plastic surgery tips for moms

Mother’s Day may have passed, but a mother’s job is never finished, and parenthood puts a whole new spin on every aspect of life – including plastic surgery. As a board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in facial rejuvenation, I work with moms every day who want to restore a more youthful, rested appearance. To make it a little easier for them to become their most confident and beautiful selves, I’ve gathered a few tips specially designed for busy mothers.

• Plan ahead for child care. When you’re recovering from surgery, your most important task is to rest, let your body do its job of healing, and follow your post-surgical instructions closely, and this is difficult to do when you’re caring for even the most well-behaved of children. Pain medication and activity limitations can also make you unable to drive, which could be a concern if an emergency were to occur with your child. For multiple reasons, you should arrange ahead of time for someone to care for your children for a few days or longer after your surgery, depending on the details of your procedure.
• Look for ways to minimize your surgical process. For instance, the Band Aid Mini Facelift I developed is popular with my patients in general, but especially among mothers, because it’s a minimally invasive, in-office procedure using gentle numbing and specialized techniques to limit the recovery time, bruising, swelling, and scarring. If there are several plastic surgeries you’re considering, you may also be a candidate for combining them into one surgery, which will shorten your overall process and total recovery time.
• Decide beforehand how you would like to explain the surgery to your kids. Keep in mind that you will have bruising, and swelling during your recovery, and this can be upsetting for some children to see depending on their age and maturity level. Plan ahead by deciding what you want to tell them about the facelift beforehand (such as what they can expect to see, how they can help you while you heal, etc.). As a parent, you know your child and can decide the best way to approach this conversation to make them feel more comfortable.
• Plan your timing carefully. For example, it may be best to avoid having surgery during a time when your children have a lot of extracurricular activities on the schedule or when your spouse is out of town. You should also consider the timing in terms of your stage of life—elective surgery is typically not recommended for women who are pregnant or breast-feeding, and it’s often also ideal to wait until your children are old enough to require less energy and attention, to make life a little easier for your spouse or whoever will be caring for your children during your plastic surgery recovery.

Ultimately, plastic surgery is a decision that should only be made after careful consideration, but minimally invasive procedures like my Band Aid Facelift are often a solution which can allow mothers to balance parenthood and their many other responsibilities with their own confidence and self-image. To start discussing how I can help you return to a look you love, schedule a consultation with me, Dr. John LeRoy. Or, for more plastic surgery tips about face lifts and other facial rejuvenation treatments, join me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.