Our patients love the idea of liposuction and we can’t blame them. This procedure allows our patients to remove their stubborn pockets of fat that just won’t budge at the gym and with a diet alone. Today, Dr. Philpott wanted to put together a simple guide for patients who are interested in learning more about what they can expect from their liposuction and liposuction recovery.
1. Your Liposuction Procedure
Your liposuction procedure will be performed by Dr. Philpott in our state-of-the-art facility. Your liposuction treatment will vary depending on your desired results and the technique Dr. Philpott feels will help you achieve your ultimate aesthetic goals.
2. The First 48 Hours After Liposuction
During the first two days following your procedure, you’ll likely be the most uncomfortable. Dr. Philpott will ask you to wear a specialized compression garment to promote healthy healing, and may prescribe you pain medication to ease your discomfort. If you see fluid leaking from your incisions and bruises start to form, don’t get alarmed. This is normal and typically subsides on its own within a week or two.
3. The First Two Weeks After Liposuction
The first two weeks of your recovery is when you need to be the most careful. Your compression garment should be worn around the clock to promote proper healing and brief physical activity like walking around the house is recommended to promote healthy blood flow.
4. One Month After Liposuction
After about two weeks of recovery, you should slowly be able to start getting back to your normal daily routine including your office job. You’ll still be asked to wear your compression garment and participate in light physical activity consistently to stay on track.
5. Wearing the Proper Bandages and Clothing
While wearing your compression garment can be frustrating when all you want to do is see your results, we can’t stress enough how critical it is to getting the results you desire. Trust the process and don’t be afraid to wear your compression garment around the clock until Dr. Philpott instructs you otherwise.
6. Taking Your Medication
One of the best things you can do to help yourself throughout your liposuction recovery is to take your medication regularly and as instructed by Dr. Philpott. Controlling and managing your discomfort is critical to ensuring you can rest, relax, and have an easy breezy recovery.
7. Caring for Surgical Sites
Dr. Philpott will describe to you how to care for your surgical sites prior to your procedure and will send you home with detailed post-operative care instructions to ensure you keep your surgical sites clean and healthy. Make sure you use any antibiotic Dr. Philpott prescribes to you to avoid infection.
8. Watching for Complications
We know this sounds a little scary, but don’t be too worried. Just keep an eye out and let Dr. Philpott know if you notice yourself feeling feverish or see that you’re swelling more than anticipated. Catching these signs early can make all the difference if something does happen to go wrong.
9. Minimizing Scarring
While the incisions made during liposuction shouldn’t be very large, patients with sensitive skin should be aware that scarring is possible. We encourage our patients to consider scar minimizing creams once the incision site is completely healed to reduce scarring as much as possible.
10. Avoiding Still Water
This sounds like a weird one, but we know how tempted you’ll be to get back to the pool or soak in a bath. Sitting in still water puts you at a higher risk of your surgical sites becoming infected, so we recommend you save these activities until your surgical sites are completely healed.
If you’re interested in learning more about what you can expect from liposuction, contact us to schedule your one-on-one consultation with Dr. Philpott today. He’ll be happy to sit down with you, discuss your concerns and develop a personalized treatment plan to help you reach all of our aesthetic goals. In light of recent events, we are also offering virtual consultations that allow you to get all of your questions answered in the comfort and convenience of your very own home.
