Four Fundamental Rules of Post-Surgery Skin Care
Rule #1: Be Gentle
After surgery, your skin will be extremely fragile and vulnerable to infections. This means keeping your skin clean will be especially important while it’s healing. It will also be sore and tender, so you’ll have to be careful with how you take care of it to avoid introducing any harmful contaminants and causing any additional injuries. Basically, you should treat your skin the way you would treat a baby’s skin – with lots of gentle care.
Treating your skin gently should involve using products that are milder than what you use for your regular skin care. Hypoallergenic, fragrance-free products will work the best. You should also be gentle with your touch and cautious about your surroundings. Try to avoid bumping or banging into objects and don’t be too rough when you’re using cleansers or lotions.
Rule #2: Sun Protection
Your skin is also more vulnerable to damage from the sun’s UVA and UVB rays, especially if you have a procedure like dermabrasion that involves removing the top layers of your skin. Any time you know you’re going to be outdoors, even if it’s cloudy outside, use sun protection. Sunscreen with a SPF of 30 or 40 and a hat to keep the sun off your face will be the best way to guard your skin against the sun. Reapply sunscreen every few hours, especially if you have been sweating a lot or been in the water.
Rule #3: Stay Hydrated
Your skin needs a lot of water to stay flexible and healthy. Proper hydration ensures that your skin is getting the nutrients it needs to heal while removing any toxins or foreign contaminants. Stay hydrated throughout the day, especially on hot summer days, by drinking water every couple of hours.
Rule #4: Let Your Skin Heal
If you’ve ever had a scab or sunburn before, you know how tempting it is to pick at your skin. This temptation will be present while your skin is healing after surgery. You should do your best to avoid picking, scratching, or pulling on your skin as much as possible during this time. If you don’t let your skin heal and leave it alone, you run the risk of scarring and possibly infections.
By following these four fundamental rules of post-surgery skin care, you can ensure that your skin stays healthy as you recover. Not only will this help your skin heal faster and reduce your risk of complications, you’ll also maximize the results of your procedure. When your skin is healthy, it shows!
If you have any questions about post-surgery skin care, or about facial plastic surgery in general, you can contact Dr. Nassif by sending him an email through our Contact page.