When getting ready for a liposuction procedure, there are a few simple things you can do to help improve your experience and ensure that your recovery goes smoothly. These are my top five preparatory liposuction tips for a safe and successful procedure:
- Quit smoking
We all know that smoking is bad for your health, and it’s also bad for your appearance. What you may not know is that smoking can cause significant complications during surgical procedures. Smoking causes your blood vessels to constrict, which increases your risk of complications for a wide variety of medical procedures, including liposuction. If you are a smoker, you should stop smoking at least two weeks pre-lipo and for an additional two weeks following the procedure. Hopefully, you’ll be able to quit smoking for good.
- Stop taking aspirin
Generally, you don’t want to take any Advil, Aleve, or aspirin for the five days leading up to your procedure. Aspirin can thin your blood and increase the risk of complications. If your primary care physician has prescribed you to take aspirin every day, let your plastic surgeon know during your consultation.
- Eat healthy and keep up your fitness routine
Getting liposuction isn’t an excuse to stop eating well or treating your body right. Having a regular exercise routine will only help improve the results of your body contouring procedure, both pre-liposuction and once you have healed.
- Prepare for your recovery
Make life easier for yourself by stocking your fridge with snacks and easy-to-prepare meals for the days following your procedure. You might also want to hire a babysitter for those first 12 hours following the procedure, and you may want to take a few days off of work to give yourself a chance to relax.
- Go in with realistic expectations
During your consultation, your plastic surgeon should give you a realistic sense of what you can accomplish with liposuction.
If you’re considering liposuction in Santa Monica for Venice Beach, schedule a consultation in my convenient and private beach bungalow office. I can answer all your questions about the procedure, let you know which type of liposuction might be appropriate for you, and give you a clear sense of what type of results you can expect.
