Most people researching how to heal from surgery have likely read that massage is fast becoming an integral part of the recovery process. Cosmetic procedures require special post-op care to ensure optimal results from the surgery. Massage promotes blood flow, bringing oxygen and essential nutrients to the surgical area. This helps with the healing process.

Why are Massages After Surgery so Important

With its ability to reduce pain and swelling and promote healing, massage can be highly beneficial in the post-op process. It can help enhance rehabilitation after surgery and aid in your recovery.

The Importance of Massages after Plastic Surgery

Massages offer a number of different benefits after surgery. Here are some of the ways it helps during surgical recovery:

Reduces Swelling

Swelling is the body’s natural reaction to physical trauma. Although swelling is expected after surgery, excessive swelling increases pain and can delay the healing process.

Most therapeutic massage techniques promote good blood flow and oxygen throughout the body. However, it is the manual lymphatic drainage technique that is used to reduce swelling.

Manual lymph drainage (MLD) is a massage technique that assists the drainage of cellular wastes away from the tissues. As such, MLD contributes to the reduction of swelling after surgery.

(We’ll go into more detail about this important massage technique a bit further down so keep reading.)

Increases Blood and Oxygen Flow

You will generally experience swelling and pain after surgery. Massage can help reduce these sensations.

The friction created between the fingers and skin during massage improves circulation. The enhanced blood and oxygen delivery to the affected areas helps to reduce swelling and accelerate tissue repair.

Reduces Scar Tissue

Supple muscles and skin aid in the reduction of scar tissue formation. Although massage will not stop the body from creating scar tissue, massage can decrease scar adhesion. It can also increase the flexibility of any scarring.

Accelerate Healing

With increased circulation and proper delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the area, tissue can regenerate and heal faster.

Massage helps lower overall reduction in stress, which also contributes to shorter healing time.

Improve Immunity

Good circulation and drainage of excess fluid from the tissues help a healthy immune system. It also reduces the risk of infection.

Reduces Pain

Research shows that massage promotes the release of chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins create a sense of well-being and reduce pain.

Reduces Stress and Anxiety

Even in planned aesthetic surgery, there is a degree of stress and anxiety. This causes muscle tension and decreases blood flow. Not only does tension increase pain, but it slows healing.

Massage triggers the release of our feel-good hormones dopamine and serotonin. It also suppresses the stress hormones cortisol and norepinephrine. This helps to reduce stress and make you more relaxed.

Helps to Maintain Mobility

Movement is an essential part of post-operative recovery. Massage is an excellent solution to retaining natural movement and flexibility in the body.

What Type of Massage Should You Get After BBL Surgery?
The most commonly recommended massage after a BBL is lymph drainage massage.

The lymphatic system is a network of tissues and vessels that carries lymph throughout the body. The lymph is responsible for delivering essential nutrients and hormones to the tissues of the body.

BBL massage therapy is essential for eliminating accumulated fluids and reducing swelling, thereby reducing scarring.

It is also responsible for transporting antibodies that fight infection and removing metabolic waste from the cells.

Why Is Lymphatic Massage Important After Cosmetic Surgery?

A normal inflammatory response after cosmetic surgery is swelling. This is part of the healing process.

However, procedures such as liposuction and BBL can cause excess fluid to accumulate. And, left unattended, this can cause fibrosis – the development of fibrous scar tissue under the skin.

Lymphatic massage helps to move the excess fluid back into the lymph vessels, where waste and extra fluid can be drained from the body. This helps to prevent fibrosis.

A reduction of swelling and tissue congestion improves aesthetic results.

How Many Massages Do You Need To Get After BBL?

The number of lymphatic massages after BBL surgery varies from doctor to doctor and patient to patient.

Some doctors recommend starting BBL massage therapy as soon as 24 hours after surgery.

Some patients get a few treatments in the first two weeks after surgery, where others may require 12 sessions or more over a more extended period.

In the first week, we suggest daily sessions or every alternate day. The second week is every alternate day, reducing in frequency after that.

Patients who have multiple procedures simultaneously may need more sessions than someone who only has one procedure.

How Long Does a Massage Take?

Again this depends on the individual patient as well as doctor or therapist recommendations.

Massage is usually offered in varying lengths. Lymph drainage sessions can last anywhere between thirty minutes to an hour.

The length and technique of the massage are individual and depend on the extent of surgery and the amount of swelling and bruising.

Do Massages Hurt after Plastic Surgery?

Massage should not hurt after surgery. Although drainage massages may be uncomfortable because of the tenderness that follows surgery, they should not be painful.

The Vodder Technique is the most used method of MLD. It involves gentle rotating and pumping movements to move the lymph and increase its flow.

The gentleness of this technique makes it the ideal drainage massage after BBL surgery.

Depending on the type of cosmetic surgery you have had, the doctor may delay massage sessions until two weeks after the procedure when bruising and pain have subsided.

Conclusion

Massage can be an essential part of recovery following many plastic surgery procedures.

The physical benefits will help you reap the best result from your procedure.

With the added mental benefits of stress reduction and relaxation during the recovery period, massage should not be overlooked as part of the plastic surgery experience.

If you are looking for an expert aesthetic surgeon and professional post-op care in a luxury environment, Millennial Plastic Surgery may be the perfect place to call.

Page Updated on Mar 19, 2024 by Dr. Shokrian (Plastic Surgeon) of Millennial Plastic Surgery

Why are Massages After Surgery so Important?