Massage After Cosmetic Surgery: do I really need one?
Lymphatic drainage massages are vital to recovery after significant plastic surgeries, such as a tummy tuck, mommy makeover, or liposuction with fat transfer to the buttocks or BBL. These specialized massages help avoid post-surgical complications, including developing skin folds, stiff and painful lumps, enlarged pores, skin discoloration, uneven contouring, and wrinkles. Such issues can be unsettling for patients, but with targeted therapeutic massage techniques, they can be effectively alleviated, facilitating a smoother recovery experience.
At Medical Massage Professionals, we offer the most qualified specialists in Miami and Central Florida so you can get a good start on your surgery recovery.
In today’s world, misinformation is one of the biggest obstacles for surgery patients. Many individuals turn to social media posts and influencers for advice rather than seeking guidance from qualified professionals. While social media can offer inspiration and community support, it often needs more scientific accuracy and personalized insight for safe and effective recovery.
With the surge of influencers sharing their surgery journeys, patients are exposed to conflicting, incomplete, or even harmful advice. This misinformation can delay healing, lead to unnecessary complications, or prevent patients from achieving their desired outcomes.
We’re here to change that!
At Medical Massage Professionals, we provide trusted, proven solutions backed by decades of expertise. You don’t have to gamble with your recovery—our tailored treatments ensure you heal properly and maximize your investment in yourself.
A consistent post-op plan is the key to ensuring your surgery’s success.
Many individuals traveling to Miami for surgeries confidently begin their massage regimen in the city by choosing reputable massage therapists specializing in post-operative care. Upon returning home, it is imperative to seek out a qualified and experienced massage therapist or lymphatic massage professional to maintain this essential treatment. Consistent care is vital for enhancing lymphatic flow, minimizing swelling, and accelerating the healing process. This proactive approach empowers patients to achieve their desired body shape and significantly boosts their overall well-being. By prioritizing lymphatic drainage massages as a crucial component of their recovery, patients position themselves for a more effective and fulfilling outcome.
Browse our different treatments for each stage of your post-op and check our frequently asked questions to know everything that’s important before your liposuction or cosmetic surgery.
Post-Op FAQs
How soon should I start massages after the surgery?
Lymphatic drainage massage typically commences the day after surgery. However, it is essential that patients first obtain approval from the plastic surgeon who performed the procedure. This approval ensures the therapist is informed of the patient's specific surgical details and can modify the massage techniques to best suit their recovery needs.
How many massages do I need?
Each body is different, and each individual's recovery response differs. However, a planned post-op protocol or therapeutic plan is the best way to achieve consistent progress in each session. When massages are done with the appropriate technique and consistency, typically, between 10 and 15 sessions are enough to achieve great results. Our “Very Own” therapeutic plan consists of 10 sessions strategically scheduled for a successful result!
When should I book my massages?
As soon as you have a surgery date, please make sure you have a planned post-op treatment in place. Do not wait until you have had your surgery to schedule your post-op; you can face scheduling conflicts and lack of availability, and ultimately, your recovery depends on your good planning.
How long should each massage be?
Appropriate lymphatic drainage after cosmetic surgery should take a minimum of 45 minutes for a lipo 360 with or without BBL. To ensure all zones are properly worked, an additional 15 minutes must be added for each additional area surgically treated.
What happens if I get shorter sessions?
When you book shorter sessions than needed, the therapist does not have enough time to complete the protocol. This has a negative impact on your recovery, as the fluid will continue building up, with not enough stimulation to drain it. Similar to when you apply hair color, if you remove it sooner, the effect won’t be the same.
Are all massages the same?
No. Each massage is different and has its technique and effect. Regular massages mainly target muscles and joints, while relaxation massages target stress-affected areas. Lymphatic drainage is considered a specialized modality, the same as post-op massages; they need additional training and certification.
When you use a therapist who does not perform the correct modality, you will not have the expected result. Your recovery time is too short to waste on incorrect techniques.
For how long should I continue with massages?
We always emphasize that the recovery period is limited and lasts between 2 and 3 weeks. Most of your recovery should have been completed within this period. Nothing else should be needed if the post-op was done consistently and with the correct techniques.
How do I assess my progress?
You will notice improvement as you progress through each session of your post-operative massages. With every session, you will experience relief and feel better. The stimulation from the massages will help your body eliminate excess fluids through urination. Please remember that lymphatic massages are not performed on incisions.
Can the massages be scheduled as needed?
They can, but it is not the best option. Having a planned therapeutic plan will be the best ally in your recovery. This way, your therapist will adapt as you progress instead of having to start from scratch with each session. Read more about the differences between a planned protocol and individual sessions.
Are all massage modalities the same? Explore your options.
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Manual Lymphatic Drainage
MLD (manual lymphatic drainage) is a technique Dr. Vodder and his wife developed to treat swollen lymph nodes. Lymphatic drainage can be practiced on people who are contraindicated from massage therapy because of swelling to move stagnant or excessive lymph fluid (edema) due to illness, traumatic injuries, or surgery.
Drain excess fluids and toxins out of the body.
Reduce swelling and inflammation.
Improve lymph and blood flow.
Help to eliminate toxins.Lymphatic drainage massage involves minimal pressure and follows precise pathways that should not be altered without medical reasoning. Because of these benefits, it’s commonly used immediately after surgery to help eliminate fluids and speed up the recovery from cosmetic surgery.
MLD therapists must take additional training to become certified in lymphatic drainage.
As this technique is a specialty, please make sure your therapist is certified and qualified to work on you. Someone who is not can cause more harm than benefits.
Lymphatic drainage is never incisional, means that there is no reopening the incisions! Squeezing the area is NOT proper lymphatic drainage.
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Post Surgery Massage
Post Surgery massage after cosmetic surgery should begin 24 hours after surgery and up to the third day to begin.
Time per session must be proportional to the areas done at the surgery to be effective.
The minimum session duration is 45 minutes for one area. (360º+ BBL is considered one area).
It’s recommended to increment 15 minutes per additional area.
All the areas surgically treated must be included.
Stimulates the release of tumescent fluid, residual anesthesia, and excess lymphatic fluid.
AS SOON AS 24 HOURS AFTER SURGERY
NO LATER THAN 4 DAYS AFTER SURGERY
This is when we are your FIRST CHOICE after cosmetic surgery when you have not received massage elsewhere, not even self massage.
Make sure to pick this option for a more focused approach if you had cosmetic surgery.
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Post Surgery DrainageⓇ
In addition to all the already-known benefits of Manual Lymphatic Drainage, this technique is recommended for those who have passed the first 4 to 10 days of the surgery because it targets the harder areas, removing the fluids and small lumps.
This is the only technique that is fibrosis-preventative and has been patented in the United States.
Because of the exclusivity of this modality, nowhere else is performed, despite the misleading advertising of many practices.
As most patients come to us after receiving a series of sessions somewhere else, we will do a quick evaluation to distribute the sessions according to your best therapeutic outcome.
DAY 4-10 AFTER POST-OP
OR WHEN YOU HAVE RECEIVED MASSAGES SOMEWHERE ELSE AND WE AR YOU SECOND CHOICE
Make sure to book the correct amount of time per session. Min 45 minutes for 360 with or without fat transfer. Add 15 minutes for each additional zone surgically treated.
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Consultation
1 – Within three weeks of your surgery, if:
You have not received any massages, professionally or not, with or without devices, and you’re 10+ days post-op.
You have received massages, but you are experiencing the following:
🚩swelling or tightness sensation,
🚩soft or hard lumps or bumps,
🚩uneven areas, a skin color or texture change, etc.
2 – Anyone over three weeks after the surgery.
3 – If you already have diagnosed with fibrosis.
Assessment is about 45 minutes remotely or in-persons. It does not include any therapy and covers the time of a specialized therapist to review your case.
72 business hours after the evaluation, you will receive a written report of findings with a treatment plan, suggested number of sessions and quote.
An evaluation is required to estimate the number of sessions and to quote a treatment plan. Therapists do not evaluate thru photos.
Types of cosmetic surgeries and why is so important to know the difference?
Facial Cosmetic Surgeries
Rhinoplasty (Nose reshaping)
Facelift (Rhytidectomy)
Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)
Brow Lift (Forehead lift)
Chin Augmentation
Cheek Augmentation
Lip Augmentation
Ear Surgery (Otoplasty)
Facial Fat Grafting
Neck Lift
Genital Cosmetic Surgeries
Labiaplasty
Vaginal Rejuvenation
Penile Enhancement
Non-Traditional Cosmetic Surgeries
Hair Transplant
Calf Augmentation
Pectoral Implants
Body Contouring Surgeries
Liposuction
Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)
Body Lift
Thigh Lift
Arm Lift (Brachioplasty)
Buttock Augmentation (Implants or fat transfer) BBL
Mommy Makeover (Combination of surgeries, often breast and abdomen)
Post-Weight Loss Surgeries
Panniculectomy (Excess skin removal)
Body Lift (Lower, upper, or full-body skin tightening)
Breast Surgeries
Breast Augmentation (Implants or fat transfer)
Breast Lift (Mastopexy)
Breast Reduction
Breast Reconstruction
Gynecomastia Surgery (Male breast reduction)
Liposuction or Liposuction 360º? Lipo 360º or 180º?
Liposuction is the procedure that removes fat from different parts of the body “on-demand,” targeting specific zones (abdomen, arms, neck, back), not necessarily at the same time. The patient can select to have done only the arms or the abdomen and contour only that part.
Instead, the Lipo 360º procedure removes fat from the abdomen and makes a whole circle around the body, offering a contour in the midsection. 180º is the half of it. Simple!
Liposuction or Liposuction + Tummy tuck?
A surgeon can help you determine which procedure is best for your goals and circumstances and if they can be done separately or in the same surgery. A tummy tuck alone helps flatten a bulgy abdomen and tighten saggy skin and muscles, even when you are at your ideal weight, as it involves the removal of loose skin and, occasionally, muscle repair. While the tummy tuck only targets your abdomen, the combination with the liposuction could help achieve better body contour.
Why is so important to know the difference?
It is crucial to know the difference and let your therapist know what procedures you have done so that we can adapt the protocol to maximize the results. The post-op must include all areas surgically treated. For instance, a 45-minute massage for a liposuction 360º would be enough, but the tummy tuck must add an extra 15 minutes so the therapist can focus on that specific area to prevent bulgy scarring along the incision.
Allowing enough time for the therapist to work on all surgically-treated areas ensures proper recovery and minimizes complications. Just like when you apply hair dye, if you wash it off before time, you won’t obtain the same results.