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5 Essential Tips for Recovering After a Necklift

Necklifts are procedures that remove excess skin and fat from the neck. Once the work is done, and your recovery is complete, your neck will be more defined and have a youthful appearance once again. The thing to remember is that a necklift is a surgical procedure. In the days following the surgery, it pays to take proper care of yourself. These tips will help make the time more comfortable and reduce the risk of complications.

Use a Neck Pillow

Many plastic surgeons recommend patients invest in neck pillows prior to their procedures. These pillows help to provide some of the support needed while the delicate tissue recovers from the surgery. The cradling effect will also prevent you from making sudden moves that could lead to more inflammation and prolong the recovery period. If you are not sure what design is best, your surgeon can provide some guidelines for choosing the perfect pillow.

Ice is Your Friend

Swelling and some degree of inflammation are expected after any type of surgical procedure. Most plastic surgeons will recommend the application of ice for a certain amount of time each day as you recover. Crushed ice or some type of pliable ice pack is best. Your instructions will likely be to apply the ice for a limited amount of time at several points during the day. Doing so not only reduces inflammation and swelling. The ice will also feel good and help you control any discomfort that you feel during those first few days after the procedure.

Keep Your Head and Shoulders Elevated

Until the surgeon tells you otherwise, it’s important to keep your head and shoulders elevated. To some degree, the neck pillow will help. You also need to use bed pillows to keep the head elevated while you are sleeping and even while you are on the sofa watching television.  Doing so does not interfere with proper blood circulation, but it will minimize pressure on the neck and allow the recovery from the necklift to proceed at an acceptable pace.

No Heavy Lifting

All plastic surgeons recommend patients refrain from heaving lifting until otherwise notified. You may be told to lift nothing heavier than a glass of water or a pitcher of some type of beverage. Whatever limit the surgeon sets, make sure you follow it to the letter. Strain on the neck muscles right now is not something you need.

Patience is a Virtue

It will only be a short time before you can resume a normal routine, but it can seem like forever during the recuperation. When you feel your patience wearing thin, find something to do that will pass the time and take your mind off things. This is a great time to catch up on your reading, stream the movie you’ve been meaning to watch or call someone you’ve been wanting to catch up with for some time. With the right type of distractions, you will be well before you know it.

Talk with your surgeon and get more advice on how to prepare for your recuperation. Once the healing is complete and you see the results, all the effort that went into the necklift and the recovery will be worth it.

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