Aesthetic surgery can be a life-changing experience and give a person not just improved appearance, but enhanced self-esteem. Whether you have opted for a subtle enhancement or something more transformative, knowing how to maintain your results is vital to sustaining the benefits for years to come. In this blog, multi-award winning surgeon and TV presenter, Dr Rozina Ali provides her expert tips for longer lasting beauty.

Let’s start at the beginning. First and foremost, your selection of surgeon is key and will really make the difference in the results you can achieve and how long they will last. It’s important to seek out a surgeon, who will not just deliver a one-off procedure and then disappear. Instead, it’s vital you find someone you can work with, hand in glove, to develop a programme of treatments that will help you achieve your ultimate aims.

I pride myself on building meaningful relationships with my clients. I’m privileged to be able to offer an extensive range of surgical, non-surgical and regenerative aesthetic treatments. These can be used in synergy as part of a tailored programme, to meet specific desired outcomes. As I said in my TEDx Talk, aesthetics is not a passive ‘sleeping beauty’ process. It’s an active engagement between doctor and patient to achieve that ‘happy ever after’ future. All the treatments I offer return form and function, shape and symmetry, but more importantly, their primary goal is in fact to facilitate positive psychological change and make you ‘whole’ again. It’s the ultimate in self-determination to change from your old self to your preferred imaging of self.

Planning the pathway to self-realisation is an art in itself, then there is the treatment which I am privileged to be able to offer and perform, but the main determinant of outcome is YOU- your participation, realism and self-care.

In terms of maintenance of results following a procedure, it’s fair to say the recovery period is at least as important as the procedure itself and must be observed diligently for the full benefits to be achieved.

You must remember you are the keystone and foundation of the procedure, what you do in the days, weeks and months following your treatment makes all the difference in outcome and sustaining the transformation.

Every patient and procedure is different, many variables affect how much recovery time you need after going through one or a combination of surgical procedures. The results are in your hands, you can significantly impact your recovery by carefully following your post-operative instructions. This includes medication, wound care, and activity restrictions especially exercise and bathing.

You must of course take it easy and allow for any swelling or bruising to settle. I'm saddened when someone tells me they've got no time for themselves and need to go back to work within days of elective surgery. Seriously? That’s all the time and care you could allocate to yourself?

By strictly following post-operative guidelines, you minimise the risk of complications and set the foundation for optimal healing. It’s the basics- NO smoking, rest, eat good quality food, wear any surgical compression garments, plan your downtime!

Wound care, scar management are all in your sphere of influence. Attending your wound checks and regular reviews- they are timed to coincide with major changes in your management. Regular follow-up appointments with your aesthetic surgeon are important. I’m one of the few practices to offer annual reviews in order to monitor scar evolution and on-going enhancement of outcome. It’s also vital that you have the opportunity to address any concerns you might have early on.

It’s really important to be kind to yourself and remember that recovery is a journey, it takes time and should be enjoyed, it’s a vital period of transition. Whether you've had a facelift or breast augmentation, a tummy tuck or a blepharoplasty, remember it's normal to look worse before you see improvements. Almost all cosmetic surgery procedures come with some superficial bruising and swelling. It might take a few days or several weeks to fully appreciate the results. Stay calm and don’t stress as that too can slow down your body’s natural healing process.

During recovery, your body is in a state of tissue breakdown and repair, making restful sleep crucial. A healthy diet, consistent exercise, and proper hydration are key to not only supporting your overall health but also prolonging the benefits of your surgery.

Once through the initial recovery period I always tell my patients to enjoy the surgical outcome. Lean into the outcome, embrace the ‘new you’. Make life changes to invest in your new face or body. Invest in a skincare routine tailored to your new look. Use products that support skin health and complement your surgical results, this should include moisturisers and cleansers.

Sunscreen, as ever, is my number one go to beauty maintenance product and it becomes even more essential after surgical treatment. It protects the healing skin from harmful UV rays, which can cause sunburn, hyperpigmentation, and worsen the appearance of scars. Freshly treated skin is particularly sensitive, and sun exposure can lead to complications such as increased redness, swelling, and delayed healing. Sunscreen can help you minimise these risks.

Finally, we get to the enjoyable parts- the self care, beautification and nurture that we all look forward to; non-invasive treatments like exfoliation, radio frequency skin tightening, muscle relaxants, HA Fillers, microneedling, all can help maintain and enhance surgical results. These treatments can help with scars, asymmetry, volumisation, as well as lines, wrinkles, and tissue deflation that occur naturally with ageing. Aesthetics addresses the psychological well-being of appearance.