Tips For Reducing Bruising after Cosmetic Surgery

Facial cosmetic surgeries can truly change the way you look at yourself and how others look at you especially when it’s been an ongoing insecurity you’ve dealt with. Of course, most cosmetic surgeries will require you to be willing to put in time for a proper recovery. One of the universal features of the recovery process is swelling and bruising.

While bruising is perfectly normal after a chin implant surgery, nose surgery, facelift surgery or any other cosmetic procedure, it can still be an annoyance for many. After all, the reason you’re looking for a board certified plastic surgeon near you is to get your appearance closer to your ideal. Not many of us have an ideal that features bruised and swelling skin. 

Thankfully, there are some easy tips that you can follow to help reduce bruising during the recovery period after a cosmetic procedure. Patience is key, but hopefully, these pointers give you the confidence to commit to your cosmetic procedure and its recovery time, whether undergoing chin implant healing or recovering from facelift surgery. 

What Causes Bruising?

In simplest terms, bruising is caused by bleeding under the skin. We tend to think of bleeding as something that just happens externally. However, it’s possible for small blood vessels to simply break, causing bruising. Thankfully, our bodies can simply reabsorb the blood in this case, healing the bruise over time. The key to reducing bruising is to speed this process along. 

Since cosmetic surgeries involve getting in under the skin, bruising is particularly common. This is especially common during “invasive” procedures, such as facelift surgery. Such bruising is perfectly normal and not something to worry about. 

Bruising after cosmetic surgery looks different for everyone and different for every cosmetic procedure. The worst bruising should be gone after a couple of weeks, and there should be very little bruising after about a month.

How to Reduce Bruising

So we know that bruising is caused by blood pooling under our skin. Firstly, we want to make sure that we’re not increasing our blood flow too much through foods or medications that work as blood thinners. Things like Advil or Warfarin may end up extending your bruising. Spicy or salty foods, or those high in Vitamin E, might also cause bruising to linger. 

Next, we want to help our body naturally drain that excess blood. The best way to do this is actually pretty easy – just get plenty of rest and let your body do the internal healing work. When you’re resting whether that’s sleeping or just laying down calmly, it’s essential to keep the part of your body that had the cosmetic procedure elevated compared to the rest of your body. This means if you’re undergoing chin implant healing, or recovering from face surgery and a traditional facelift, keeping your head above the rest of your body will be very important.

You’ll want to avoid working out for a period after your cosmetic procedure. Working out tends to get your blood pumping. While this is good for your everyday health, it’s not going to do your bruising situation any favours. 

Just like we want to avoid things that get our blood flowing, we want to find ways to slow that flow of blood. One of the simplest methods is with an ice pack. Like with freezing liquids, the coldness in the ice will slow down the blood flow under your skin. 

You also want to give your body as much help as possible in healing naturally. The rest we mentioned is one part of it. Another easy step is to simply drink a ton of water. Your body needs to be well hydrated to maintain its healing, so make sure to drink plenty of water in the weeks after surgery.

Looking for a plastic surgeon near you? Want more information on cosmetic procedures like facelift surgery? Then don’t hesitate to contact us today – we’re happy to answer any of your questions!