Advancements in medical care these days are as much about recovery as they are the procedure itself. Many of today’s advanced aesthetic treatments and surgeries—liposuction included—can be performed less invasively and more efficiently than ever before, which significantly speeds up recovery.
But we now understand that there are many ways to promote recovery and even improve outcomes after the surgery itself. And these post-op boosts go well beyond “just get some rest.”
One of the best options you have for promoting surgical recovery and optimizing your results is lymphatic drainage massage.
Lymphatic massage is vital to recovery from all types of injury and surgery. But when it comes to liposuction, which is so much about shaping your body, lymphatic massage should be considered a significant part of the procedure—not just for recovery, but for the quality of the outcome and the overall success of your results.
What is lymphatic drainage massage?
Lymphatic massage (or Manual Lymphatic Drainage, MLD) works with and even stimulates the body’s lymphatic system, a complex group of organs and tissue that delivers white blood cells and other nutrients while filtering out and carrying away excess liquid, dead cells, bacteria, and other damaging or unnecessary cells.
Injuries and even elective surgery can damage lymph nodes and cause a buildup of fluid that can overwhelm the lymphatic system, slow the healing process, and even cause long-term side effects—including hardened tissue, impaired blood flow, deep-tissue scarring, or closed-off pockets of fluid called seroma.
When performed early in the healing process, lymphatic drainage massage manually manipulates these fluid-filled areas and encourages the fluid to flow toward the body’s many lymph nodes.
Similar to compression therapy but with a more intentional and focused delivery, lymphatic drainage massage prevents fluid buildups and keeps the lymphatic and circulatory systems working cleanly—right when your body needs them most.
Why is lymphatic massage so important for aesthetic procedures?
The healing process, even for minor surgery, will always cause swelling. It’s the body’s way of surrounding the area with infection-fighting cells and nutrients while limiting movement and potential further injury.
But as mentioned above, swelling can also inhibit healing if the lymphatic system becomes overwhelmed. Lymphatic massage helps to keep the lymphatic system moving.
When it comes to aesthetic procedures, any delay in healing can affect results. Lumpiness, scarring, stretch marks, flaky skin, hyper- or hypopigmentation, and other new aesthetic issues could arise.
Lymphatic massage will lessen or eliminate the potential for these complications.
How can lymphatic drainage massage improve my lipo results?
Of all the advanced aesthetic procedures out there, liposuction is arguably the one most focused tissue shape.
The lipo treatment itself is intended to withdraw fat in order to affect the shape of certain parts of your body. But the process of withdrawing that fat also causes damage. Which causes swelling. Which, if left untreated, can change your body’s shape in new and unwanted ways.
In order to ensure optimal lipo results, lymphatic drainage massage specifically treats post-op swelling and fluid build-up. As a result, your body heals faster. And it also achieves its post-lipo shape ASAP, with less risk of unintended lumps, bumps, and stretching.
How often should I get lymphatic massages after lipo surgery?
Every procedure and every patient is different. Those differences can affect your recovery, including when and how frequently you receive post-op lymphatic drainage massage.
But for typical Bradenton lipo patients, Bellagena’s certified lymphatic massage therapist Debbie recommends a lymphatic massage within the first week after your surgery. After that, one or two massages per week for the first month will help to optimize your results. For more details about what will work best for you, just ask Debbie!
You’ve probably waited a long time for your lipo procedure to fix issues you’ve felt for years, if not decades. Make sure you get the most of your results by taking care of yourself after the surgery—including lymphatic drainage massage at Bellagena Med Spa.
