post-op checklist

You did it! Procedures and surgeries vary in complexity, and each provider has a different set of instructions to follow post-operatively. Here are a list of general suggestions to follow after a procedure is done to the skin:

1. Keep it clean. Just as we suggest to clean before a procedure, it is equally if not more important to keep clean after a procedure. That being said, there are some procedures such as Patch Testing that require no water to the area for a few days, and others such as Botox injections that may get wet right away. In general, keep dirt that you can see off the site as best as you can.

2. Limit activity and stretching of the skin. Again, this varies from procedure to procedure. If you had sutures placed, it is important to keep sutures intact and not to break them. This may mean limiting or modifying your regular exercise. For some procedures, changing your routine may last weeks to months until the lesion is fully healed - for others, such as cryotherapy, it may be self-limited based on your own pain tolerance. If you are unsure how much activity you may need to limit, ask your provider at the visit.

3. Ointment for open wounds and suture. Unless specified otherwise, I usually recommend petroleum jelly vs neosporin (petroleum jelly with anti-bacterial ingredient) for open wounds on sutured skin. This is because petroleum jelly is wonderfully plain, so it is unlikely to contain anything that could further irritate delicate skin. If you have questions, always ask your provider for clarification.