Before choosing a date
Discuss time away from work, transport, whether a companion is needed, and whether travel leaves enough time for follow-up. Use your individual plan before making arrangements.
Patient resource
Cosmetic Surgery Recovery Guide
Recovery is not a single deadline. Swelling, bruising, tightness, numbness, and asymmetry can change over weeks or months, depending on the procedure and your healing pattern.
Follow your procedure-specific instructions
This guide is general. Your written postoperative instructions, prescriptions, dressings, compression, wound care, and follow-up schedule take priority.
Plan the first days properly
Arrange transport and a responsible companion when required. Prepare clean dressings, prescribed medicines, easy meals, a comfortable sleeping position, and enough time away from work and strenuous activity.
Protect healing tissues
Do not smoke or vape, drink alcohol, restart supplements or blood-thinning medicines, massage, apply heat, exercise, or expose wounds to sun unless your surgeon has cleared it. Do not pick crusts or remove sutures yourself.
Attend follow-up even when you feel well
Follow-up allows assessment of wounds, swelling, symmetry, infection, fluid collection, implant position, and other procedure-specific concerns. Contact the clinic early rather than waiting for a scheduled visit if something changes.
Seek urgent medical care when needed
Urgent assessment is warranted for difficulty breathing, chest pain, fainting, rapidly increasing swelling, uncontrolled bleeding, severe or worsening pain, high fever, confusion, new weakness, blue or very pale skin, or any sudden concern your surgeon identifies as an emergency.
Your recovery plan should be personal.
Exact preparation and aftercare depend on your procedure, health, and clinical assessment.
Plan Recovery Around Your Life
Bring your work duties, travel dates, upcoming events and available support to your consultation. Recovery is not one fixed deadline for every patient.
During early recovery
Follow your written instructions for medicines, dressings, garments and activity. Ask which changes are expected for your procedure and which should prompt contact with the clinic.
Follow-up visits
Follow-ups are included in your package. Confirm the dates and any wound, suture or dressing checks with the clinic. Do not skip review because you feel well.
Returning to your routine
Discuss work, exercise, driving and travel separately. Looking ready for an event and being medically cleared for an activity are different questions; follow your surgeon’s advice.
Follow-up and Return-to-Work Planning
These are usual clinic estimates, not guaranteed recovery deadlines. Your procedure-specific instructions, healing and individual clearance take priority.
Follow-up visits
Most procedures: around 7 days. Rhinoplasty: around 2–3 days, then around day 7 for stitch removal. Fat grafting and liposuction: around 2 weeks.
Follow-ups are included. Further visits are arranged according to your recovery.
Stitch removal
Stitches are usually removed around day 7 when applicable. Follow the date given by your surgeon.
Desk work
The usual estimate is around 2–3 days, depending on your procedure, comfort, work duties and your surgeon’s advice.
Physical work
The usual estimate is around 2–4 weeks. Confirm clearance for the lifting, bending and exertion involved in your job.
Exercise, driving and flights
Confirm these separately with your surgeon. Being ready for desk work does not mean you are cleared for exercise, driving or travel.
Companion
A companion is required for a sedated procedure. Arrange this before your treatment date.