One of the most common plastic surgeries performed today is liposuction, and more than 300,000 people get the procedure done annually. In a liposuction procedure, a doctor removes fat from a person’s body using a powerful high-pressure vacuum and a hollow tool called a cannula. If you want to reduce the amount of body fat you have, a liposuction can be a great option. To learn more about what you can expect after the procedure and what steps you can take to optimize your recovery process, check out the helpful information below.
Wear Compression Garments
After liposuction, your doctor will give you compression garments that you should wear. These compression garments can help reduce the size and number of seromas — which are collections of yellowish liquid in a body cavity. Compression garments can also speed up the recovery process and help the body to feel more comfortable after the procedure is finished.
Expect to Take a Few Days Off
While liposuction is a generally easy procedure to recover from, you should make sure to plan for a few days off of work after you get it done. Patients should expect to avoid strenuous activity and too much movement for around three days after a liposuction procedure.
Avoid Strenuous Exercise
It’s important for liposuction patients to get up and move around after their procedure to avoid the risk of blood clots. However, strenuous activity can be painful and slow down the healing process. A few days after liposuction, try resuming your exercise routine at 25 percent. You can slowly build up to your normal level of rigor from there.
Get Post-Operative Massages
After the first few days of recovery, patients can benefit from getting post-operative massages to speed up the recovery process. Certain types of massage increase blood flow and can, in turn, promote fast healing. Talk to your surgeon before you schedule a massage for the area where you received liposuction — you want to ensure that a massage will beneficial to you and that it won’t impede the healing process in any way. You might also want to seek out a masseur or masseuse who specializes in post-operative massages.
Stay on Top of Your Medicine
There are a range of medications your doctor might give you after you get liposuction. Some of them include painkillers and antibiotics. After your procedure, your doctor will explain how often and when you should take your medicines. Make sure you stick closely to the schedule your surgeon outlined. By staying on top of your medicine schedule, you can not only avoid pain from the procedure, but you can also ensure that you don’t develop any infections while you heal.
Try Arnica for Bruising
You can expect to see some bruising on your body after liposuction. To help the calm the bruising, try using Arnica — a natural method for resolving bruising after injury or surgery. While Arnica has been proven to help reduce bruising, you should consult with your surgeon before you apply any substance or medication to the site of your procedure.
If you are considering getting liposuction in Houston, reach out to us. We can explain who is a good candidate, how the process works and what patients can expect after they get their liposuction done.