Brachioplasty
Another surgical procedure that isn’t as popular in the summer, Dr. Mays says, is brachioplasty, which involves the removal of excess arm skin. “It should be avoided if you are going to have prolonged, direct sun exposure. The scars are on the arms in a sun-exposed area and can be difficult to cover comfortably in the hot summer months. And, in the early post-op period, for any surgical procedure, submerging in water is contraindicated for the first two to four weeks to prevent infection of the surgical sites. This includes pools, hot tubs and even salt water.”
Water isn’t the only thing you have to keep in mind post-surgery: Dr. Hillelson says there will also be activity restrictions after a procedure like brachioplasty, or another large body procedure, and summertime typically calls for more activities. “Excessive sweating should be avoided, too, to avoid irritating or disrupting sutures and bandages,” she adds. “But all that being said, I have done all of these procedures in all seasons as long as I felt that my patients understood the importance of these restrictions.”
