The Benefits Of A Winter Tummy Tuck
Recover For The Summer
Tummy tucks take some recovery time, so if you want to be beach body ready for summer, you shouldn’t get your tummy tuck right before summer begins. By getting a tummy tuck in winter, you’re giving yourself ample time to heal, be back in action, and look your best by the time summer rolls around.
Don’t Worry About Holidays
No one wants to be recovering from surgery during the holidays. Instead, waiting until after all of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season gives you a chance to get some proper recovery time where you don’t need to worry about running around shopping, hosting dinners, or doing fun holiday activities. It’s typically easier for people to take it easy in January and February when fewer holiday events are brewing and less is demanded of you and your energy.
Enjoy Sweater Weather
When you undergo surgery, the area that is worked on swells during recovery and can be painful. It’s important to wear comfortable clothing while you recover, especially in the first weeks after surgery. Beyond this, a thick winter sweater can help to cover up any swelling or compression garments if you want to keep your tummy tuck discrete until it’s all healed and you are looking your best.
Avoid The Heat
After surgery your incision site will be sensitive to heat. You’ll need to be careful to avoid hot water on the incision site as well as steamy showers or baths. But these are at least very controllable. Sometimes in the summer, especially if you don’t have air conditioning, the heat can bother your sensitive tummy tuck surgery site and your compression garment can make you feel very warm. Recovering in the winter guarantees a more pleasant temperature for recovery.
Stay Indoors
While you will need to get up and walk while you recover from your tummy tuck surgery, you’ll only want to do this in small increments at a time and you won’t want to wander too far from home since you may feel tired from small amounts of exercise. Since winters are cold and snowy and get dark so soon, you won’t be expected to go out as much and you won’t be itching to get out of the house the way you might on a beautiful spring day.
Make New Year’s Improvements
The new year is always the best time to start making changes, as this is when we feel most inspired and motivated to become our best selves. If you’ve wanted a tummy tuck and have been putting it off, make it your New Year's resolution to schedule a consultation. You might also want to take the time between Christmas and New Year to make sure you’re close to your goal weight, as it’s best to be within 10 pounds of your goal weight before a tummy tuck.
Want to learn more about tummy tucks?
Read Tummy Tucks: What To Consider From Consultation To Recovery.
Schedule Your Tummy Tuck
When you’re ready to get a tummy tuck, schedule a consultation with a reputable and skilled plastic surgeon. At Okanagan Health Surgical, our team of trusted plastic surgeons will educate you about any associated surgery risks and they will inform you about what recovery will look like. Together, we will discuss your desired expectation for final results. To find out more about the costs and benefits of a tummy tuck procedure, and how our team of board-certified plastic surgeons can create a fully customized treatment plan to help you reach all your aesthetic goals, contact our Kelowna private hospital at 250-868-9799 or fill in our online contact form.
FAQ
Q: How long is the recovery time for a tummy tuck?
A: A tummy tuck requires up to four weeks of downtime where you cannot participate in any strenuous activity. You may feel close to your old self after a few months, but it can take a full year for your abdomen to fully recover and show optimal results.
Q: When can I begin exercising after my tummy tuck procedure?
A: You can begin light exercise four weeks after your procedure if approved by your surgeon.
Q: How safe is a tummy tuck?
A: Mini tummy tucks are generally considered safe, however, every procedure has associated risks. With a minor abdominoplasty procedure, you may experience infection, irregular scarring, or fluid accumulation under your skin. In contrast, a full abdominoplasty is considered a more invasive surgery that requires appropriate preparation and post-operative care. Full abdominoplasty patients may experience pain, numbness, bleeding, and infection. There is also a chance of scarring, however, it should fade over time. For these reasons and more, it is essential to seek treatment from a board-certified surgeon with extensive experience such as one of our private surgeons at Okanagan Health Surgical.
