Recover Faster By Taking The Time To Prepare For Your Facelift

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When most people talk about facelift recovery, they focus on things you can do after the procedure to reduce your recovery time. Sleeping with your head elevated, getting plenty of rest, and staying out of the sun post-op can certainly help ensure you heal sooner. However, what you do before the facelift also matters. There are a few steps you should take prior to your surgical date to help ensure that once you have the procedure, your body bounces back as well as possible.

1. Don't Drink

With feelings of nervousness beginning to creep in as your procedure approaches, you might be tempted to reach for a glass of wine or a few cocktails. Maybe friends want to go out and celebrate the fact that you are having a facelift. However, it is best to avoid alcohol in the days leading up to your procedure. Ideally, you should stop drinking at least a week before the procedure. There are a few reasons for this:

1. Alcohol can slow down blood clotting, which will increase the time it takes your surgical incisions to heal.
2. Alcohol is hard on your liver and kidneys, which need to filter the alcohol from your system. Quitting drinking gives these organs a rest so they can get the anesthesia out of your system more easily, which helps you bounce back.
3. Alcohol can interfere with anesthesia, which would mean your doctor has to give you more, and more anesthesia translates to a longer recovery time.

If you feel tempted to drink the week before your procedure, reach for a glass of sparkling water with lime instead. A glass of tart cherry juice may also help satisfy your cravings.

2. Stop Smoking

Along with drinking, smoking is the other major vice that can increase your recovery time. You should quit smoking as soon before your procedure as possible. Enroll in a recovery support group, download an app that helps you quit, or see a therapist — do whatever it takes to quit. Tobacco is terrible for healing. It reduces blood clotting ability and it also leads to weaker tissues, which means you may have more scars if you smoke close to your procedure. Using nicotine patches and gums is not ideal either, but if you have to rely on these aids, that is still better than smoking.

3. Eat a Healthy Diet

Your body needs a whole plethora of nutrients in order to heal from a facelift. Protein and various vitamins are the most important. Since you won't have the easiest time eating after your facelift procedure, make sure you eat very healthily in the weeks leading up to the procedure so your body is able to stockpile those essential nutrients and avoid deficiencies. Aim for two or three servings of fruit or veggies at every meal. Eat lean meats, whole grains, and some low-fat dairy.

Also stock up on healthy, easy-to-chew foods like yogurt, smoothies, and applesauce for after your surgery. Having these on hand will keep you from reaching for too much ice cream and other unhealthy items.

4. Find a Friend to Help You

Don't wait until you're home and feeling groggy to ask a friend to stay with you. Find someone who can dedicate two or three days to staying with you in your home and doing basic tasks like handing your food, making sure you take medications, and checking your bandages. When you do not have to do this yourself, you can more easily relax, which will speed up your recovery.

Recovering from a facelift is not too terrible and most people have resumed most activities within a couple of weeks. If you prepare by following the tips above, you'll be in even better shape for a good recovery.

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18 November 2019