If you are considering liposuction with Dr. Wendell Perry, you’re likely wondering about how long and how hard it is to recover from a procedure. While every patient is unique, several factors influence a patient’s total recovery time, including:

• The extent of the procedure
• The type of anesthesia used
• The number or placement of treated areas
• Amount of fat removed from the body

Bearing these distinctions in mind, this article should help you gauge what recovery is like and provide tips to expedite that process.

Recovery Time Table

Here is a breakdown of what to expect at various points in time after undergoing liposuction.

• 2-3 Days: Moderate pain and discomfort, usually able to be managed with medication. Most patients need compression garments to help with swelling and should keep physical activity to a minimum.
• 1-2 Weeks: Pain and discomfort may linger but to a much lower degree. Most patients can return to work, so long as they avoid strenuous activity. Compression garments remain in use and you should regularly check your incision and fluid drainage.
• 2-5 Weeks: No pain yet visible results. Treated regions may still be swollen or bruised. All incisions should be fully healed. Most patients can engage in any non-high-impact exercise routines after the third week.
• 6+ Weeks: Most swelling and bruising should be gone, compression garments no longer need to be worn, and you should be fine for any sort of physical activity.

Recovery Tips

Although how you feel during recovery is largely based on factors outside your control, including the specific surgical plan and your body’s natural healing process, there are a few things you can do to help speed up and make recovery after liposuction more bearable.

Follow Instructions

Observe all of Dr. Perry’s post-procedure instructions including wound care and scheduling follow-up appointments.

No Blood Thinners!

Ibuprofin, aspirin and other blood thinning medications can cause swelling or bleeding. You should also cut out alcohol, caffeine, and cigarettes.

Rest Up

Rest is vital to the healing process so you should clear your schedule. Do not feel guilty about lounging around; your body needs to focus on recovering.

Stay Hydrated

Hydration is crucial to healing at an appropriate speed.

Eat Right

You need to keep to a balanced diet that has little to no salts, sugars or saturated fats. Consider salmon, berries and green tea as tasty and nutritious dietary features.

In addition, apples and pineapples feature high levels of bromelain and quercetin, substances known for their anti-inflammatory properties.

Light Exercise

Listen to Dr. Perry’s advice and understand that brief activities like a short walk can do wonders for accelerating natural healing.

Lymphatic Massage

Liposuction causes the lymph nodes to work overtime and a weekly massage helps to drain the toxins stored within them. The massage also helps accelerate the time table on recovery, bolsters the immune system and lessens pain and discomfort.

Compression Garments

These are an essential, if sometimes uncomfortable, part of recovery because they cut pain and discomfort, help with fluid drainage, and protect incision sites.

Avoid Soaking

Any activity that submerges or soaks incision sites risks infection or slowed recovery. Stick to showers no earlier than day three day and hold off on soaking until at least 6 weeks.

Nothing Tight!

Tight clothes are not the same as compression garments and can even cause harm by restricting fluid movement.

Liposuction Procedures inAlexandria – Woodbridge, VA & Rockville, MD

For many liposuction patients, recovery is not intolerably painful and the benefits far outweigh the time it takes to see the results. To learn more about what you can expect from your unique liposuction treatment plan, schedule a consultation withAlexandria – Woodbridge, VA & Rockville, MD plastic surgeon Dr. Wendell Perry, who can examine your problem areas and give you a fully specific quote on what to expect during and after liposuction. Contact us online or give our office a call today to get started.