While plastic surgery can ultimately be a rewarding and positive experience, the initial recovery process can pose both physical and emotional challenges. Temporary feelings of frustration, impatience, or doubt are a reality for many plastic surgery patients. At our Washington, DC, area practice, we care deeply about your physical wellness after surgery and your mental and emotional wellness throughout your experience.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss a few ways you can set yourself up for success emotionally to make sure you feel supported and strong every step of the way.
1. Set up a support system.
Ask a core group of friends or family members to support you through the process. In addition to helping you with tasks such as rides, errands, and childcare, they can also provide emotional support and serve as a stable source of encouragement.
2. Embrace the downtime.
Try not to feel rushed to return to your regular responsibilities right away, especially after a procedure such as a facelift or tummy tuck that requires more time away from work and social activities. Embrace the time to relax and explore hobbies such as games, books, and movies that can help make this time as enjoyable as possible.
3. Focus on patience.
As your recovery progresses and you start to feel more energetic, you might grow tired of swelling, dressings, or time away from exercise. This even causes some people to question whether they’ve made the right choice. This feeling is normal and temporary. Take it day by day and try your best to be patient with yourself and your body.
4. Write a letter to yourself before surgery.
Take a moment to write down why you’re excited about your transformation and how you hope to feel about yourself. This can help you remember your “why.” You can even include a “before” photo to remind yourself of what this transformation means to you.
If you find yourself feeling unsure about your decision as you write this letter, consider checking in with yourself to make sure you’re fully ready for the surgery. Learn more about 5 questions you can ask yourself during this step in our previous blog post.
5. Knowledge is power.
Get all the information you’ll need about recovery care, such as surgical drains, compression garments, and care for your dressings. Your surgeon will explain what to look for as far as potential complications, but be sure to ask any remaining questions you may have. Keep an easily accessible list of contact information for the people you’ll need to call in the rare case an issue should come up after your surgery.
Browsing before-and-after photos of your procedure is another great way to keep yourself motivated throughout the surgical process. To see real patient results we’ve created here at Center for Plastic Surgery, please visit our before-and-after photo gallery.
If you live in the Washington, DC, area and are interested in learning more about plastic surgery, please contact us online or call (703) 560-2850 (Annandale, VA) or (301) 652-7700 (Chevy Chase, MD).