When is the best time of year to undergo a cosmetic surgical procedure?

People often think about plastic surgery as the weather starts to warm up (sometime around July here in the Northwest!).  We tend to be very busy with consultations in the summer for this reason, but the warmer months may not actually be the best time for some patients to have certain procedures done.

Woman-by-FireWhy is that, you ask?  Well, in one word, the answer would be bruising.  (In three words it would be bruising and swelling.)  Every procedure we perform, whether smaller like laser spider vein removal, or larger like a tummy tuck or breast reduction, has some component of wound healing as part of the recovery process.

For most people, this means that the body area will be swollen and bruised for varying lengths of time. With botox or filler injections into the face, the bruises generally appear quite small and are typically hidden with makeup. Liposuction on the other hand, can result in much larger areas of bruising and swelling which will take several weeks to improve.

Thus, the long pants and long sleeves worn at this time of year come in very handy for camouflage purposes.

Additionally, we recommend that people limit sun exposure to skin that shows bruising as this can very occasionally discolor the skin.

Because bruising and swelling are the body’s normal response to any wound, patients will need to minimize other activities during the healing process, something that is normal during the winter months.

So if you’ve been thinking about a procedure, now is a great time to consider it. You can recover while bundled up by the fire and quite possibly be ready when the summer months beckon. Don’t wait to call us for a free consultation.