If you ask plastic surgeons about the best time to get plastic surgery, they might answer with a wink, “Now.” The most popular season for plastic surgery is during the cold winter months—even in Southern California—especially for patients considering procedures such as a tummy tuck or breast augmentation at our Burbank practice.
Even though winter is statistically the busiest time of year for plastic surgeons, you might consider other seasons for scheduling either cosmetic surgery or nonsurgical aesthetic treatments. In this post, we’ll explore the best time of year for various procedures and discuss why patients should consider the season when planning their surgeries.
What makes winter so popular for plastic surgery?
Few people want to spend hot summer days recovering from plastic surgery. But bundling up during the chilly days of winter makes it much easier to conceal swelling and bruising with layers of clothes. That’s one of the main reasons women and men schedule cosmetic surgery once the days get shorter. But the timing is ideal for other reasons.
Those reasons include:
- People often have additional time off during the holiday season to recover without missing work.
- The start of a new year provides extra motivation to exercise and eat a healthier diet to maintain your surgical results.
- You’ll be ready to show off your results in the spring and summer.
Patients getting facelift surgery or rhinoplasty in Burbank may also prefer winter because it’s easier to avoid direct sunlight as their incisions heal.
What about other times of the year for cosmetic surgery?
Even though winter is often thought of as the season for cosmetic surgery, some patients plan their procedures for other months.
Spring
As the days start to get longer, people start thinking about summer vacation plans that often involve beaches or lakes where they’ll want to look their best. Booking a surgical procedure in March or April ensures that you’ll have time to recover and be fully healed by July. Breast augmentation and liposuction are popular procedures at this time of year, in addition to beginning a series of laser hair removal treatments.
Summer
The warmer months of the year are traditionally the plastic surgery “slow season” because people are vacationing, and recovering in the summer heat can be uncomfortable. It can be a good time, however, to schedule non-invasive or minimally invasive treatments, such as BOTOX® or filler injections that don’t require downtime. Additionally, you may find special deals on certain surgical procedures when business is slower.
Fall
With children returning to school, fall can be an excellent time to schedule a mommy makeover. Facelifts, rhinoplasty, and body contouring procedures are popular for patients who are thinking about the holidays. Autumn is also a time when people who want to reverse summertime sun damage might schedule laser skin resurfacing treatments or chemical peels.
What about planning for a special event?
Do you want to look your best for a wedding or class reunion? When scheduling plastic surgery so that you’ll be ready for a special event, you’ll need to factor in the time it takes to set up consultations with plastic surgeons, the time between the consultation and the surgery, and then the recovery.
You don’t want to ever feel rushed when planning cosmetic surgery or feel like you have to choose a less qualified surgeon because the surgeon you really want is booked solid. If you’re starting from scratch when looking for a plastic surgeon, allow at least a month or two to complete your consultations. Once you’ve made your choice, it can be 6 to 10 weeks before the surgery is scheduled.
How long it takes to recover fully depends on the procedure. For example, the physical recovery following a facelift is typically less than 2 weeks, but the “social” recovery time—when you’re ready for the special event—can be 6 to 8 weeks. And you should build in a buffer just in case there are any complications.
Ultimately, the best time for plastic surgery is what works best for you. No matter what time of year that might be, it’s important to choose an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon with whom you feel comfortable discussing your concerns and goals.
At our plastic surgery and laser center in Burbank, we see patients from Glendale, Pasadena, Beverly Hills, and throughout Southern California. You can request a consultation using the online form to meet with Dr. Vartany or call us at (818) 500-0823 to schedule an appointment.
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