Undergoing cosmetic surgery can be valuable on a long-term basis, but there are some short-term impacts that it’s important to manage correctly. Any sort of surgery can put a strain on the body, and that includes surgeries undertaken for cosmetic purposes. Patients that have cosmetic procedures often experience fluid buildup and swelling due to overstimulation of their lymphatic system.
If you’re planning to have — or have recently had — cosmetic surgery, then it’s important to work with a licensed massage therapist. They can perform a lymphatic massage that can help to speed up the recovery process after the procedure.
In this post, we’ll guide you through everything you need to know about getting a lymphatic drainage massage before and after your procedure. And don’t forget — at Deep Relief Austin, our specialist team of expert massage therapists are fully trained in the drainage massage process, ensuring that you’ll be on the road to recovery and back to your best in no time at all.
Your body usually regulates your lymph system all on its own. However, there are times when it doesn’t function precisely as it’s supposed to. Cosmetic surgery can put undue stress on the body and, in the process, lead to stimulation of the lymphatic system. That’s just your body doing what it thinks it should be doing, but can result in excess fluid and excessive swelling that prolongs recovery.
A lymphatic drainage massage was designed to help reduce the amount of swelling by pushing the accumulated fluid back into the lymph vessels. Often called a manual lymphatic drainage massage, or MLD massage, this light pressure technique was developed in Germany back in the 1930s and is also known as the Vodder Method after developers Emil and Estrid Vodder.
In recent decades, the lymphatic drainage massage has become an increasingly important aspect of the pre-surgery and post-surgery care routine.
The Benefits of Getting a Lymphatic Massage
So far, we’ve spoken about how a drainage massage can be beneficial for people who have a cosmetic surgical procedure, but it’s not just for people who have had a tummy tuck and need to get rid of the swelling caused by the procedure. This type of massage might be most suitable for patients, but they’re not the only ones that can benefit! Getting a massage that helps with lymphatic drainage can have the following benefits:
Your body needs fluid. It does not need an excess of fluid. While your lymphatic system can remove this unneeded fluid from your body, it sometimes needs some help. A drainage massage can push the fluid towards your lymph nodes, where it can then be expelled. People often say they feel lighter and fresher after lymphatic drainage, and that’s why.
Most types of massage can help to brighten up the skin and give it a healthy glow, and a lymphatic massage is no different. Indeed, sometimes it’s even more noticeable since the skin we’re often working with is on and around the face. Plus, this type of massage can help expel toxins that can impact the appearance of the skin.
All bodies can feel tense — it’s just that it’s especially common after surgery. Activating the lymphatic system can help to get rid of body tension, pain, and inflammation, allowing you to get back to feeling your brilliant best.
You can think of surgery as a temporary injury that breaks your body. A manual lymphatic drainage massage can reduce the tissue inflammation that follows an injury, whether that be due to surgery or other complications.
People get cosmetic surgery because it’ll eventually improve their appearance, but the surgical process can be quite a shock to the body. Many people that undertake a procedure experience side effects such as the following:
Lymphatic drainage can help to minimize the severity of these side effects.
It’s important to get a lymphatic drainage massage after your surgery, but it can also be highly beneficial to get one before your surgery, too. In doing so, you’ll be helping to significantly reduce the chance of scar formation, damage to your tissues, and pain. It can help to speed up the recovery process and prevent excessive swelling. In addition, it can make things easier for the medical professional performing the surgery, since the tissue they’re working on will already be well-drained of fluid.
Your body will have been through trauma during your surgery. A lymphatic massage can help the body to recover as quickly as it can. Your body will naturally produce more fluid as a way to protect itself from the effects of the surgery, but that fluid can lead to a longer than normal recovery time, as well as additional pain. By getting a lymphatic massage after your surgery, you’ll be reducing pain and getting rid of the metabolic waste that can impact your recovery time and immune system.
You can usually get your first massage just a few days after the surgery has taken place.
How often you should have an MLD massage will depend on the amount of excess fluid you have in your system. In general, we tend to propose a treatment plan that typically involves getting a lymphatic drainage massage two or three times a week until the desired results — such as a reduction in swelling — have been achieved.
If you’re planning to have cosmetic surgery in the near future, then don’t hesitate to get in touch with us here at Deep Relief Austin. Our specialist team of expert massage therapists are on-hand to deliver the massage you need to continue with your healing process. To book your appointment with a licensed massage therapist, please click here to use our online booking form. Alternatively, you can also give us a call at (512) 529-0027 and speak to one of our helpful members of staff.
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