Is there an optimum time of year for patients to have their cosmetic surgery operations? Many patients opt to have plastic surgery when they know they have a period of holiday booked, for example over the Christmas period, so that they know they have time to recover before they go back to work, but are there times during the year when it is better for the body to undergo surgery?

Winter Cosmetic Surgery
Any type of cosmetic surgery is good to have done during the winter months. The cooler weather means that patients can wear extra layers and bulkier clothes to disguise any swelling or bruising. Scarves and turtleneck tops can help to hide the telltale signs of facial cosmetic surgery such as facelifts; Swelling from body cosmetic surgery such as breast implants, liposuction or a tummy tuck can be hidden by large, warm jumpers and coats.

Winter is also good for recovery – after any sort of surgery, it is usually advised to avoid direct or strong sunlight wherever possible and this is a much easier task to accomplish during winter than summer.

Spring Cosmetic Surgery
Spring is often a popular time of year for patients to have their plastic surgery because many resolve to go under the knife as part of their New Year’s Resolutions, and spring is a good time frame for the work to be done. It is also a time when people start thinking about looking good for their summer holidays so spring plastic surgery allows them time to recover before the summer period.

In cooler climates, the same sort of advantages as winter cosmetic surgery apply – heavier clothes can often be worn to conceal swelling and bruising. Strong, direct sunlight is also fairly easy to avoid.

Summer Cosmetic Surgery
Summer is probably the least best time to have cosmetic surgery unless you are planning to take a summer holiday to help you recover from the after effects. Sunlight will be at it’s strongest during these months therefore it means staying indoors wherever possible and applying a high factor sunscream regularly to help look after your skin. Hotter weather also means that it is harder to keep wounds covered up so if you are trying to keep your cosmetic surgery a secret from family or friends, it is much harder during the summer months. Some cosmetic procedures will also require patients to wear some form of pressure dressing such as a girdle to help recovery and in hot weather, this may be very uncomfortable.

If you are hoping to have cosmetic surgery to get your body ready for the summer months, it is also better to have your surgery earlier in the year to ensure that all the post-operative swelling and bruising has subsided.

Autumn Cosmetic Surgery
Similar to spring, autumn is a great time to have cosmetic surgery. Recovery from surgery during these months will probably be over by the time the holiday season starts meaning you can look your best.

Autumn also tends to be cooler than summer so jumpers and scarves can be worn to help hide post-operative swelling and bruising. Sunlight is not as strong during these months as it is during the summertime so again, it is better for recovery.