Post-Op Lymphatic Massage

Important: We don’t reopen surgical wounds to push out fluid!

Importante: ¡No reabrimos heridas quirúrgicas para expulsar líquido!

Post-op lymphatic massage can be an effective treatment for pain, swelling, scarring, and accelerated healing after surgeries like:

• Rhinoplasty (Nose Job): Reshaping and resizing the nose.
• Facelift (Rhytidectomy): Reducing wrinkles and sagging skin on the face.
• Blepharoplasty (Eyelid Surgery): Correcting droopy eyelids or removing excess skin.
• Breast Augmentation: Enlarging or enhancing the breasts using implants or fat harvested from elsewhere on the body.
• Breast Reduction: Reducing the size of the breasts.
• Liposuction: Removing excess fat from various areas of the body.
• Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty): Tightening the abdominal muscles and removing excess skin and fat.
• Breast Lift (Mastopexy): Raising and reshaping the breasts.
• Brow Lift (Forehead Lift): Elevating and smoothing the forehead and brow area.
• Chin Augmentation: Improving the balance and projection of the chin.
• Otoplasty (Ear Surgery): Correcting the shape or position of the ears.
• Buttock Augmentation (Brazilian Butt Lift): Enhancing the shape and size of the buttocks.
• Thigh Lift: Removing excess skin and fat from the thighs.
• Arm Lift (Brachioplasty): Eliminating excess skin and fat from the upper arms.
• Gynecomastia Surgery: Reducing enlarged male breast tissue.
• Mommy Makeover: Combining various procedures to address post-pregnancy body changes.

Post-operative massage helps you heal faster after surgery by improving circulation of blood and movement of lymph.

Post-surgery massage can also decrease stress and anxiety.

Whether you’ve had a joint replacement or other orthopedic surgery… or you’re planning aftercare for a Brazilian butt lift (BBL), mommy makeover (MMO), liposuction, tummy tuck, or other cosmetic surgery, post-op massage can help!

We recommend a pre-surgery lymphatic massage close to your operation date to help detoxify your system before your operation, and we can start post-op massage as soon as you have your doctor’s approval — some surgeons recommend massage as early as 48 hours after surgery, others recommend waiting two or more weeks.

What’s included in your 60-minute sessions:

• Up to 10 minutes of near infrared/red light therapy (more time is available as an add-on) to increase blood and lymphatic circulation and to support skin healing and tightening
• Manual lymphatic drainage with pain-relieving arnica massage oil (CBD/CBG oil is available as an upgrade, as is lymphatic cupping after 6 weeks post-surgery)
• 3 MHz therapeutic ultrasound to decrease pain and inflammation
• Our own blend of anti-inflammatory essential oils: turmeric, clove, black pepper, and ginger. Not only are these oils anti-inflammatory, several are also lipolytic, meaning they may help break down fat.
• Application of a soothing arnica gel post-massage to further reduce pain and bruising

Other add-ons available:

• Lymphatic kinesio-taping to decrease bruising and pain and to increase lymphatic drainage. Highly recommended!
• Cold stone therapy to decrease swelling and numb pain, or contrast therapy to alleviate inflammation, numb pain, and increase circulation. Recommended!
• Radio frequency skin tightening, which is great after liposuction if you’re left with lax skin. Radio waves penetrate to the deepest layers of skin, encouraging the production of collagen and elastin, increasing skin tightness.
• Scar-release massage to diminish scar tissue, release adhesions, and improve the appearance of scars. Scar-release massage can begin as soon as the wound has closed and the scabs have fallen off. We use massage oil with our blend of cicatrisant (skin-healing and scar-diminishing) essential oils: Helichrysum italicum, copaiba balsam, frankincense, lavender, and tea tree oil.
• Dry brushing to increase lymphatic drainage and blood circulation, exfoliate dead skin cells, unclog pores, and stimulate the nervous system. Not recommended immediately after surgery on affected areas, wait a couple of weeks. Take the brush home with you!

Check out a couple of our post-op massage testimonials:

What we don’t do:

We don’t reopen incisions or drain fluid outside the body. That’s out of the scope of massage therapy practice, invites infection, and unnecessary by the time you come to see us. Your body has mechanisms for reabsorbing and expelling the fluid.

Likewise, we do not use fat-destroying cavitation or wood therapy for post-op massages. While these are great treatments for those who want body contouring without surgery, they can be devastating to your surgical outcome. Wait six months before getting these treatments where you had surgery.

These therapies can disrupt the healing process by preventing the skin from reattaching to the fascia (which could cause a seroma or fibrosis). Wood therapy carries the risk of reopening incisions, increasing the risk of infection and added scarring.

While cavitation and wood therapy all have their place in the bodyworker’s toolbox, they should be avoided for six months to a year after surgery, depending on the surgery type.

Let’s Schedule Your Post-Op Lymphatic Massages!

It’s important to plan your post-surgery massages well in advance, as we’re generally booked out several weeks ahead.

To set up your post-op lymphatic massages, please go to our Scheduling page. For more information, please use the contact form or text us at 865-268-4433.