Cosmetic surgery requires recovery time, and summer is almost here. Soon, thousands of Cincinnati men and women will flock to their backyards, local beaches, and pools in various states of relative undress.

To prepare, some are hitting the gym and others are considering a body contouring procedure. If you fall into that latter category, then this short guide is for you.

If you’re looking to get thinner, the most popular option is liposuction, a surgery that requires only a small incision and uses a tube that sucks fat from the body. It’s especially effective on those areas of the body where pockets of fat don’t respond to good diet and regular exercise, such as the upper arm, tummy, butt or thighs.

Depending on the extent of your liposuction, signs of surgery can endure for a few weeks after the procedure, so it’s best to schedule your procedure at least a month before you hope to show off your figure.

Another popular procedure is the tummy tuck, which flattens the abdomen, giving it a tighter appearance after being stretched out by pregnancy or weight loss. Many women find the tummy tuck extremely effective when used in conjunction with liposuction. After tummy tuck surgery, patients must wear compression garments for several weeks. While the scars from tummy tuck surgery will appear most prominent about three weeks after the surgery, your doctor will likely be able to position them below your bikini line, so that no one will be able to tell. The scars will gradually fade and flatten out during the summer.

Other procedures that remove excess skin, such as the arm lift, thigh lift, and body lift, require different recovery times. The arm lift may take 2-4 weeks to recover, while the thigh and body lifts may take 6 weeks.

If you’re considering having a procedure done in time for sun and sand, make sure to call your a qualified Cincinnati cosmetic surgeon and find out how long your recovery time will be, and how soon you might be able to show off your new body.