Compression and lymphatic drainage after liposuction

What the garment is actually doing

Removing fat leaves a space between skin and muscle, and the body fills any space with fluid. Steady external pressure keeps that space closed while the skin redrapes and the tissue planes stick back down. We ask for the garment twenty-four hours a day for the first four weeks apart from showering, then twelve hours daily for another four. Too loose achieves nothing; too tight leaves a fold that can mark the skin permanently.

Manual drainage: timing matters more than pressure

Lymphatic drainage is light, slow and directed toward the lymph nodes. We start between day three and day five and plan ten to fifteen sessions across the first six weeks. Deep, painful massage in the first week increases bruising and does not move fluid any faster; if a therapist is hurting you, what you are receiving is not lymphatic drainage. We show you the self-massage so you can continue it once you are home.

The fibrosis you are trying to avoid

Between weeks three and eight many patients feel hard, lumpy patches under the skin. That is a mixture of residual swelling and organising scar tissue, and it is the reason compression, gentle movement and drainage are worth the effort. Most of it softens over three to six months. The contour is only final at around six months, so judging your result at week six means judging swelling.

The routine we hand you at discharge

Walk ten minutes every two hours from the evening of surgery — it protects against clots and helps drainage. Garment on, no gym for three weeks, no hammam or sauna for six. Expect to need a smaller garment size around week three as swelling falls. Photograph anything that worries you and send it on WhatsApp at +905402555055; a coordinator answers after you return home, not only while you are in Istanbul.