The Gift of Confidence This Holiday Season

The holidays are the perfect time to think about enhancing your appearance. Most people aren’t donning tank tops and bikinis or sunbathing this time of year, so you can have cosmetic procedures done without making excuses for why you’re covering up your skin while it heals. And the holidays serve as a marker of time, making you reflect on the last year and think about what you want out of the coming year. If what you or your partner wants is more confidence, a cosmetic procedure may be just the right gift — and it’s definitely a trendy one.

Hopefully, it goes without saying, but you should only give your partner the gift of a cosmetic procedure if you’re sure she wants it. Gifting her with a tummy tuck is a lovely expression if she talks constantly about wanting one. It may be hurtful or insulting if she’s never mentioned wanting the procedure.

It’s your partner’s body and surgery, so you may want to simply give her a card stating that paying for the procedure is your gift, then let her pick the surgeon herself. If you want to do some of the legwork for her, research local cosmetic surgeons to find one who is board certified, has experience doing the procedure your partner wants and has lots of positive reviews from real patients.

Many women give themselves the gift of a pre-holiday nip tuck, for good reason. The holidays are a time when everyone’s taking photos, and you’ll probably be seeing some people you haven’t seen since the previous holiday season. Freshening up your appearance is the perfect way to walk into every cocktail party feeling your best.

But as with everything in life, timing is everything. If you don’t schedule your procedure far enough in advance, you may still be bandaged or swollen by the height of the holiday season. So it’s essential to talk to your surgeon about when to schedule your procedure.

The more extensive the procedure, the longer the recovery typically takes. The average patient needs at least several weeks to recover from a mommy makeover, tummy tuck or body lift, but because everyone recovers at her own pace, it may take you more than a month to fully recover. If you’re interested in one of those procedures, schedule it ASAP.

Minor cosmetic procedures have shorter recovery periods, but it may take a month or longer for the swelling to go down completely. Keep that in mind if you’re considering any facial procedures. Swelling after a breast lift or breast augmentation may still be present several weeks afterward, but it won’t be visible when you’re in public. By contrast, if you get a facelift or brow lift in late November, some minor swelling may be noticeable around Christmas.

If you feel nervous about giving a partner the gift of cosmetic surgery, or feel anxious about having a procedure done, know that those feelings are totally normal. But you should also know that the results can be truly amazing. In fact, a study done by researchers at the University of Basel found that people who had undergone cosmetic surgery felt less anxious, more attractive, healthier and had a better quality of life afterward.

If you’ve always fantasized about how great you would look and feel after a tummy tuck, breast augmentation or mommy makeover, don’t put it off any longer.

Give yourself the gift of a better you. Schedule your Houston cosmetic surgery consultation with Dr. Mark A. Schusterman today to make this a truly bright and joyful holiday season.