If you, like many others in Orange County are preparing for a facelift there are some important things to know.

In the two weeks prior to your face lift surgery, we recommend our Orange County plastic surgery patients to stop taking certain medications, including blood thinners, anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) and aspirin, as they thin your blood and could increase your risk of bleeding. Even some herbal medications might be a risk (not all products marketed to be all-natural are necessarily safe all of the time). For example, green tea, gingko biloba, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E can all increase your risk of bleeding during and after your procedure so be sure to mention all supplements and medications to your surgeon. It a good idea to just bring all of your medications and vitamin in their current packaging to your consultation so that we can look closely at them all.

We also give all of our Orange County clients pre-op instructions will also have a list of what to do and not do regarding what you should eat and drink before your procedure.

It’s also very important if you smoke that you quit smoking before the procedure. Most if not all surgeons will suggest that you quit for one month before and remain smoke-free one month (or forever) after the face lift surgery. Smoking significantly reduces the amount of blood flow to your face, and 1 in 10 smokers that have a face lift surgery will experience what is called necrosis, or dying skin at their incision sites if they do not stop smoking for the surgery and recovery. The wounds could actually turn black or red and the edges may come apart. This can result in you needing a skin graft, which is another procedure where a patch of your skin is removed from another place on your body and transplanted to the wound and completely undo the beautiful results of your facelift so however you can, find a way to stop smoking before and after your facelift.