Sore throat - drink plenty of fluids or ice water if tolerated, suck on hard candy to lubricate your throat, gargle with salt water, and avoid citrus such as orange or lemon as they can irritate already-tender tissues. Don't panic. It is due to dehydration or irritation from any tubes put in your throat to keep you breathing during surgery.

Dry cough - do deep breathing exercises and support your incision firmly with your hands or a small pillow before you try to cough. The cough is due to anaesthetic. This side effect is common and does not mean you get a chest infection. It usually lasts only a day or two.

Nausea and vomiting - inform the nurse if you require medication as the parenteral and oral medication will be given only as necessary. Take clear fluid, suck on ice chips (ask the nurse), and slowly return to a normal diet. Don't force yourself to eat, or else you will vomit it.

Dizziness - inform the nurse for medication, drink plenty of fluids, lie down until dizziness passes, then get up and move slowly. Start walking with a walker slowly and settle down once dizziness recurs. Don't force yourself to walk right away to be discharged early and go back to the hotel.

Post-surgery blues - speak up and share your worries to group chat with Azurite, Dr Thee, Jazy, supportive friends, and family members. Get out of bed, be active, be patient, stay positive, and trust the process. You are not an exception. Almost everyone who has cosmetic surgery gets through this process.

Hydration - drink plenty of water as it helps speed up healing, take toxins out of your body, and reduce swelling. Water does not worsen the swelling. Drink more water, fruit juices and tea instead. No alcohol or coffee (drink coffee at least three hours before and after taking antibiotics and pain relievers).

Ambulation (moving around) - stimulates circulation, which can help stop the development of stroke-causing blood clots and improves blood flow which aids in quicker wound healing. But do not overdo it! Always listen to your body. Take time to stop and rest once your body starts to sore.

Consumption of protein-rich food, fruits and vegetables provide your body with essential vitamins to help you heal faster and fight infection.

Invest in nutritious food as your body - needs more nutrients to cope with the surgery you had. Don't put every to waste after spending too much to have this surgery.

Enough sleep and rest - Recovery takes a lot of energy, and sleep helps the body repair itself. It encourages tissue growth to repair blood vessels, helps wounds heal faster, restores sore or damaged muscles and reduces inflammation. Learn to manage your time and remind yourself you came here for surgery, not for a holiday.

Patience - And understanding that your results will take time and healing to settle fully. Pain and discomfort, bruises, swelling and numbness, are part of the process. Although the road to recovery will be bumpy at some points, your much-anticipated results will make the experience worth it!

Sleeping Position & Pain Management

Full facelift - Sleep on your back with head slightly elevated using pillows for at least the first week after surgery. You may use additional pillows or rolled-up towels on either side to prevent shifting positions during the night.

Breast Surgery - Sleep on your back with your upper body elevated for several days. This position keeps your breasts in a more natural position, improves circulation, and minimises swelling and soreness.

Tummy Tuck/Belt Lipectomy - Sleep on your back with both your upper body and legs slightly elevated. Try adding 2-3 pillows close to the side of the bed for at least a week to avoid pulling on your incisions, stretching your muscles, and otherwise disturbing the healing tissues. Then, slowly attempt to sleep on your side.

Arm Lift (Brachioplasty) - Sleep on your back with your head elevated while keeping your arms elevated with pillows and slightly bending the elbows for 2-3 weeks.

Be proactive with your pain - Do not wait until the pain gets worse before you take medication. After discharge, Tramadol and Paracetamol are part of your home meds to manage pain. Inform your assigned nurse once these two do not work for you so they can ask your for a better pain pill. If you regularly take pain medication, please inform the team as your pain thresholds will differ from a standard patient.

Get enough rest - Ample sleep improves your ability to cope with pain, speeds healing and can reduce pain.

Move around as soon as you can - Getting up and walking helps keep you from getting stiff and has the added benefit of decreasing the risk of developing blood clots after your procedure. However, listen to your body and do not overdo it.

Cold and heat therapy - Helps to reduce swelling and control your pain. Wrap the ice pack in a damp towel and apply it over the incision 15-20mins 4 times a day for 2-3 days after the surgery. Then, start applying a warm compress but never be used near an open wound or stitches.

Putt on compression garments - Wear compression garments for two weeks to two months, depending on how quickly you are healing. It helps protect the incision site and inner structures from injury and reduces the chance of pain and inflammation in the body.

Brace your Incision - Hold your surgery site when you do anything that can cause stress on the site, including standing up, sneezing, laughing and coughing.

Manage the level of your stress - Try to avoid situations and even people who tend to increase your stress level in the early days of your recovery. Stress reduction techniques, such as deep breathing and relaxation exercises, can benefit.

Refrain from pain provoking factors - Pain is an excellent indicator of activities you should avoid or limit during your recovery. For example, if turning your head or bending your neck hurts after a facelift, please avoid it.

Recommended Garments

Abdominal compression garments Mid thigh or body suit for those who undergo a thigh lift

Upper arm compression garments or sleeves for arm lift

Any soft wireless and padless bra or compression bra for breast surgery, (imperative for any lift)

When purchasing garments it is recommended you focus on the measurement of your hips as that will not change too much straight after surgery. Please note you will be swollen during this time so it is important not to have a garment too tight or too loose.

Garments

We include in your package:

1 x surgical abdominal binder with tummy tucks and belt lipectomy

1 x facelift garments as our temporary Facelift bandages are all you require

It is up to the client to purchase additional compression garments, particularly after liposuction.

How often to wear your compression garments

Surgical support bra - A surgical bra should be worn at all times, night and day, for two weeks. Still, it is usually acceptable to take a break from it for a couple of hours as long as you keep your activity to a minimum. Or at night, if you feel the compression is too much but do this with caution. You can switch to a compression sports bra, but avoid anything with an underwire.

Face compression garment - Wear the compression garment for about two weeks, as close to 24 hours per day as possible, including while you sleep after the facelift, neck lift, or neck liposuction procedures. The facelift garment that we provide is all you require*

Abdominal compression garment - For the first two weeks, you should wear the garment throughout the day and night. However, you can take it off for some time to free the incision from pressure. Then, you can wear it during the day or at night for four weeks.

Elastic compression sleeves - Wear the compression garment for three to six weeks after Brachioplasty to

help your arms heal and produce ideal results.

Thigh compression/suit garment - Wear the compression garment for three to six weeks following

surgery 24/7.

What to avoid after cosmetic surgery

Don't consume alcohol - Alcohol has the effect of dilating blood vessels and can make your tissues even more prone to swelling. This swelling is uncomfortable, but poor fluid balance after surgery and poor wound

closure can also result in poor fluid balance. Two weeks is an appropriate time frame for many patients, but it

is safe for you to drink alcohol again after taking pain relievers and antibiotics.

No smoking - Smoking restricts blood flow taking the healing slowly, increases the risk of developing unsightly scars, and necrosis of the skin, and makes plastic surgery recovery more difficult overall.

Don't exercise following surgery - Exercising too soon can worsen current side effects, which means pronounced and prolonged pain, discomfort, bruising, and swelling. After the first four weeks, you can resume light cardio (walking or slow stationary cycling) and gradually work up to a more vigorous workout over the subsequent two weeks. By six weeks after surgery, most patients can return to various activities, such as hiking, golf, or yoga.

Don't submerge your incision in bodies of water - Jumping in the water too soon after surgery poses an unnecessary risk of infection to your incision sites. Plus, swimming too soon after cosmetic surgery can strain your incision sites and cause scars to stretch, contributing to a poor scar appearance down the road.

Avoid strenuous activities - Such as lifting objects heavier than 10-15lbs or exercises like weightlifting.

Working out too hard and too soon can put a lot of stress on incision sites that are still in the process of healing, resulting in more significant scars, bleeding, unnecessary bruising, swelling, fluid buildup, wound separation, and possibly infection.

Avoid high salt intake - Excess salt will contribute to swelling and cause your body to retain too much water, leading to fluid leaking out from the cells and oedema.

Avoid excessive sun exposure - Exposure to the sun can cause more swelling and inflammation. The sun's rays can easily change the pigmentation of the skin, causing a displeasing discolouration or a darkening of the scars.