Surgery like liposuction or tummy tuck can disrupt the natural pathways of the lymph system, which in turn causes fluid buildup and swelling. A lymphatic massage helps stop excess fluid from pooling in the body. Lymphatic massages help reduce excess fluid in the body, prevent fluid from pooling, and break up areas of swelling.
What is A Lymph?
Lymph is a clear fluid contained in the lymph nodes that helps filter proteins, waste, and metabolizes cells in the body.
The lymph nodes remove the waste and circulate clean lymph fluid through the body. Lymph nodes contain white blood cells called lymphocytes.
The lymphatic system is the system of the body that helps maintain fluid levels in the body, circulate lymph fluid, fight off infection, and helps circulate blood.
The lymphatic system is a part of the healing process, and helps remove toxins from the body under periods of stress.
When the lymphatic system is not working properly, excess fluid can build up. This can cause edema, meaning swelling.
Things like illness, healing from infection, surgery, and emotional stress can all affect the lymphatic system.
Lymphatic drainage massage was originally developed to treat lymphedema (literally, lymph swelling), a condition of accumulated lymph fluid in the body.
Overall, this has benefits such as: supporting healing, relaxation, relieving stress, reducing scar formation, boosting healing responses, and reducing swelling and fluid retention in the body.
Why is Lymphatic Massage Necessary?
After surgery, the body creates new tissue to heal. This can result in swelling and scarring. While some swelling is necessary and normal, an excess can cause the tissue to tighten and thicken, and can have a slower healing process.
Patients heal more quickly when inflammation is reduced in a timely manner as well. Lymphatic massage will reduce swelling, and can help prevent the formation of excess scar tissue after surgery.
Swelling is a normal inflammatory response to plastic surgery – it is a part of the healing process. Lymphatic drainage massage can help reduce swelling and fluid retention after cosmetic surgery, which will help expedite the healing process.
This can help boost recovery time post surgery. It should be used in conjunction with compression garments post-surgery.
Compression Garments Help to Support Healing Post-op
Post surgical compression garments are designed to support areas of the body as they heal after surgery. Compression garments help prevent and reduce swelling after surgery and during the healing process.
Capillaries can be damaged during surgery and blood can get trapped underneath the skin. Compressing the areas helps the blood move throughout the body and works against fluid retention, decreasing swelling.
Compression garments also help flatten scars and prevent lumps from forming, keeping areas of the body smooth after surgery.
Medical grade compression garments should be worn after body surgery, with procedures like tummy tuck, liposuction, and Brazilian Butt Lift. These garments are put on in the operating room after surgery, and help decrease pooling of lymph fluid and blood in the areas of surgery. As well, with surgery like liposuction where fat is removed from the body, compression garments hold the tissues closer to encourage healing.
Your Surgeon will Help You Pick the Right Garment
There are 2 types of compression garments: stage 1 and stage 2. The type of compression garment varies based on the type of surgery.
For example, breast augmentation requires a surgical compression bra, while surgeries like tummy tuck and BBL require body focused garments, meant to support the stomach, thighs, and butt.
Stage 2 garments are smaller than stage 1 garments, are meant to be worn after initial swelling begins to go down.
Surgical compression garments should be worn for a minimum of 6 weeks after surgery. After 3 weeks, the stage 1 compression garment often becomes loose as the initial swelling resolves. When this happens, the compression garment is switched for a stage 2 compression garment.
Garments can Also Help to Prevent Scarring
Surgical body procedures like liposuction, Brazilian Butt Lift, and Tummy Tuck can have additional swelling, and lymphatic massage will help move the fluid that has built up in the body during this time. This can also prevent fibrosis, also known as the development of a thick, fibrous scar tissue.
As well, lymphatic drainage can help reduce bruising post surgery. The number of sessions can vary depending on the amount of swelling after surgery.
For example, 3 to 10 sessions of lymphatic massage can be recommended, depending on type of surgery and the specific needs of the patient. If you do not wear compression garments after surgery, swelling can linger much longer. As well, risks of scarring and bruising are increased after surgery.
Clients who have more invasive and intensive surgeries are at higher risk of developing extra and permanent scar tissue after surgery. Make sure you follow your surgeon’s instructions carefully for the best results
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