When you elect to have cosmetic surgery you take an important step in improving your appearance and the health of your skin. It is essential to take special care of your skin the first few days and weeks following your cosmetic procedure. Our goal at Des Moines Plastic Surgery™ and Healthy Skin & Laser Center is to help you “Become Forever Young” through proven technology and medical grade products.

Your at-home prescription provided by our licensed aesthetician will be dependent on the cosmetic procedure you have. Cosmetic procedures vary in the way it affects your skin. This variance can range from a mild procedure such as a microdermabrasion to a surgical procedure such as a facelift, browlift or eye lift.

Common cosmetic procedures leaving you with intact skin include:

  • Microdermabrasion
  • Nonablative laser resurfacing procedures
  • Mild chemical peels
  • Fillers or Botox

Common cosmetic procedures leaving you with open wounds or broken skin include:

  • Deep chemical peels
  • Ablative laser resurfacing treatments
  • Surgical procedures such as eyelifts, rhinoplasty and facelifts

Four Skin Care Rules

  • To optimize any result you want to heal without any discoloration baby your skin after your procedure.
  • For the first few days you want to avoid direct sun so be vigilant about wearing your sun protection. A great sun protector is Obagi Sun Shield Matte Broad Spectrum SPF 50. This protection provides you with UVA and UVB rays all year round, not just during the summer or at the beach. It prevents you from experiencing brown spots, faster skin aging, increased risk of skin cancer and sunburn.
  • Let your wounds heal. No matter how tempted you are to pick at your peeling skin or scabs after your cosmetic procedure, please do not. You will increase your likelihood of infection or scarring.
  • Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Whether you’ve had a minor procedure or a surgical procedure it is best to drink six to eight glasses of water a day to help rejuvenate your skin from the inside out and flush any toxins from your body.

For any questions or to learn how to care for your skin call Healthy Skin & Laser Center at Des Moines Plastic Surgery™ 515-221-9999.