Skip to main content
Logo for WebMD
Logo for WebMD
  • Coronavirus Update
  • Check Your Symptoms
  • Find A Doctor
  • Find A Dentist
  • Connect to Care
  • Find Lowest Drug Prices
  • Health
    A-Z
    Health A-Z
    Health A-Z
    Common Conditions
    • ADD/ADHD
    • Allergies
    • Arthritis
    • Cancer
    • Coronavirus (COVID-19)
    • Depression
    • Diabetes
    • Eye Health
    • Heart Disease
    • Lung Disease
    • Orthopedics
    • Pain Management
    • Sexual Conditions
    • Skin Problems
    • Sleep Disorders
    • View All
    Resources
    • Symptom Checker
    • WebMD Blogs
    • Podcasts
    • Newsletters
    • Questions & Answers
    • Insurance Guide
    • Find a Doctor
    • Children's Conditions A-Z
    • Surgeries and Procedures A-Z
    • Featured Topics
    • woman experiencing chest discomfort Symptom Checker COVID-19: Check Your Symptoms Now
    • photo of migraine Slideshow Get Help for Migraine Relief
  • Drugs &
    Supplements
    Drugs & Supplements
    Drugs & Supplements
    Find & Review
    • Drugs
    • Supplements
    Drug Basics & Safety
    • Commonly Abused Drugs
    • Taking Meds When Pregnant
    Tools
    • Manage Your Medications
    • Pill Identifier
    • Check for Interactions
    • Drug Comparison Tool
    • Featured Topics
    • assorted vitamins Slideshow Vitamins You Need as You Age
    • berry and yogurt on spoon Slideshow Supplements for Better Digestion
  • Living
    Healthy
    Living Healthy
    Living Healthy
    Diet, Food & Fitness
    • Diet & Weight Management
    • Weight Loss & Obesity
    • Food & Recipes
    • Fitness & Exercise
    Beauty & Balance
    • Healthy Beauty
    • Health & Balance
    • Sex & Relationships
    • Oral Care
    Living Well
    • Women's Health
    • Men's Health
    • Aging Well
    • Healthy Sleep
    • Healthy Teens
    • Featured Topics
    • grocery cart Article Smart Grocery Shopping When You Have Diabetes
    • walking sneakers Quiz Do You Know the Benefits of Walking?
  • Family &
    Pregnancy
    Family & Pregnancy
    Family & Pregnancy
    All About Pregnancy
    • Getting Pregnant
    • First Trimester
    • Second Trimester
    • Third Trimester
    • View All
    Parenting Guide
    • Newborn & Baby
    • Children's Health
    • Children's Vaccines
    • Raising Fit Kids
    • View All
    Pet Care Essentials
    • Healthy Cats
    • Healthy Dogs
    • View All
    • Featured Topics
    • apple slices and peanut butter Slideshow Smart Snacks When You're Pregnant
    • photo of dogs kissing Slideshow Surprising Things You Didn't Know About Dogs and Cats
  • News &
    Experts
    News & Experts
    News & Experts
    Health News
    • Coronavirus News & Updates
    • COVID-19 Vaccines -- Latest Updates Here
    • COVID-19: Check Your Symptoms Now
    • Coronavirus in Context: Interviews With Experts
    • Social Distancing, Quarantine Explained
    Experts & Community
    • WebMD Blogs
    • News Center
    • Featured Topics
    • photo of coronavirus cell WebMD News Get the Latest COVID-19 News Here
    • photo of person typing Newsletters Sign Up to Receive Our Free Coroanvirus Newsletter
  • Mobile Apps
  • Subscriptions
  • Sign In
  • Subscribe
  • My Profile
    • My Tools
    • My WebMD Pages
    • My Account
    • Sign Out

    Healthy Beauty

    • Home
    • News
    • Reference
    • Slideshows
    • Quizzes
    • Videos
    • Questions & Answers

    Healthy Beauty Guide

    • Cosmetic Surgery
    • Cosmetics & Makeup
    • Hair Care
    • Healthy Nails
    • Spa Treatments
    • All Topics

    Related Topics

    • Fitness & Exercise
    • Hair Loss
    • Healthy Aging
    • Skin Problems & Treatments
    • Psoriasis
    • Women's Health
    • More Related Topics
    • Healthy Beauty
    • Videos

    Psoriasis: Simple Skin Care Tips

    Cosmetic Surgery Healing

    Video Transcript

    Narrator: What are the things that I can do to recover more quickly from cosmetic surgery?

    Robert Kotler, MD: Well, patients do have an influence on their own recovery. The first is please follow our instructions, and if you're having pain, take a pain medicine, because if you don't, and you're trying to be stoic, your blood pressure is going to go up as a result of pain and that can translate into more bruising for example. And at worse, it can cause such increased bleeding under the skin that the wound can just pop apart. So, follow the instructions.

    Robert Kotler, MD (cont.): Secondly, please don't smoke. We hope you never smoke, but for sure, don't smoke after surgery. It delays the healing and it compromises lung function. There's not a single good thing you can say about smoking, only bad.

    Robert Kotler, MD (cont.): Thirdly, don't lay around the house and do nothing. With cosmetic surgery, you don't need to be bed bound for more than one day or so. By the next day, you can be up and about. Now you may not want to go to an amusement park, but you can certainly take a walk around your house. If the weather's nice, go out, get some fresh air. Why? Because if you don't, if you just lay around the house, you're going to be subject to constipation, a very practical issue.

    Robert Kotler, MD (cont.): You've got to get moving because you've been taking some pain pills perhaps. Most pain pills will produce some level of constipation. You counter that by getting up, getting around. And by the way, drink lots of fluids. Drink fruit juices. Again, we tell everybody this. It's in writing. This is what they should do.

    Robert Kotler, MD (cont.): We tell them what they shouldn't do. What they shouldn't do is go back to the health club three days later and start pumping iron because the blood pressure is going to go up again. Elevated blood pressure after surgery is one of our greatest enemies because of the bruising issue and the bleeding issue, so it's generally 10 days before you can go back to your health club, and maybe even 2 weeks, depending on how things are going, but we'll be monitoring.

    Robert Kotler, MD (cont.): And again, because we're going to see the patient often, particularly after the bigger procedures. We're going to see them several times the first week. We're going to be asking these questions every day. How's it going? Are you out and about? Are you getting a little fresh air? Are you moving your body parts? How's it going in the constipation or no constipation department? How are you eating?

    Robert Kotler, MD (cont.): Occasionally somebody, they just stop eating for whatever reason, not a good idea. Why? You need protein. You need carbohydrates. Your body has to repair itself. We're big on vitamins as long as they are the right vitamins and we know about them. And we're big on just plain old, good old nutrition.

    Related Videos

    Editor's Picks

    • woman with cup of coffee

      Video

      The Truth About Coffee
    • tongue scraper and tongue

      Video

      5 Ways to Beat Bad Breath
    • couple having sex in bed

      Video

      Why Orgasms Feel Good

    Latest Videos

    Top Picks

    • Hair Going Gray? Here’s Why
    • Makeup Dos and Don’ts
    • Safest Ways to Straighten Your Hair
    • Stretch Marks Getting Under Your Skin?

    further reading

    • How to Prepare for Surgery
    • 8 Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Endoscopic Surgery
    • How to Know Your Surgical Cut Is Healing Right
    • Reducing the Risk of Bleeding After Surgery
    • How to Plan for Recovery at Home After Surgery
    • What to Ask Your Surgeon Before an Operation
    • 7 Tips to Help Decide if Surgery Is Right for You
    • Preparing for Surgery Topics

    Today on Radiance

    tea tree oil

    Beauty Oils: Benefits of Coconut, Argan, and More

    The benefits of coconut, argan, tea tree and more.

    woman applying sun cream

    Sun Safety: Tips to Help Save Your Skin From Damage

    Tips to help save your skin from damage.

    Woman with reading glasses

    Reduce Wrinkles: 9 Secrets to Smoother Skin

    9 secrets of smoother skin.

    Recommended for You

    Smiling woman Slideshow

    Age-Defying Makeup Tricks

    close up of feet Video

    Foot Care Made Simple

    cotton swabs Slideshow

    Are You Making These Beauty Mistakes?

    cucumbers on eyes Slideshow

    Banish the Bags Under Your Eyes

    woman with wavy hair Slideshow

    Best Styles for Your Hair Type

    drinking water Slideshow

    Foods for Beautiful Skin

    hairstylist sectioning hair Quiz

    Think You Know How to Care for Your Hair?

    woman applying bright eye shadow Slideshow

    Secrets for Stunning Eyes

    Tools & Resources

    • Do You Need a Special Eye Cream?
    • The Benefits of Botox
    • Guide to a Perfect Pedi
    • How Safe is Hair Dye?
    • When Fashion Hurts
    • Beauty Time-Savers

    Health Solutions

    • Penis Curved When Erect
    • Could I have CAD?
    • Treat Bent Fingers
    • Long-Term Acute Care
    • Enlarged Prostate Facts
    • Cancer Detection
    • Rethink MS Treatment
    • Is My Penis Normal?
    • Risk of a Future DVT/PE
    • Discover hATTR Symptoms
    • Weight-Loss Surgery
    • Healthy Weight Loss
    • Bent Finger Causes
    • AFib-Related Strokes
    • Preventing Infection
    • Missing Teeth?

    More from WebMD

    • Finding the Care You Need for MS
    • New Hope for Narcolepsy
    • Eat Better in the New Year
    • Psoriatic Arthritis and Your Sleep
    • What Psoriasis Feels Like
    • First Psoriatic Arthritis Flare
    • Talking to Your Doctor About RA
    • Start a Home Fitness Program
    • Avoiding Crohn’s Flares
    • Common Psoriasis Triggers
    • Relief for Blocked Hair Follicles
    • Types of B-Cell Therapy for MS
    • Tackling Pain of Psoriatic Arthritis
    • Why Prostate Cancer Spreads
    • When Ulcerative Colitis Flares
    • Where Breast Cancer Spreads
    • Logo for WebMD
      • Visit WebMD on Facebook
      • Visit WebMD on Twitter
      • Visit WebMD on Pinterest
    • Policies

      • Privacy Policy
      • Cookie Policy
      • Editorial Policy
      • Advertising Policy
      • Correction Policy
      • Terms of Use

      About

      • Contact Us
      • About WebMD
      • Careers
      • Newsletter
      • Corporate
      • WebMD Health Services
      • Site Map
      • Accessibility
    • WebMD Network

      • Medscape
      • Medscape Reference
      • MedicineNet
      • eMedicineHealth
      • RxList
      • OnHealth
      • WebMDRx
      • First Aid
      • WebMD Magazine
      • WebMD Health Record
      • Dictionary
      • Physician Directory
    • Our Apps

      • WebMD Mobile
      • WebMD App
      • Pregnancy
      • Baby
      • Allergy
      • Medscape

      For Advertisers

      • Advertise with Us
      • Advertising Policy

    © 2005 - 2019 WebMD LLC. All rights reserved.

    WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

    See additional information.