Although cosmetic surgery is becoming more common by the day, it is still a surgical procedure, and every precaution must be taken to ensure the safety of anesthesia and to provide careful care during and after the operation. Dr. Nuran Kalekoğlu Erkalp works with experienced and specialized anesthesiologists in the state-of-the-art operating rooms of Class A hospitals. She focuses on achieving results that align with your unique characteristics. She will evaluate you personally and determine which treatment or combination of treatments is best for you. She will also review your medical history to ensure you are a suitable candidate for cosmetic surgery.

Dr. Nuran Kalekoğlu Erkalp will explain in detail all the risks, benefits, and alternatives of various treatments and surgeries. To kick off your cosmetic consultation, she will use computer-aided imaging to show you realistic and achievable results. Together, you will determine the best approach for you—one that delivers the surgical results you desire while ensuring a natural-looking outcome. In addition, she will evaluate symptoms such as nasal-related facial pain, pressure, headaches, frequent sinus infections, and nasal congestion—all of which can be treated simultaneously with rhinoplasty.

The goal of facial plastic and cosmetic surgery is to improve both function and appearance by removing or repositioning facial tissue. This can be achieved through several techniques, including surgical incisions and excisions, electrosurgery, dermabrasion, and chemical injections.

It is very important that your expectations regarding facial plastic and cosmetic surgery are realistic. Surgery can improve your appearance or correct physical functional impairments, but it cannot create an entirely new face. Simply put, the goal of surgery is to restore function or improve appearance and facial harmony/balance. Facial features can be reshaped but cannot be completely altered. Furthermore, facial plastic and cosmetic surgery does not solve personal problems or provide you with miraculous perfection. You should not expect to become a completely different person; this is something that facial plastic and cosmetic surgery cannot achieve.

Surgical procedures and recovery times can vary from person to person. Unlike at a gym or beauty salon, you can expect temporary swelling, discoloration, and other minor discomforts. Not all of your expectations regarding recovery may be met. Surgical success depends not only on the surgeon’s skill but also on your age, health, skin type, bone structure, and specific needs.

Please read and familiarize yourself with these instructions, which apply both before and after your surgery. By following these instructions, you can help ensure the best possible outcome. If you have any questions, please contact your doctor or their office.

Preparing the Face for Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery

For the two weeks prior to surgery, you should avoid taking aspirin, ibuprofen, or medications containing these ingredients, as well as vitamin E, which is also found in multivitamins.

During this time, herbal remedies such as garlic, ginkgo, and ginseng should also not be used. You should not smoke for two weeks before and after surgery.

For the two weeks leading up to surgery, you should avoid direct sun exposure, and for at least 6–12 months after surgery, you should protect your incisions from the sun. You should apply a high-SPF sunscreen to all visible incisions on your nose. Sun exposure to your nose can cause swelling and slow down your healing because the incisions absorb more pigment than the surrounding skin.

Get two one-kilogram ice packs. You will need to use these packs after the surgery. The night before the surgery, you should not eat or drink anything—including water, gum, and candy—after midnight.

You must come with someone who will take you home from the hospital. You will not be allowed to leave on your own.

Surgery Day

You should wear loose-fitting clothing that can be opened at the back or front. Avoid wearing pullovers, T-shirts, and turtleneck blouses.

On the morning of your surgery, you should not eat or drink anything, including water, gum, or candy. You may brush your teeth, but please do not drink any water. You may take any medications you need to take regularly (such as blood pressure medication) with just a sip of water.

You should leave your jewelry and valuables at home.

You should not apply any cosmetic products to your face or eyes, and you should also avoid applying nail polish.

If you have vision problems, you should wear glasses, not contact lenses.

If you wear dentures, they should remain in your mouth; you should remove them immediately before surgery.

Postoperative Care

You should not remove the cast and bandages until you are told to do so or until they are removed at the doctor’s office.

You should wash your face carefully, taking care not to dislodge the bandages.

When taking a shower, be careful not to get the casts wet; otherwise, they may come off.

You can eat and drink whatever you like.

You should avoid strenuous physical activity. Please do not go to the gym, exercise, or lift heavy objects for one week. You may go for slow walks.

For the 6 weeks following surgery, you must absolutely avoid the sun and tanning beds; heat and sun exposure can cause your nose to swell.

Use only the medications prescribed by your doctor. You can wear contact lenses the day after surgery.

Once the casts and bandages have been removed, you can apply makeup.

Please schedule a follow-up appointment one week after surgery to have the cast and bandages removed. Once the bandages are removed, do not be alarmed if you notice swelling and discoloration in your nose, eyes, and upper lip; these symptoms usually subside completely within two weeks. In some patients, it may take up to 6 months for all the swelling to go down.

Dr. Nuran Kalekoğlu Erkalp