Do you wish you could lift sagging skin without incisions, scars, or pain? If so, you may be the perfect candidate for the Nova Thread Lift at Advanced Clinics in Oklahoma City, OK. This non-invasive lifting technique requires adherence to very few restrictions. Today, we’re looking at what you should avoid before and after your treatment for the best results to help you determine whether it is right for you.
What Should You Avoid Before and After a Nova Thread Lift?
What To Avoid Beforehand
Blood-Thinning Supplements
You should avoid blood-thinning supplements in the 48 hours leading up to your thread lift. Examples include:
- Omega fish oils
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Vitamin E
- Ginseng
You should also avoid blood-thinning drugs, like NSAIDs and most MAOIs. If your primary care physician has advised you to take an NSAID daily, let us know during your initial consultation.
Tobacco Products
It is very important to avoid tobacco products in the seven days leading up to your treatment because smoking elevates your blood pressure and dehydrates your skin. Note, you should avoid all tobacco products, including smoking cessation tools, like nicotine patches or gum. Furthermore, to help keep your blood pressure normal and skin hydrated, you should avoid drinking alcohol in the seven days leading up to your treatment.
Harsh Cosmetic Treatments
It is very important to avoid skin irritation before your Nova Thread Lift. Therefore, you should not receive any chemical peels or other harsh cosmetic treatments during the week or two prior to your thread lift. Furthermore, you should refrain from using over-the-counter cosmetic products that contain acids that may cause skin irritation. For example, you should strongly consider avoiding anti-aging treatments that include glycolic acid.
Makeup
It is highly advisable to attend your appointment with a bare face. Before your treatment begins, your skin will be cleansed. Your session will take a little longer if you come in wearing makeup or other cosmetics that need to be removed prior to your session. If you feel like you have to wear makeup to your appointment, make sure it is makeup you wear regularly. You should not try makeup with new ingredients that may cause skin irritation.
Sunburn
Wear sunscreen diligently in the two weeks leading up to your treatment session. Depending on your skin tone and family medical history, you should be wearing a broad-spectrum SPF 35 sunscreen or look for more protection. For example, if you have very pale skin or a family history of skin conditions caused by sun damage, you should look for an SPF 55 sunscreen. For maximum sun protection, read the back of the sunscreen bottle carefully.
You should ensure your sunscreen is not expired and store it appropriately. If it is stored in a warm, damp room, like the bathroom, it will lose efficacy. Furthermore, you should reapply your sunscreen regularly as directed on the back of the bottle. Typically, you should reapply your sunscreen every four hours. Finally, make sure you wear sunscreen indoors. UVC rays can pass through glass.
Dehydration
It is essential to avoid dehydration before your treatment session. Dehydration elevates your blood pressure and can cause severe electrolyte imbalance. To mitigate the risk of dehydration, try to drink at least 96 ounces of hydrating fluids daily in the week leading up to your treatment. Examples of hydrating fluids you can incorporate into your diet include water, carbonated water, unsweetened tea, and unsweetened coffee.
Soda will not hydrate you, and fruit juice consumption should be minimized. If you choose to drink fruit juice, make it yourself. Most store-bought fruit juice is extremely processed and high in added sugars. Unfortunately, sugar breaks down collagen, and collagen loss is the cause of the sagging skin that is causing you to seek a thread lift. You will see your final results faster if you minimize your sugar consumption before and after your treatment session.
Micronutrient Deficiency
It is also important to avoid micronutrient deficiency in the week leading up to your treatment session. The more nourished your body is, the faster you will see the final results of your treatment. To mitigate the risk of micronutrient deficiency, make sure you incorporate at least one fruit and vegetable into each meal. You should also make sure you are eating a wide array of produce to ensure you are meeting your RDA of all of the micronutrients you need.
Fresh produce will provide you with the most nutrition. However, if you are worried about your produce spoiling, frozen produce is a good alternative. When produce is frozen at the peak of ripeness, the nutrients are preserved. Canned produce does not provide as much nutrition as fresh and frozen alternatives. Besides providing essential micronutrients, produce is great to eat before your treatment because fruits and vegetables tend to be high in water.
Copious Amounts of Caffeine
It is absolutely essential to you avoid consuming too much caffeine before your treatment. Caffeine is a diuretic, flushing out essential micronutrients and hydration. Read the labels on the food, beverages, and analgesics you take. You should take no more than 400 mg of caffeine daily from all sources.
What To Avoid Afterward
Sleeping On Your Stomach or Side
It is very important to avoid sleeping on your side or stomach during the first five nights following your Nova Thread Lift. If too much pressure is applied to your face following your treatment, your results can be affected. However, adequate rest is essential following your treatment.
It can be hard to sleep well if you are sleeping in a new position. Therefore, we recommend sleeping on your back for a few weeks before your treatment if you’re not used to sleeping on your back. You may find you need a pillow under your lower back or knees to keep your spine aligned. It is ideal to figure out how to sleep on your back comfortably before your treatment.
Wearing Makeup
You should avoid wearing makeup in the first 12 hours following your treatment. It is important for your skin to breathe during this time. After 12 hours, you may apply cosmetics that do not require a great deal of scrubbing to take off. Remember, it is essential that you do not apply too much pressure to the treatment areas following your thread lift.
Getting Facial Massages and Facials
You should avoid getting facial massages and facials during the first 10 days following your treatment. If you get a facial massage, there is a good chance too much pressure will be applied to your lower face. Facials should be avoided due to potential skin irritation.
Tobacco Products
You should also avoid consuming tobacco products and alcohol in the 14 days following your treatment. There are several reasons for this, including healthy blood pressure maintenance. Remember, both tobacco products and alcohol elevate your blood pressure.
Nicotine, a chemical compound found in tobacco products and smoking cessation tools, constricts your blood pressure severely. Alcohol is a toxin, and your body responds to the presence of this toxin by flushing everything out of your body, from the alcohol to essential micronutrients and hydration. This will slow your recovery significantly.
Excessive Heat
Excessive heat should be avoided following your treatment because heat increases your blood pressure. To avoid exposure to an excessive level of heat, take a tepid bath after your treatment instead of a steaming hot shower. You should also avoid steam rooms, dry saunas, tanning beds, sunbathing, and extremely hot soup. Other things you can do to mitigate the risk of excessive heat include staying hydrated and not exercising vigorously.
There is nothing wrong with moderate exercise following your treatment. In fact, gentle walking or other leisurely activity is great following your treatment because it gets your heart pumping a little more. Gentle activity strengthens your circulatory system, so micronutrients circulate through your body to your lower face more efficiently. Just make sure you are exercising at an intensity that allows you to sing. If you can only talk, you’re working out too hard.
Schedule Your Initial Consultation Today
A Nova Thread Lift may benefit you if you are not ready to commit to an invasive procedure, but you want to lift sagging skin. To prepare, you should avoid dehydration, cigarettes, alcohol, and blood-thinning drugs. After your treatment, you should avoid alcohol, tobacco, and sleeping on your side or stomach. To find out if this treatment is right for you, please contact us today at Advanced Clinics in Oklahoma City, OK to schedule your initial consultation.