How soon is too soon to start preparing for plastic surgery? You can start getting your mind and body ready as soon as you start thinking about having surgery, and long before you ever set a date. In fact, the better prepared you are ahead of time, the better off you could be during your recovery.
When you’re deciding how to prepare your body for plastic surgery, consider the mental and physical aspects of preparation, like diet, exercise and ditching your vices before surgery. Here’s what you need to know about pre-surgery preparation and how it can help you heal.
Get Ready with Pre-Hab
Your pre-hab for plastic surgery should include diet, exercise and ditching the bad habits that could be affecting your overall health and recovery.
If rehab can help you recover from your plastic surgery, then pre-hab can help get you in shape for it. Many people don’t consider the physical toll that surgery can take on their body, but having surgery can be like running a marathon. You’ve got to be ready for it. According to a study published in Surgery, improving your general fitness and wellness in advance of a surgery can help reduce the length of your hospital stay and actually cut medical costs by 30 percent.
Train Like You Mean It
Your physical fitness can mean a lot to how you prepare your body for plastic surgery. Aside from the fact that exercise is just plain good for you, working out before your surgery date could make recovery a little easier. Being in better physical shape before surgery can mean a healthier body after.
You don’t need to be an athlete to reap the benefits of training to prepare your body for plastic surgery either. Just walking a little extra each day (bumping up from 5,000 to 10,000 steps, perhaps) can make a difference.
- Park a little farther away.
- Opt for the stairs over the elevator.
- Challenge yourself to some toe raises while you’re brushing your teeth or take a stroll after dinner.
A little extra movement now might make movement easier after plastic surgery.
Consider Your Diet
We all know that exercise and diet go hand in hand in just about every scenario, and prepping for plastic surgery is no different. When you’re deciding how to prepare your body for plastic surgery, your diet could be a major factor, especially if you’re not starting off strong. When you first consider surgery, consider cleaning up your diet as well.
Ditch the junk food and opt for “cleaner” foods. As you get closer to your surgery date, focus on whole foods that are rich in nutrients and not difficult to digest. Your body will be working hard to heal itself so don’t make it work hard to digest your food.
Kick Your Bad Habits
Sorry, smokers (and vapers). This one’s for you. We all know smoking isn’t doing us any favors when it comes to our health, and prepping for surgery is the perfect excuse to quit. In addition to smoking, consider this an opportunity to ditch any bad habits that are no longer serving you physically or mentally. This includes smoking, drinking, any other “mood altering substances,” not getting enough sleep and, of course, stress.
It may sound cheesy, but think about swapping out your old vices for meditation or healthy movement. You could find yourself up and at ‘em sooner after surgery if you do.
Start healing your body before you ever step foot in the surgical suite by not relying solely on rehab to heal you. Do some good old fashioned pre-hab to prepare your body for plastic surgery. By moving your body, cleaning up your diet and ditching your bad habits, you could find yourself in much better shape after plastic surgery.
Dr. Lee B. Daniel is board certified by both the American Board of Plastic Surgery and General Surgery. He is a member of numerous societies including the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
