How long will it take for surgical incisions to heal?
There are many people who assume that plastic surgery is not a "real surgery" and therefore does not involve wounds. However, the reality is that like all other procedures, plastic surgery is a major operation. It involves the making of incisions on your body, which results in wounds.
One of the common questions I get to hear from patients is how long will it take for surgical wounds to heal after the procedure. Well, it depends on a number of factors. In this article, we’ll take a look at the average time wounds take to heal after a major plastic surgery procedure, in addition to discussing the factors that can affect the healing process.
Wound Healing After Plastic Surgery
The management of plastic surgery wounds is quite a straightforward process. If your plastic surgeon is board-certified and experienced, you can expect him to use reliable and effective surgical techniques and take certain precautionary measures to prevent infection and stress on the incisions. This not only helps minimize the resulting scars but also expedites the wound healing process.
Patients need to know that while wound management can be simple, wound healing after plastic surgery is a sophisticated process. It involves healing and replacing the damaged and lost cellular assemblies and tissue coatings. Typically, the wound healing process follows three critical steps: inflammation, proliferation, and maturation. Your wound will require enough time to mature.
The primary healing process will take about 2-3 weeks after plastic surgery, after which you will be able to resume work and other minor activities. However, your body will not completely heal before the first six weeks following the surgery. Of course, it depends on the type of intervention as well. The surgical wound and scar would need at least one year to hit maturity.
As far as the basic healing and recovery process is involved, it differs according to patient and procedure. For example, there are many patients who heal fairly quickly and are able to resume their routine activities within two weeks after a major plastic surgery. Then there are those patients who need more time to heal.
On average, you will need at least three weeks to heal after a butt implant surgery as your basic healing phase. To be able to resume your routine activities, you’ll have to wait for at least six weeks after the procedure. When it comes to fat transfer to the butt, you may resume work after two weeks; however, you should be careful not to apply pressure to your butt for at least five weeks following the operation.
Your plastic surgeon’s skills are critical for your surgical wounds to heal quickly and smoothly. Planning the incision is the most critical element in any plastic surgery. During the initial consultation, you should be sure to discuss with your plastic surgeon the type of incision he plans to use and how long it will take the surgical wounds to heal and recuperate from the trauma.
Ideally, the incision should be made on a stress-free, skin tension line. It can also be placed in an area where there will be a minimum pull or stretch on the wound. Of course, it is also important to make sure the wound is perfectly camouflaged and less visible. Your plastic surgeon will identify the incision area by examining your skin wrinkles or by running his fingers over the target area to find the creases.
In order to make sure your wounds heal quickly and properly after plastic surgery, make sure to follow your doctor’s instructions. If you are a smoker, be sure to stop smoking at least 2-3 weeks ahead of the procedure and avoid smoking for at least one month following the surgery. Smoking is very dangerous because it reduces blood flow to the wounds and damaged tissues, thus keeping it from healing properly and quickly. It can even result in poor wound healing and the development of abnormal scars.
Secondly, you must stick to a balanced and healthy diet. Start a good diet weeks before your surgery. Your diet should be nutrition-laden, especially with protein and multivitamins. Also, be sure to limit your alcohol intake. Drink a lot of water and other fluids during the recovery period, so your wounds may heal better.
There are also certain medications that can keep your surgical wounds from healing properly. For example, aspirin, ibuprofen, and anti-inflammatory drugs can slow down your healing process and may even trigger complications like excessive bleeding. Even herbal supplements can result in risks and complications. Make sure to discuss your medications and herbal supplements with your doctor during the initial consultation.
If you are suffering from diabetes, you may not qualify for plastic surgery because there is a risk you will experience excessive bleeding and poor wound healing. It is important for patients to discuss with their surgeons all the health issues they have so that precautionary measures can be taken during and after the operation.
In order for your surgical wounds to heal smoothly, you must be careful during the recovery period. Avoid physically demanding activities like exercising, weight lifting, stretching, bending, running, jumping, etc. for at least six weeks after the procedure. Also, avoid exposing the surgical site to any source of UV rays.
Conclusion
Many patients want to know how long it will take for the surgical wounds to heal after plastic surgery. As stated and explained above, it depends on a host of factors. Different patients have different tendencies to heal. The time of healing can also differ from procedure to procedure. However, the average time it takes for a normal person to heal normally is at least six weeks after the intervention. While you may be able to resume your work and limited activities after three weeks, your wound will need at least six weeks to close. However, for the wound to permanently heal and mature, it will require at least one year.
