How do I prepare for a skin tightening procedure?
Your provider will prepare you with pretreatment instructions, answer any questions that you may have, take a detailed medical history, and perform a physical exam to determine your fitness for treatment.
In advance of your treatment, your surgeon may ask you to:
- Stop smoking before undergoing surgery to promote better healing.
- Avoid taking aspirin, certain anti-inflammatory drugs, and some herbal medications that can cause increased bleeding.
- Discontinue any topical skin products that might increase your risk of complications from treatment.
- Hydrate before and after your treatment for safe recovery.
Skin tightening treatments are usually outpatient procedures. Depending on the treatment performed, you may need to arrange for someone to drive you home after your treatment and stay with you at least the first night following your procedure.
What can I expect the day of my skin tightening procedure?
Be sure to consult with your surgeon before your treatment so you have the most accurate expectations.
- You may have your skin tightening treatment in an accredited hospital, free-standing ambulatory facility, or office-based surgical suite.
- Most skin tightening procedures take thirty to ninety minutes to complete but may take longer.
- The surgeon will administer medications for your comfort during the procedure.
- Oral, local anesthesia, or intravenous sedation may be used in some instances.
- If a procedure is more invasive, various monitors may be used to check your heart, blood pressure, pulse, and the amount of oxygen circulating in your blood.
- Your surgeon will follow the treatment plan discussed with you before your treatment.
- After your treatment, you will go to a recovery area for monitoring.
You likely can go home after a short observation period unless you and your aesthetic plastic surgeon have made other plans for your immediate post-treatment recovery.