The Dos and Don’ts of Liposuction Recovery

If you have recently had liposuction, you should be congratulated for taking the risks and going through with the scary surgery. The surgery is over, and the danger has passed—right? Wrong! There are still many rules and procedures that need to be followed during liposuction recovery in order to recover properly. The possibility of complications isn’t over yet, and you should minimize your risk as much as possible. You may have heard that the surgery is so minimal that people go back to work after three days. While the liposuction recovery period is relatively short, most doctors recommend that you don’t go back to work until at least a week after you have the liposuction procedure performed. However, specific instructions will be given by your doctor regarding when you can return to your everyday life. Most doctors will tell you to relax and take it easy—this will ensure that the healing process is as smooth as possible.

Things to Consider

During your liposuction recovery, there are several things that you should keep in mind. First of all, after the liposuction surgery, an Ace bandage or compression garment needs to be worn until drainage has stopped. This could mean that you need to wear it for days, or maybe even for two to four weeks. The time it takes for drainage to cease depends on both the individual patient and the individual surgery.You should change the bandages every one to two days during your liposuction recovery, and the drains and sutures will be removed after the drainage is finished. If you experience pain during your liposuction recovery, you should use prescribed or over-the-counter medication. However, if you have to use pain medication for more than two weeks, you should see your doctor. Bruises will fade after several days, or possibly several weeks; swelling will begin to go down after several weeks or possibly several months. During your liposuction recovery, you may experience numbness for several weeks. You can resume normal activity anywhere from a few days to a few weeks afterwards, depending on the individual procedure and the recommendations of your doctor.

You are probably eager to see the results of your liposuction, and you might be wondering how long it will take before you can finally see the body that you want. Well, be patient. You will be able to see the final result anywhere from one to six months after surgery. However, in as little as a few days to a few weeks (or as the swelling subsides), the patient usually sees small differences in appearance.