sassy76
Moderator
Scar Care
There has been much discussion about what product/s to use to manage your scars. Personally I like Bio Oil...
However, it is the position of most professionals that the product used is not nearly as important as the massage.
As always, please check with your plastic surgeon about when you can begin massage and when you can put any kind of lotion or cream on your incisions.
Scar massage has several important functions:
* It promotes collagen remodeling by applying pressure to the scars.
* It helps decrease itching.
* It provides moisture and pliability to the area.
Scar Massage Technique:
* Apply lotion to all scar areas once your plastic surgeon has given you the OK.
* Massage the lotion in, applying enough pressure with the pads of your fingers to make the scar area lighten in color.
* Massage in all three directions:
- Circles (counterclockwise)
- Vertical (up-and-down)
- Horizontal (side-to-side)
* Do this three to four times a day.
Lotions:
* You can use any lotion that will make your skin soft.
* You should avoid perfumed lotions.
* You don't necessarily need to use lotions containing aloe vera or vitamin E oil.
Good luck to you and remember, it's the massage that matters, not the product... Or so Research says!
There has been much discussion about what product/s to use to manage your scars. Personally I like Bio Oil...
However, it is the position of most professionals that the product used is not nearly as important as the massage.
As always, please check with your plastic surgeon about when you can begin massage and when you can put any kind of lotion or cream on your incisions.
Scar massage has several important functions:
* It promotes collagen remodeling by applying pressure to the scars.
* It helps decrease itching.
* It provides moisture and pliability to the area.
Scar Massage Technique:
* Apply lotion to all scar areas once your plastic surgeon has given you the OK.
* Massage the lotion in, applying enough pressure with the pads of your fingers to make the scar area lighten in color.
* Massage in all three directions:
- Circles (counterclockwise)
- Vertical (up-and-down)
- Horizontal (side-to-side)
* Do this three to four times a day.
Lotions:
* You can use any lotion that will make your skin soft.
* You should avoid perfumed lotions.
* You don't necessarily need to use lotions containing aloe vera or vitamin E oil.
Good luck to you and remember, it's the massage that matters, not the product... Or so Research says!
Moving onto Diet.. A topic we are all aware of...
Excellent nutrition before and after surgery is a lot more important than people think. Add a post op healing problem and your need for good nutrition, hydration and rest
skyrockets.
I found this diet on the web, its recommended during healing.. Im following it now and feel like im glowing!!
How It Works
Keeping your blood sugar as stable as possible with regular meals of high quality proteins, leafy greens and plenty of water is the key. All these ingredients go into making the perfect healing environment. The addition of a banana a day for much needed potassium as well as mineral rich cantaloupe and fresh lemon juice will all work towards your recovery. As a side benefit, you will feel better overall - more calm and less stressed.
Keeping food prepped and on hand will help you to have what you need, when you need it. You'll also need to be drinking 10-12 glasses a water a day. (back to those VLCD Drinking days!)
What To Eat
Bear in mind you should check with your consultant before embarking on any diet - even though this is not a weight loss diet.
Here are some good food choices during this time.
Just about all of these items are readily available and common foods. Please note you can simply eat just what is listed here, trying to focus on higher protein 3 times a day or you can incorporate higher protein, the dark leafy greens, whole grains and fruit into your existing diet.
Please note this is not a time to lose weight. We'd also like to caution you against a lot of fried, refined or fatty foods at this time. It will hamper your healing. Don't restrict your caloric intake at this time of the foods we recommend. Just eat what you need to eat. Truth of the matter is, if you follow this and don't overstuff yourself, you may actually lose a few pounds in the process.
Apples
Pears
Peaches
Oranges
Pineapple
Cantaloupe
Plums
Lemons
Bananas (1/2 - 1 per day)
almonds, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts - raw, unsalted
Cottage cheese
Nonfat milk
Whole eggs
Egg whites
Chicken breasts
Lean ground turkey
Water packed tuna
Any fish or shell fish
Lean beef
Collard Greens Mustard Greens Spinach
Mushrooms Romaine Lettuce Stringbeans
Broccoli Green or Red Peppers Celery
Cucumbers Eggplant Fresh herbs
Zucchini Artichokes Asparagus
Sweet potatoes - fresh, simply prepared
Onions Shallots Garlic
The vegetables should be fresh
100% whole wheat bread
Brown Rice
Yogurt, 1 cup per day, plain, vanilla or lemon flavored is good as they don't have as much sugar as some of the others. Plain yogurt mixed with some sliced fresh fruit is a good breakfast or snack choice. This is especially good to ward off yeast infections while on antibiotics. Do not use yogurts that have artificial sweeteners.
Olive oil
Walnut Oil
butter - moderate amounts
Salad dressings are fine, just don't overdo.
Some olive oil and coarse ground parsley-garlic salt on a salad is one of our favorite salad dressings. sugar, brown sugar, honey and maple syrup for your lemon tea and for your high protein pancakes.
What To Drink
As we said, you'll need to increase your daily water intake from between 10 and 12 glasses a day. Once or twice a day heat a cup of that water and add the juice of one lemon and sweeten to taste with sugar, honey, maple syrup or brown sugar. Please do not use any artificial sweeteners during this time.
Lemon is a natural purifier and diuretic. It will help to flush surgery meds, body fluids and toxins out of your system. Your skin will become clearer and you may even register a loss on your scale from the loss of water weight. Those of you that know us are used to us recommending the 'lemon tea' as a way of flushing out surgery meds and reducing water retention - thus reducing soreness in breasts before and after surgery. It really does work and many of our physicians are now recommending the same.
Try to avoid caffeinated beverages at this time if you can. Caffeine is not going to aid your healing and it's counter-productive to your hydration. We've even heard some say it causes lumpy breasts though we haven't seen any studies to substantiate it if they are out there.
How To Put It All Together
You'll want to select protein at every meal. For breakfast egg whites or whole eggs and/or cottage cheese might be your choice along with a selection or two of fruit. Or our high protein pancakes are wonderful.
Do not forget to drink your water.
For lunch reach for protein again. Chicken should be your first choice but you can have beef. We just find the more chicken and fish you eat the better it is. Make sure you are getting greens at lunch if you at all can. The darker leafier ones such as kale, spinach or collard are the best choices but we know this can be hard. Try if you can. Our recipe for French Vegetable Soup may come in handy at this time since it incorporates so many good greens. The recipe follows this thread. Add a piece of fruit to your lunch, even if it's just a slice of cantaloupe. Do not forget to drink your water.
At dinner select protein again, more dark greens, some whole grain bread or a serving of Lundberg Jubilee rice. Another day you might want to add a small baked sweet potato for it's excellent mineral content and long chain carbohydrate. You want to have an eye on higher protein at your meals and less carbohydrates if you can. That would be the 'ideal'. Do not forget to drink your water.
For dessert some fruit would be excellent but we are all human. Just try to keep your nutrition up as much as you can during this relatively short time it will take to heal. Pineapple is a great choice for it's bromelain properties and many people eat pineapple following their surgeries to keep their scars from becoming enlarged and angry looking. Canned pineapple in juice is fine. Do not forget to drink your water.
Exercise
If you have been returned to your life for exercise you may do it of course, but use common sense. If you are healing a very bad spot you don't want to exhaust yourself in a lengthy and strenous workout routine. 30-60 minutes of walking should be sufficient to get your blood moving and stay in shape without over doing, and it will be good for you and your healing. Whatever you do: Do not forget to drink your water.
If you have not been released back to your regular schedule take this seriously and do not rob your body of healing energy at these early critical times.
Your Plastic Surgeon
Make sure you are also following all of your plastic surgeons instructions for caring and treating for your wound as well as any other post operative instructions they may have for you.
Last but not least: Do not forget to drink your water!
