Main image: 

POST-OP SKIN CARE

Following surgery, there are a number of skincare treatments that can aid in healing. “We do LED light treatments,” says Steele. “They help to speed up recovery and reduce bruising and swelling. We also do lymphatic drainage massage.” Advanced Aesthetics of Arkansas recommends pre- and post-surgery vitamins containing bromelain and arnica to reduce bruising. “Other things we like post-operatively are antioxidant cosmeceutical lines and products with human growth factors, like TNS Essential Serum (www.skinmedica.com), for post-menopausal women.”
“I use a lot of the mineral makeup to soothe the skin and cover redness and bruising,” says Pinto. These lines offer the additional benefit of offering SPF protection.
Pre-surgery consultations with skincare specialists also provide an opportunity to get patients started on homecare regimens that can help
prolong the results of facelift procedures. Dr. Pearlman and Dr. Saltz offer the Mybody line (www.lovemybody.com). “I make very little money
from skincare products. I make it off surgery,”
says Dr. Pearlman. “However, we like to provide comprehensive care by giving patients better
skin quality.”
“Someone comes in for a facelift once in a lifetime,” says Pinto. “Getting the patient on a proper skincare protocol is not only going to enhance the quality of the surgical outcome but also prolong the results of the lift. And that patient is going to run out of the skincare products and she will come to your practice to buy more. It helps you maintain a relationship with the patient. It also will lead to more referrals.”

Wendy J. Meyeroff is the founder of WM Medical Communications. Contact her at [email protected].