Top 5 Ways Compression Garments Benefit Your Plastic Surgery Results
Posted March 27, 2024 in Plastic Surgery
Several cosmetic surgery procedures require that you wear a compression garment during recovery, but what are the benefits? In this blog, we discuss the top five ways compression after plastic surgery can ensure you get the stunning results you want.
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You’ve done it, and now your procedure to reach your aesthetic goals is finished. Still, your recovery journey is only beginning. When recovering from cosmetic surgery, following your surgeon’s post-op instructions is the best way to ensure that you reap the maximum benefits. In some cases, wearing a compression garment is a vital part of your recovery from plastic surgery. Several procedures require wearing a compression garment after surgery, but you may be asking yourself what benefits compression garments offer. In this blog, we discuss the top five ways compression after plastic surgery can ensure you get the stunning results you want.
What Is a Compression Garment?
When you think of compression garments, you may think of the slimming shapewear that smooths out lumps under your clothes or thick socks that people wear when they have varicose veins. You’re on the right track, but the type of compression garments you wear after plastic surgery are a bit different. They’re made specifically to enhance your results while also helping your body heal.
Post-operative compression garments are made of high-quality synthetic fabrics (like lycra, elastic, and nylon) that support the surgical area and encourage fluid reabsorption to reduce swelling. They’re made to be comfortable, breathable, and, in some cases, anti-microbial. They come in a wide variety of styles and sizes to fit the needs of every plastic surgery patient, from liposuction to breast augmentation to tummy tucks. So, why do surgeons want you to wear compression garments after a plastic surgery procedure? What benefits do they offer?
1. Compression Garments Reduce Swelling
One of the top reasons your surgeon wants you to wear a compression garment after cosmetic surgery is to help minimize swelling. After surgery, your body sends extra fluid and other healing elements to the injury site (in this case, surgical incisions). Even though the fluid is designed to encourage healing, it causes inflammation and swelling.
Your body will eventually absorb the excess fluid, but wearing a compression garment speeds up the process. This means that the swelling will go down quicker, and you’ll be able to see the results of your procedure sooner.
2. Compression Garments Provide Support and Protection
After cosmetic surgery like a breast lift or body contouring, your body is trying to heal and adjust to its new shape. A compression garment helps hold your muscles and tissue in the correct place as you recover so that you don’t end up with unsightly skin ripples and lumps where you don’t want them.
Compression garments also provide extra protection for your incisions, making them less vulnerable to infection and encouraging them to heal correctly.
3. Compression Garments Increase Blood Flow
While rest is vital to healing, you also need to get your blood flowing. Your surgery may temporarily limit your mobility, and the last thing you’re thinking about is how efficiently your blood is circulating. Fortunately, wearing a compression garment takes all the thinking out of the equation.
Wearing a compression garment elevates your skin’s temperature, increasing circulation. The increased circulation provides a steady stream of oxygen-rich blood to the surgical site and nutrients necessary for healing. Equally important is the fact that blood clots are often a side effect of surgery, mainly as your movement is limited during recovery. The increased blood flow facilitated by the compression garment reduces the risk of developing blood clots and other infections and speeds the healing process.
4. Compression Garments Decrease Bruising
Bruising is an expected side effect of any cosmetic procedure because the blood vessels around the surgical area have been disturbed and often rupture. When blood vessels rupture, blood leaks into the surrounding areas, and blood cells move toward the surface of your skin. The result is discoloring, which we know as a bruise (or contusion). Again, while it sounds serious, this process is normal and isn’t something to worry about.
Compression garments distribute pressure around the surgical area, helping the affected blood vessels stop migrating to the skin’s surface. This lessens the appearance of bruising after cosmetic procedures.
5. Compression Garments Lessen the Appearance of Scars
Even though your plastic surgeon is deliberate in their placement and suturing technique, any incision will leave a scar.
Wear your compression garment if you’re concerned about scarring after your cosmetic procedure. Once your incisions have healed, the pressure from your compression garment helps keep the resulting scar softer and flatter, reducing visibility in the long run.
Learn More About Plastic Surgery in Coral Gables
If you’ve been thinking about enhancing your appearance with cosmetic surgery, there’s no time like the present to explore your options. Schedule an appointment at Careaga Plastic Surgery and discover what we can do for you. Call us today at (305) 574-9262 or complete the online contact form.