Dr. Gil

It is no longer possible to tell a person's age by simply looking at the face. With the advances in cosmetic surgery, today it is very easy to effectively hide your age. A facelift or rhytidectomy is a cosmetic surgical procedure to reduce wrinkles and improve the overall appearance of your face. A facelift is considered a relatively safe procedure.

However, like any other surgery, it is associated with few risks.

1. Pain: While a facelift surgery itself is usually performed under anesthesia, recovering from it might be a little painful. Your skin may also feel numb for a few days. Taking the pain medications prescribed by your doctor can help relieve the pain. However, if the pain is severe or if it suddenly increases, you must consult your doctor immediately.
2. Swelling: Don't worry if your face looks swollen after the surgery. This is simply your body's natural reaction to the surgery. You will notice this swelling reduce in a few days. Though most of the swelling will subside in the first few days after the surgery, it can take a few weeks before the swelling completely subsides.
3. Bruising: Like swelling, bruising is a natural reaction to surgery. In most cases, people see pronounced bruising especially around the eyes in the first few days after the surgery. Most of this bruising will fade away in a few weeks, but it may be a few months before your skin is clear again.
4. Scarring: As your face heals after a facelift surgery, scarring can be seen wherever the incisions were made. Most cosmetic surgeons will make these incisions along the hairline or the natural creases of the face. This ensures that the scars are not prominently visible. In most cases, scarring fades with time till it is barely noticeable.
5. Bleeding and hematoma: A certain amount of bleeding is normal after a facelift surgery. However, excessive bleeding or uncontrolled bleeding can lead to the formation of hematomas. A hematoma can be defined as a blood clot that occurs under the skin and outside a blood vessel. This can leave the area swollen and a minor surgery may be required to flush out the clot.
6. Loss of sensation: Sometimes, nerve endings may get damaged during a face lift surgery. This can result in temporary loss of sensation in the area and difficulty in controlling the facial muscles. There may also be numbness or a tingling sensation around the incisions. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Dermatologist.

Post-pregnancy weight can be difficult to get rid of. It is a gradual process and often takes time. Experts are of the view that hormonal imbalance and a sudden increase in the diet are the major cause of the additional weight. This being said, shedding weight is possible if a consistent effort is made on a daily basis. Here is a list of hat tips to get you started:

1. Walk every day: Walking 5 minutes a day does the world of good in the endeavor of shedding weight. Post the 6-week check-up after the arrival of the baby, the duration of walking can be increased. Brisk walking for half an hour can help the body to weight as much as 300 calories a day.
2. Weight training- Weight training is one of the best forms of exercise to lose weight quickly. If hitting a gym is a problem, a personal trainer can be hired for working out. Certain exercises such as lifting small weights, doing lunges is a good way to start.
3. Breastfeed: Breastfeeding for a time duration of 30-45 minutes (about3-4 times a day) helps to lose 600-800 calories per day. Some women even report of shedding all their extra weight just through breastfeeding. This is by far the easiest way of losing weight.
4. Say no to calories- Calories, by all means, will have to be avoided. Certain fast food items such as soda, chocolate, and chips should not be consumed at all. Instead, meals rich in nutrient, fresh vegetable, fruits, whole grains etc. should be consumed on a daily basis.
5. Frequent meals- 2 to 3 heavy meals a day are detrimental to a person trying to shed weight. Frequent meals, on the other hand, maintain a steady blood sugar level, reduce the tendency of over-eating and do not let fat store in the body.
6. Frequent naps- Studies show that frequent naps can help a great deal of weight. It reduces the craving of eating food with high calorie. It also revitalizes the metabolism and refrains a person from long term self-deprivation. Naps will also help to gather enough energy to perform other physical activities.
7. Healthy snacks- Home-made snacks containing whole wheat, low-fat milk and yogurt are good snack options for post pregnancy weight loss. These snacks block hormones that are responsible for storage of fat in the body.
8. Yoga or meditation- Yoga has proved to be extremely effective for women trying to shed post-pregnancy weight. It especially helps in toning down the fat in the upper and lower abdomen which is extremely difficult to get rid of. Yoga also relaxes the mind and helps to focus more.
9. Consumption of warm water- Drinking warm water after every meal serves two purposes.
   • It doesn’t let the fat store inside the body.
   • It helps in better digestion. It has to be ensured that the water is mildly warm and drinkable.
10. Avoid stress- Nurturing a baby is exhausting enough. Stress on top of this can be disastrous. It leads to depression resulting into junk eating. It has to be ensured that stress is avoided by engaging in activities such as cooking, painting or listening to music. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a dietitian-nutritionist.