With regard to drinking alcohol prior to liposuction, you will get different guidelines by different surgeons. The common answer is you should avoid any blood-thinning substances such as aspirin, Advil, vitamin E or alcohol for two weeks prior to surgery.

In my practice, I tell patients to avoid aspirin for two weeks prior to liposuction surgery. Regarding alcohol consumption, my recommendation is to cease drinking alcohol for two days before the surgery.

The reason you want to avoid blood-thinning substances is that it prevents excessive bleeding and thus, bruising post-surgery. It means a more comfortable and faster healing time.

Regarding birth control, I do not ask for my patients to stop their birth control pill routine. Because birth control can affect clot formation, surgeons will sometimes ask patients to stop taking the pills before going under general anesthesia. However, with pure tumescent liposuction under local anesthesia, the clot formation risk is greatly reduced. These patients are allowed to move on the table and walk around almost immediately after surgery, reducing the risk of clots.

Again, it depends on your surgery, anesthesia, health history and your surgeon’s recommendations.