Align for Your Prime Self

If the body really is a temple,

then it’s time to wash the walls and sweep the floors. Getting your body (and mind) ready for plastic surgery involves a few steps. It’s more than making sure you’re well rested the night before, or abstaining from food or drink starting at midnight. Taking time off of work and lining up friends or family members to drive you around or make meals are very important tasks to complete, but there are things you should do well before asking your sister to pick up some groceries. 

Fortifying your support system is key, but there’s something else you need to strengthen first: your body.  The healthier and stronger your body is prior to surgery, the better your recovery - and possibly your results - will be. Studies have shown that strong bodies have a direct correlation with safe, successful surgeries and outcomes. Follow our tips about a month prior to surgery to give yourself the best chance for a positive experience and satisfying results. These things are in your control and are your responsibility. Take ownership of yourself and your surgical destiny.

Throw out your cigarettes 

There is absolutely nothing good about smoking; it stifles and kills everything. Smoking prior to surgery puts patients at risk for major organ failure, including heart, lung and immune system complications. If you’re an active smoker, you could have a heart attack or stroke on the table. Why try to improve your life if you’re not taking it seriously enough to stop gambling with it? Quit now so you can live to enjoy the new life you’re making through your aesthetic procedure. 

Depending on how old you are, you’ve probably already been told multiple times that you should quit, but some people like repetition. Need more of a lecture? Go read truthinitiative.org’s article. If you’re still debating your habit after surgery, understand that smoking decreases blood and oxygen flow in your body on a normal day. When blood and oxygen can’t flow to recovering surgical sites, healthy tissue dies and necrosis begins. 

Put the booze in the top cupboard for a while

While you might think a celebration is in order after all the research and planning you’ve done around your plastic surgery, pop a bottle of soda water instead. The fizz is enough of a party during this time when you should be ramping up for your procedures. Hydrate your body to prepare it for healing. Alcohol dehydrates you, and right now you need to choose beverages that add value, like sports drinks with electrolytes and plain ol’ water. 

When your body is hydrated, it will be able to more effectively withstand the surgery itself. Drinking water is always a smart choice, even when you’re not planning an invasive and traumatic surgery. It is also especially important in the month leading up to your procedure, when you can fortify your body to more efficiently handle surgery and begin healing.

If you’re properly hydrated, your body will respond to any anesthesia efficiently, which could result in a safer, more successful surgery as well as a less painful or difficult recovery period. Loading up on water now could mean you will have less discomfort later. 

Work on your rhythm method

Depending on the type of birth control prescription you have, you may need to press pause on those pills. They might put you at greater risk for blood clots during or after surgery. There are other factors related to the chance of blood clots, such as your own individual propensity toward them and the type of surgery you’re having; make sure you tell your doctor about your birth control in addition to these other factors we’ve just mentioned.

For more information about various types of birth control and their possible side effects, read this article at healthline.com. Make sure to disclose all information about any medication or supplements you’re taking before your surgery. Have this conversation as early as possible in your consultation process.

Take a break from herbal tea

If you don’t drink tea, you can skip this section. If you drink basic tea made from only tea leaves and nothing else, you can skip ahead too. BUT if you like a little chamomile or peppermint, you’ll need to hold your bags. Some kinds of herbal tea can interact with anesthesia and cause excessive bleeding or swelling. Read this article to learn more about specific herbal tea flavors and their side effects. 

That’s Enough vitamin E (for now)

VItamin E is a great antioxidant and immune system booster, but it could result in a greater risk of bleeding in the operating room. It thins your blood and can also put you at risk for excessive bruising during recovery. 

There are studies that have shown that vitamin E can negatively affect the body’s ability to metabolize vitamin K, prolonging your recovery time. For the best results, stop using vitamin E about four weeks before AND after your surgery. 

Again, make sure you tell your surgeon about any medications or supplements you’re currently taking, including vitamins. 

To wrap it up

Now you have a short - but possibly difficult - To Do List before surgery. Tackle these things and get your health in order. Today is the day you stop smoking! Celebrate with a lime in some soda water and then go to the store to buy condoms. Come home and have a soothing hot lemon water while you inventory your supplements and vitamins.