With any plastic or cosmetic surgery, finding the right time for your procedure and recovery is the final hurdle before you can relax and wait for your date. Everyone leads busy lives, so taking a few weeks away from work and social obligations can be difficult. With cosmetic surgeries, in particular, many clients want to stay out of the limelight during recovery because they want their friends and family to see their results but not the awkward healing phase. For larger surgeries like tummy tucks, fall and winter are often the perfect time to schedule your surgery — the colder weather and upcoming holidays make it ideal for spending plenty of time recovering away from prying eyes.
Sweater Weather
Colder weather means warmer clothes, including your favorite bulky sweaters and layers. When you plan your tummy tuck in the fall, your knits can keep you cozy and hide compression garments and swelling without raising suspicion. After a tummy tuck, you will be expected to wear a compression shirt or girdle for a week or two, which encourages healing and reduces swelling. Many clients find these compression garments awkward or unflattering — after all, they are designed for medical purposes rather than fashion. It is much easier to conceal them under thick clothing than lightweight spring and summer fashions; not to mention, wearing a tightly-fitting girdle in hot weather can be very uncomfortable. Even after you no longer need your compression garments, your abdomen will remain swollen for a few weeks as you continue to heal. If you are not ready to reveal your new tummy to the world, you won’t look out of place in loosely-fitting layers. Another benefit is that these full-coverage clothes keep your surgery site completely out of the sun, which is an excellent way to make sure your scars heal as seamlessly as possible.
The Great Indoors
Every year, fall marks the transition from sunny outdoor activities to quiet evenings spent inside. Since tummy tucks affect your whole abdomen, your movements will be noticeably restricted for quite some time after your surgery. Most plastic surgeons recommend avoiding movement as much as possible for the first week or two of recovery, waiting three to four weeks before resuming day-to-day activities, and refraining from physical activity beyond walking or gentle movements for up to six weeks. In the fall, the days are shorter and colder, which means body-baring and physical activities that would interfere with your recovery are typically kept to a minimum. The decline in activity gives you the perfect excuse to stay home and heal; you can avoid too much movement and exposing your scars to sunlight without causing anyone to wonder why you skipped the beach or the golf course.
Ahead of the Holidays
Fall tends to keep people preoccupied. Whether they are settling back into work after summer vacation and planning for the upcoming holidays, others will likely hardly notice that you are taking extra time off for your surgery and recovery. Planning your surgery in early fall can mean that you are fully recovered in time for the holidays, ready to tout your new pants or dress size at your family gatherings and holiday parties. Waiting until late fall can be an opportune way to time your surgery and recovery with your winter break, giving you an excuse to stay home for the holidays and avoid using too much of your vacation time at work. Plus, when you schedule your surgery in the fall, you’ll be recovered in time for a winter weekend beach getaway where you can show off your new tummy in a bathing suit — just make sure to wear plenty of sunscreen.
If you are ready to schedule your tummy tuck, Dr. Andrews Plastic Surgery is here to help. Dr. Andrews provides expert abdominoplasties among other plastic and cosmetic procedures, with an excellent record of client satisfaction under his belt. To learn more about our tummy tuck procedures and to find out whether a tummy tuck this season would be right for you, contact Dr. Andrews Plastic Surgery today at 319-800-6877 to schedule your consultation.
