If you’ve just been under the knife and had a successful plastic surgery operation, you might be tempted to celebrate by going out for some drinks with your friends. However, celebrating with alcohol – or even drugs – is something that the majority of doctors simply do not recommend.If you’ve just gone through a cosmetic procedure such as a rhinoplasty, breast augmentation, or even vaginoplasty – here are some good reasons why you should stay away from the alcohol until you’re fully healed.
Increased Swelling
Alcohol increases swelling, which, quite frankly put is the last thing that you need when you’ve just undergone a cosmetic surgery procedure. After undergoing plastic surgery you’ll most likely find a lot of swelling from the operation, and you will want your body to be at its desired size as soon as possible. However, by drinking alcohol you will cause dilation in your blood vessels, in turn causing your body to swell. Alcohol is also dehydrating, meaning that when you drink your body tries to hold onto as much water as possible – resulting in that bloated feeling you always seem to get when you’re out on the town.
Prolonged Bleeding
Any type of invasive surgery requires a minimum amount of recovery time, and cosmetic surgery is no exception. When it comes to drinking alcohol it only seems to impede the recovery process, as alcohol thins the blood – putting post-op patients at risk of bleeding and prolonging the recovery time needed.
Reactions to Medication
If you have recently undergone a cosmetic procedure you’re likely to have been given prescription medication from your doctor in order to help you better cope with the after pain and other effects. However, alcohol not only works to null the effects of the medication that you may be taking, it can also be a dangerous mixture with many health hazards involved. There are a number of side effects related to mixing alcohol with different medications, and these include nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, headaches, fainting, and a loss of coordination. Drinking whilst on medication can also cause more serious problems such as putting you at risk of internal bleeding, heart problems, and breathing difficulties.
Dry Skin
If you have undergone plastic surgery in order to help yourself feel more comfortable in your own skin, the effects of alcohol can only counteract this. When you drink alcohol it interferes with the hormone that regulates urine production, and for each shot of alcohol that you drink, your kidneys produce around four ounces of urine than they usually would. In turn, this causes your body to flush more water leading to dehydration and dry skin and unfortunately you can’t counteract the effects by simply drinking that much extra in water.
If you are planning a cosmetic procedure, doctors such as David Ghozland, M.D., Inc. recommend that you abstain from alcohol consumption for two weeks before and after the procedure at least. This can vary between different procedures however, so you should check with your consultant first to be sure.