For many patients, the road to undergoing a cosmetic surgery procedure to enhance their body can take some time. Firstly, there's the realisation of not being happy with a certain part of the body and deciding that perhaps something should be done about it. Then there is discovering the cosmetic surgeries that are available to tackle the issue, learning what results are achievable, who can safely perform the procedure and so on. Lastly, there is the arrival of the surgery date followed by the recovery process and eventually the chance to fully enjoy the end result.

Before a patient reaches the surgery date, there is often a lot of mental preparation going on behind the scenes. Ensuring you're in the right mental frame of mind with complete understanding of what you're embarking upon can set you up for the best possible outcome from your cosmetic procedure.

Below, I've highlighted a few things that can hopefully help you mentally prepare for a tummy tuck, liposuction or any other body contouring procedure that you've been considering.

Get your facts straight

To fully prepare yourself mentally for your cosmetic procedure it's important you arm yourself with as much factual information as possible. Once you've sourced a board-certified cosmetic surgeon with the expertise and skills that you can trust, you can utilise their knowledge by asking questions and seeking details that surround preparation, the procedure itself and the recovery process. You should learn about potential side effects and any risks that may be involved, and while they may sound somewhat alarming to hear at first it'll allow you to really weigh up the pros and cons with facts and figures to make sure it's the correct procedure for you.

Keep expectations in check

It's important to remember that although cosmetic surgery can bring fantastic improvements to both your physical appearance and overall self-esteem, it's not a magic formula and it does have its limits. For this reason, a patient must keep their expectations in check when it comes to what they hope to achieve. To keep expectations in check, make sure you fully understand what your cosmetic surgeon is explaining to you when outlining what can be realistically achieved. Look at true before and after photos of previous patients who have undergone the same procedure from a similar starting point to you. This will all help take away the worry of venturing into the unknown and allow you to form a healthy and realistic expectation of what you can expect when all is said and done.

Choose cosmetic surgery for the right reason

You not only want to be honest with your friends, family and cosmetic surgeon about the reasons for choosing cosmetic surgery, but you want to be honest with yourself. Most patients do choose cosmetic surgery for themselves, so that they can feel better, improve their appearance and gain a boost of confidence. However, sometimes people may feel pressured into cosmetic surgery from a partner, society's standards or peer pressure from certain people within their circle of friends. To be truly satisfied with cosmetic surgery it has to be a motivation that has come from within yourself and not from the influence or pressure of others.

Be ready for the recovery process

There is going to be a period of recovery from the time the cosmetic procedure is complete to the point of the final result being fully appreciated. During this time there may be swelling, bruising, stitches and other forms of potential discomfort and that time can typically be between six weeks and six months depending on the procedure. You need to be mentally prepared to accept that this recovery process is all part of the journey to a happier you.

Raise any concerns

It's completely normal to feel concerned or anxious about any aspect of cosmetic surgery. There is no need to bottle these worries up as your cosmetic surgeon has seen and heard everything all before and will fully understand your need for reassurance, advice or facts. More often than not a discussion about the things that worry you goes a long way towards helping you feel a great deal better about your decision.

If you're keen to learn more about the body contouring procedures that are performed here at Harley Street Aesthetics, don't hesitate to get in touch to book yourself in for an initial consultation. Call 0845 519 7232, e-mail info@harleystreetaesthetics.com or complete our online contact form.