Congratulations! You’ve finally committed yourself to that plastic surgery procedure that you’ve been dreaming of getting for so long. Dr. Pin understands that this is a huge step and that you can’t wait to show off the final results to your friends and family. Of course, with a commitment of this magnitude, he also realizes that you have invested a great deal of time, money, and emotion into getting the best possible outcome to get the results you have wanted for a very long time. In fact, one of the most common questions that he gets from patients is how can they help ensure that they will get the results they want from their plastic surgery procedure.

One of the main ways in which you can help ensure you get the best possible results from your surgery is to give your body the time it needs to fully heal, even though doing so can be frustrating. A big part of this healing involves not pushing yourself too hard by trying to do certain activities before your body is actually ready to do so. Below, Dr. Pin offers some suggestions of activities you may want to hold back on at certain points while you are healing so that you can get the best results from your plastic surgery.

Exercise

Dr. Pin will want you to move around at least a little bit on the first day following your surgery. This keeps your circulation moving, in order to prevent blood and fluids from pooling in your feet and ankles, which may cause bruising and swelling. However, this does not mean that you are set to run a 5K by the end of your first week after surgery. For the first two weeks after surgery, you need to keep to mild exercise such as slow walking or gentle stretching. At the third week, you can switch to low-impact aerobic exercise, such as a stationary bike. By the fourth week after your surgery, you can start to get back to your normal exercise routine, but gradually ease into it.

Sun Exposure

When you were younger, you may have spent hours outside in the summer sun working on your tan. Of course, now we know that the sun’s rays can actually cause premature aging and certain types of skin cancer. In addition, sun exposure following certain plastic surgery procedures, particularly any facial procedures, can be a problem. For the first three weeks after your surgery, your skin is very sensitive to any sun exposure. In fact, you could end up with the area around your incisions becoming darker than the surrounding skin, leading to a condition known as hyperpigmentation. In order to protect your healing skin, Dr. Pin recommends a combination moisturizer and sunblock with a high SPF of at least 30, for anytime you will be out in direct sunlight for more than 10 minutes. You should also wear a wide-brimmed hat and wrap-around dark sunglasses.

Lifting Heavy Objects

When you lift heavy objects, the force of gravity works in opposition, pulling back downward. This becomes a problem following plastic surgery, as this oppositional force may end up pulling your sutures loose if your incisions have not yet fully healed. If your sutures come open, the result will be a longer healing time and potentially more noticeable scarring. The obvious answer to this is to not lift heavy objects, particularly over your head, while you are recovering from surgery. This is a great time to have a family member, friend, or coworker be a “lifting buddy” to handle such tasks for you.

Dr. Pin understands that you will be eager to get back to your normal activities as soon as possible following surgery. However, taking things slowly will allow your body to heal and give you the best possible results.