Liposuction Recovery Tips
While liposuction helps improve the shape of your body by ridding it of fat deposits. This procedure is not intended for weight loss.
Typically, liposuction is a procedure of choice for people who wish to eliminate localised fat pockets in stubborn areas. The liposuction procedure can be done on your face, thighs, hips, arms, stomach, buttocks and back. Also, liposuction may be used in getting rid of lipomas (fat tumours) as well as help reduce the breast size for men. This surgical procedure can be performed on multiple areas on the same day.
Below is a look at top recovery tips which can help you have a non-interrupted and speedy healing process after your liposuction.
- Attend All Your Scheduled Follow-Ups
Attending all your follow up appointments will allow the doctor to monitor and gauge your healing progress after liposuction. So, make sure to go for your follow up post-op appointments.
- Know What to Wear
Wearing the right kind of clothing is very important in ensuring you have a fast recovery process. Clothing that fits too tight will irritate the skin hence slow down your recovery process. Ensure that you are comfy during the healing process. To help patients, many surgeons advocate for comfortable and loose-fitting clothing as you heal.
- Eat Healthy Foods
For a speedy and an uninterrupted healing process, having a good diet is very important after liposuction. By maintaining a healthy diet, you are likely to experience less swelling. A good diet means including antioxidants, vitamins and other essential nutrients that can help the body recover its strengths. As concerns a proper diet to help with healing, take note of the following rules:
to-reduce-salt-intake-every-day/”>Reduce your salt intake as it encourages your body to hold water which will worsen swelling. To help with the wound healing and regrowth of muscles and skin, increase your protein intake. Each snack or meal should include good sources of protein.
Reduce your sugar intake as it will suppress the body’s immune system. It will also increase the blood glucose level, and cause mineral imbalance. Above all, eat small quantities of food regularly each day to avoid bloating or nausea.
- Hydrate on Low-Calorie, non-carbonated Beverages
During recovery post-op, proper hydration will help prevent dehydration. Typically, the recommended amount of water one should take is 8 glasses of water a day. However, following your liposuction, consider increasing the amount to between 10 to 12 glasses. In place of water, other beverages you may take include flavoured water, tea, skim milk, and diluted fruit juice. Avoid taking Gatorade as it contains high sodium levels.
In additions to watermelon, there are several high water-content vegetable and fruits that you can take. This includes celery, strawberries, zucchini and grapefruit.
- Ditch the Bathtub
You might be tempted to take a warm bubble bath, but this isn’t the best time to soak yourself in a bathtub. Soaking yourself in water will reduce the recovery rate and increase your risk of getting an infection. Rather than soak yourself in the bathtub, consider getting a gentle massage.
- Keep the Area Clean
Changing bandages regularly helps keep the liposuction area clean hence preventing infections from developing. Although you might feel tempted to clean the area with water or other products, avoid doing so over the first few weeks.
- Keep Moving
To start, you should have plenty of rest during the first 24hours after your lipo procedure. After that, you may indulge in light exercises like taking short walks which will accelerate the healing process. Remember that you should avoid intensive exercises during the initial few weeks following your liposuction. Additionally, your plastic surgeon will issue you with very precise instructions of what you can do and what you cannot do as concerns physical activities.
- Lymphatic Massage
A lymphatic drainage massage focuses on getting rid of accumulated toxins from your lymph nodes. This kind of massage has shown to reduce the recovery time and even minimise pain and discomfort experienced by patients. It is recommended that you do this massage weekly as it will boost your immunity and lower your risk of getting an infection.
- Use Sunscreen
Since newly formed scar tissues have no pigmentation, you must avoid exposing them to the sun for at least a year post-surgery. Exposure of scars to the sun may result in permanent discolouration. Use a stick sunscreen to enjoy the most protection. As an alternative, an SPF 15 sunscreen lotion, Parsol 1789 and broad-spectrum protection are also acceptable. However, make sure that you consult with your doctor for specific sunscreen recommendations.
- Follow Your Surgeon’s Instructions
To help you in your healing and recovery process, your physician will give you post-care instructions which you should stick to. You will be provided with a compression garment. Although this piece of clothing is not as comfortable, it helps improve post-surgical results. Be sure to wear this garment as long as it is needed. All medication provided should be taken according to your physician’s instructions. Above all, contact your surgeon if you have specific questions relating to your recovery process for clarification.
