6 Tips to Help You Prepare for Liposuction

More and more people are considering liposuction to target hard-to-tone problem areas and slim away isolated fatty deposits. Lipo should never be considered an easy fix, though. As a surgical procedure, there are a few tips that you should follow to help you prepare for the best liposuction results.

1. Do Your Research

When considering any cosmetic surgery, it’s important to know what exactly you’re getting into. Not only is it critical to completely understand the benefits and limitations of liposuction, but it’s also important to look into preparation, aftercare and recovery to feel confident about the entire process from start to finish.

Your cosmetic surgeon will give you a lot of essential information in your consultation and appointments leading up to your liposuction appointment, but your research should start long before then.

2. Plan Ahead

Liposuction isn’t just about the consultation and the surgery appointment. The recovery period after liposuction is also something that needs to be planned for in advance. Many people set up a recovery area stocked with magazines or their TV remote nearby so they can just rest and take it easy the first few days after liposuction.

It’s also a good idea to have your fridge pre-stocked with healthy foods, or have some favorite take-out menus close at hand for easy ordering. The main thing is to plan ahead well enough that your liposuction recovery is as simple and stress-free as possible.

3. Lose Weight

As odd as it may seem, you should be as close to your target weight as possible before going in for liposuction surgery. Liposuction is a cosmetic procedure intended to fine-tune your figure, not a surgery for weight loss.

Liposuction can be a great fix for problem areas that don’t respond to diet or exercise, such as the love handles or inner thighs. Also, liposuction does not prevent future weight gain, so it’s important to already have healthy eating and exercise habits in place that you plan to maintain after liposuction.

4. Go Shopping

Recovering from any surgery can be made much easier and more comfortable for you if you have all the possible materials needed ahead of time.

Some things you may want to have on hand prior to your liposuction procedure include:

• Extra pillows
• Ice packs
• Antibiotic ointment
• Prescribed pain medication
• Baby wipes
• Laxatives
• Compression garment

Many people find that having an extra compression garment on hand is very convenient during the recovery process as well.

5. Make Your Home Ideal for Recovery

Although it’s important to engage in mild, light movement (like walking) to promote healing, for the most part during recovery, you will want everything to be easy to reach and easy to do.

Make sure you keep things such as warm socks, loose clothes and extra blankets close by for your comfort, and keep any essentials (like your phone and charger) within easy reach. Small things like having a trash bag by your bed can really help eliminate some of the frustrations associated with your initial liposuction recovery.

6. Have Realistic Expectations

When getting liposuction, it’s normal to feel excited as well as nervous, which can add up to an emotional experience. Be sure to be understanding and realistic about your likely liposuction results. As long as you go into your procedure with realistic expectations about the benefits and limitations of liposuction, you can feel confident about feeling pleased with the outcome.