Dr. Careaga and Dr. Durand’s Top Recovery Tips After Liposuction
Posted July 06, 2022 in Liposuction, Recovery
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There’s a definite reason why liposuction was one of the top performed cosmetic surgical procedures in 2020. Liposuction surgery permanently removes stubborn subcutaneous fat that normal diet and exercise can’t get rid of, and the results are nothing short of transformational!
Deciding to undergo any plastic surgery is something to be celebrated, but knowing what’s in store (both during and after your procedure) is important. No one wants their recovery experience to be long and arduous, so it can be helpful if you have a good, clear idea of what you should do as you recover.
Below, you will find Dr. Careaga’s five to-dos after your procedure to help you experience as easy a liposuction recovery as possible so that you can enjoy and show off your stunning results even sooner.
1. Don’t Exercise Too Soon
It makes sense: after your plastic surgery procedure, you feel motivated to hit the gym or go for a jog to add muscle to the new body contours you now have. However, this can be a bad decision.
It’s so important to understand that any plastic surgery procedure is a controlled injury to the body. This means you need to allow your body time to heal itself, and relaxing is one of the very best ways to do that.
Besides tiring an already tired and weakened body (from the liposuction procedure), exercising too soon after your surgery puts stress on your incisions, which could cause them to separate. Additionally, exercising too soon after your procedure could cause unneeded bruising and swelling (since your muscles swell as you exercise), cause a build-up of fluid, and increase the chances of infection.
While you may want to keep (or start) an exercise plan after your liposuction surgery, it is important that you follow your post-op instructions from Dr. Careaga or Dr. Durand and wait for your plastic surgeon to clear you to exercise.
2. Follow a Healthy Diet
We’ve all heard about the importance of maintaining a healthy diet; however, doing so is even more important after a cosmetic surgery procedure like liposuction. Eating the right foods after your liposuction surgery can help prevent infection.
Additionally, you can have a quicker recovery time and attain more dynamic results from eating the right foods after your procedure.
The nutrients in fruits and vegetables as well as a healthy amount of protein can ensure that your blood is circulating at its best, which will help reduce swelling, help prevent infection, and can even limit the amount of pain and soreness you experience.
Foods high in sugar and salt should be avoided, as these will increase swelling, slowing down the entire liposuction recovery process.
Along with maintaining a healthy and balanced diet, it is extremely important that you drink plenty of water during your recovery period.
3. Wear Your Compression Garments as Directed
It’s easy to think of compression garments as a hassle, but wearing them can be one of the most important and effective ways to encourage healthy and complete liposuction recovery.
Wearing compression garments does several things: it helps reduce swelling (and encourages the swelling to dissipate), it minimizes the amount of scarring you may have (by helping to protect the healing incisions), it minimizes the amount of pain and discomfort you experience, and it improves your end results.
Wearing your compression garment as instructed by Dr. Careaga or Dr. Durand is one of the most important things you can do to help your results turn out the way you want.
4. Undergo Post-op Liposuction Massages
The experience of getting liposuction is a shocking event for your body. While the purpose of this procedure is to remove stubborn fat from the body, fibrous bands are left between the tissues, which can affect your recovery experience.
However, post-op massages can help break these bands down so that you will have less pain, swelling, bruising, and inflammation.
Ultimately, lymphatic drainage massages after your liposuction can help speed up your recovery and give you the results you’re after. Additionally, these massages will help you feel more relaxed and comfortable.
5. Consider Non-surgical Body Contouring Treatments
Liposuction surgery will give your body a more contoured and defined aesthetic. But liposuction alone can’t give you a complete and total transformation. However, additional non-surgical treatments can help give you the overall improvement that you desire. Some specific examples of these treatments include Emsculpt Neo® and injectable treatments. Emsculpt Neo® can help you gain muscles strength without lifting a single weight, and injectable treatments like BOTOX® Cosmetic, JUVÉDERM®, or KYBELLA®, among others, can help get rid of unwanted wrinkles, fine lines, and other skin blemishes on your face.
Interested in Learning More About Liposuction in Miami, FL?
If you are interested in learning more about liposuction and recovering from your procedure in Miami, Florida, please call Careaga Plastic Surgery at (305) 960-7511 or fill out our online contact form to learn more.