing The Right Shaper For Your Body Type

Good Luck ;)