Sutures and staples:

• Reabsorbable—All skin sutures are reabsorbable within about 2 weeks, so don’t need to be removed. In the case staples have been used they need to  be removed 8 days after the surgery.

Moving:

• Move as soon as possible—It is important to try to move your limbs as soon as possible after surgery, to prevent blood cloths. Do not stay in bed for long periods.

Medication:

• Pain medication ­— If necessary you can use the provided pain medication every 4 hours.
• Antibiotics­ — One pill a day for three days, starting the day after surgery (after breakfast)
• Mouth rinse — We will provide you with a post-surgical antiseptic mouthwash to take care of the intra-oral incisions. You should rinse twice a day after dinner. However, you should clean with a toothbrush, toothpaste and dental floss as soon as possible. The intra-oral incisions are absorbable and should not be removed. They will dissolve in about two weeks.

Swelling and bruising

• Tightness ­— Feelings of tightness and warmth, due to swelling, are normal and will subside over time.
• Leakage—In case you had a big hematoma (cheek, neck after Adam’s Apple reduction) it might become fluid again after a few days. This could cause some old blood leaking from the wound. This is not a fresh bleeding but a way for your body to get rid of the hematoma.
• Evolution­— Swelling is on its maximum 2 to 3 days after surgery. Swelling and bruising may be present for up to 2-4 weeks. It may take up to 3-6 months to see the final results. Patience is required.
• Place and extensiveness­— Immediately after surgery the swelling will be mostly in areas of loose connective tissue (cheeks, lips, around eyes). During the first few days, the swelling will move downwards towards the lower jaw and neck due to gravity.  Swelling and bruising differ strongly from one person to another and can be anywhere. Bruising may not appear immediately and will gradually fade over the course of several weeks.
• Elevation—Try to sleep with head elevated (ask for extra pillows). This heps the drainage and will alleviate swelling.

Incisions

• Cleaning­— The incision area’s should be cleaned carefully on a daily basis by bathing the area, removing the crusts and patting it dry carefully. After about 2 weeks the wounds will be healed enough to potentially begin applying a special ointment to improve the scars (cicaplast).
• Make up — You may wear light make-up 7-10 days after surgery to help camouflage the incisions and bruising.
• Sunbathing— The young scar is very sensitive to the sun´s rays as it contains very few melanocytes. Therefore during the first 6 months after surgery we recommend protecting the scar with a sunblock or to stay out of the sun. During the first week after surgery it’s better to stay out of the sun completely as the risk for infection might be higher if your face and body get too warm.
• Washing the hair­— If you had forehead surgery the first 2 weeks after surgery you should wash your hair every day. For good wound healing it’s important to remove all blood cloths and crusts, even better when you use shampoo. Don’t be alarmed if the wound bleeds a little bit while washing your hair. If you also have a plaster cast on your nose (rhinoplasty) the plaster should stay dry.
• Scar ointment—After the wounds have closed (after two weeks), you may begin gentle massage of the incision sites with the scar ointment gel (Cicaplast).
  • The scar ointment gel is very simple to apply and should be used at least twice a day.
  • Instructions how to use the gel:
    • Step 1: Clean the area to be treated with mild soap and water, pat dry.
    • Step 2: Gently massage a small amount of the gel over the affected skin.
    • Step 3: Allow to dry for 4–5 minutes before covering with clothing or make-up.
• If the scar ointment has not dried within 4–5 minutes, you may have used too much: remove the excess and allow the drying process to continue.
• The recommended minimum duration of treatment is two months.