The month of December is frequently the busiest time of the year for many plastic surgeons. While most people think plastic surgeons take off for weeks of vacation and fun over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, they would be wrong…at least for my practice and many other plastic surgeons that I know. The time that most people have off for the holiday season, end of year insurance deductibles, and to start the new year off with a new look prompts many to schedule their surgery during this time of year.

The hectic surgery schedule of the holiday season usually leaves January as one of the slowest months in many plastic surgery practices. But as February rolls around and the allure of spring just being a few months away, people’s interest in more major plastic surgery increases. While I don’t think there is a great influence of the time of year on elective plastic surgery procedures here in the Midwest, there are a few trends worth noting.

With the colder weather of a Midwest winter, this is a good time for any type of face or body plastic surgery. With the layers of clothes that are needed as colder weather persists, this is ideal concealment for swelling and bruising. Whether it is turtlenecks and hats to help hide the bruising from a facelift or blepharoplasties or sweaters and bigger pants to obscure garments used for tummy tucks and liposuction, one can recover more discretely than during the summer.

The colder temperatures and less strong sunlight make sensitive procedures such as facial laser resurfacing, chemical peels and laser hair removal more tolerable. The cooler temperatures are also better to help keep swelling down, particularly that of rebound swelling as one becomes more active. It is also mentally easier to lay around and recover more in colder weather as you don’t feel you are missing any outside activities that you could be doing. As many people take family vacations during the summer,  wintertime surgery avoids disrupting this schedule.

In the end, one has to undergo plastic surgery whenever their schedule permits regardless of the time of year. But the lull between Christmas and the spring is an opportune time for many to take advantage of favorable factors for a smooth recovery.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana