At Atlantic Coast Aesthetics, we get a lot of questions from patients who are concerned that maybe the results they’re seeing aren’t what they should expect, especially in the earlier stages of healing. The thing to remember is that “normal” is a very broad concept in the medical profession. Even identical twins may experience different healing curves, even though they had identical procedures performed within hours of each other, which makes “normal” a moving target. An example of this was a question fielded by our Chief Medical Officer and founder, Dr. Thomas Pane, during a recent Instagram Live chat. The viewer asks: “I recently had a mommy makeover and I love my results. How long does it take for the swelling to go down? I still look a little bloated on one side.”
The early swelling usually goes down at roughly 3-6 weeks, but you’ll still notice it. For full swelling resolution where the area doesn’t feel “hard” or firm to the touch, it can take a minimum of 3-6 months or more for one person where another achieves swelling resolution much more quickly. Also, the skin may be a bit numb on the sides where the lipo has been done, especially in the center of the belly and areas where the skin was raised up.
The skin sensation takes the longest to come back, up to a year or so, but that doesn’t affect anything visually or functionally. At around 6 weeks, you could theoretically do Olympic
weightlifting if you wanted to. You can’t hurt it that way, but it’s a good idea to take it easy until around the 6-week mark to give the area time to heal.
The swelling usually does take a long time to go down and I do a reasonable amount of lipo on other areas too, to get the best result for the patient. You may notice some hardness or stiffness in the area after the first couple of weeks, but after that point you really can’t hurt it if you take it slow and easy during the first six weeks postop.
It’s important to remember that everyone has a different healing curve and individual habits and healing factors which will impact the recovery time and overall results. It’s perfectly fine and even natural to want to compare results with your friends or people you know, but because every body is a little different, you may heal faster or it may take longer than others in your social circle. Your scarring might not be as visible as theirs or vice versa. You might experience swelling reduction a lot faster than they do or your swelling might hang on longer than theirs did. Having reasonable expectations about the aftereffects of the procedure beforehand, coupled with your own knowledge of your body’s responses to injury, trauma and healing can help alleviate some of your worries about what’s “normal” before, during and after the procedure.
This absolutely DOES NOT mean if you think there’s a problem, you should just ignore it or say, “Oh, it’s okay. That’s normal.” If you see or experience anything that doesn’t look or feel quite right, you should contact us right away so we can follow up. We’d rather see you a dozen times over false alarms than miss one real problem that could prove to be life-threatening. When you’re given aftercare instructions for postoperative care, we include a list of symptoms and things to look for which could indicate a potential complication. It’s always easier and better to deal with these things as early as possible than to put them off, which is why we so strongly encourage you to keep your eyes open and report anything that seems “off,” no matter how minor, as soon as possible so we can make sure everything’s okay.
If you have a question about any aspect of cosmetic surgery, Dr. Pane and everyone on the staff of Atlantic Coast Aesthetics is here for you and happy to help address all your interests,
concerns and questions. Simply click here to contact us; follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter; or call us at (561) 422-4116. Your question might even be selected as a focal point for discussion in an upcoming Ask Dr. Pane segment, allowing us to help others who have the same questions and concerns you do while giving you the real talk and straight answers you need to decide if cosmetic surgery procedures are right for you. Remember, at Atlantic Coast Aesthetics, we believe the only bad question is the one you DON’T ask!