How long after liposuction do you have to start massaging?

There is no evidence that massage has any positive benefits for the liposuction patient. As a matter of fact, it might even do harm if too agressive. The area that has been treated by liposuction is a surgical wound. A repairative process must ensue that takes many months. The healing mechanisms in the body (that have evolved over thousands of years) are very efficient at repairing what the procedure has created. Let your body do the job it knows how to do.

Thank you for your question. Every surgeon has their own post op protocol. I would advise you to refer to your surgeon with any post op questions.

I have every patient who has undergone a surgical procedure return the next day for a lymphatic massage and continue to massage at home or with our therapist for the next few weeks, depending on your rate of recovery. This is very effective in aiding the body during the initial recovery period. After surgery, your body goes into a state of trauma and will swell. This massage addresses swelling and leads to a faster recovery as well as smooths out and wrinkles and irregularities in the skin. I find that it is most valuable.In this video, I sit down with our massage therapist and discuss the important role that lymphatic massage plays in recovery. Best,

Massaging is very effective to help get the swelling out, and even out the results after liposuction.  I recommend my patients start massaging generally about 2-3 weeks after liposuction.  That is when it can start to become tolerable, and some of the swelling has diminished.  One option is going to a lymphatic massage therapist to help with the massage.  Also, other options include getting a foam roller and using that to “knead” out the lumps and bumps and swelling.  For the back and other hard to reach areas, the roller can be placed down and you can roll the body on top of it.  All the best,

Thanks for the question. Having a massage is helpful in the recovery phase of Liposuction, but it's important to avoid aggressive massages. On the practice of Liposuction, some significant edemas would be created by cannula which passes through the tissue. A gentle massage will be beneficial for avoiding this kind of discomforts and provide much easier and quicker healing process. I wish you all the best.

I encourage all my patients to self massage by one week after their procedure. It helps move around the swelling, break up scar tissue, and most importantly calm down the increased / altered sensitivity. I also encourage my patients to seek out professional massage by two weeks.  Endermologie is also an option and usually tolerated by the second week. 

Compression garments are routinely recommended after liposuction and important to help see your improvement as quickly as possible.  Many of my colleagues do not recommend massage after liposuction. Certainly it can be done but one should wait until there are no areas of significant tenderness.

There is no formal evidence that massage helps the outcome after liposuction. There is significant evidence however that massage helps with scar tissue. In most cases, I have my patient's begin gentle massage after 2 weeks to the treated areas to keep them soft, smooth, and make sure no thickened scar tissue is forming. 

In general I don't believe that massage is necessary for most patients following liposuction.  In some cases where there are isolated lumps due to bruising or swelling, massage will probably help.  

hello livelife8729   Numbness around suction area will improve a few weeks after the procedure; lumpiness will also decrease with time although massaging can quicken the softening. #massage #fat reduction

Thank you for your question.  It is indeed safe to begin massage after liposuction as soon as you are able to tolerate it - as early as the first day post-op.  I refer my patients for post-op lymphatic massages very early after surgery.  I find this helps hasten the reduction of swelling after liposuction, smooths out potential contour irregularities, and helps eliminate small seromas (fluid collections).