Tummy Tuck

6 Dos and Don’ts for a Smooth Tummy Tuck Recovery

woman recovering after tummy tuck

While it’s normal to feel both excited and a bit anxious before your abdominoplasty, preparing for your procedure and aftercare ahead of time can help ease your mind. Following these five dos and don’ts for your tummy tuck recovery can help you de-stress and relax while your body heals and your results begin to develop.

  1. Do Plan Ahead

    A little advanced planning goes a long way. Before your tummy tuck surgery, get your grocery shopping done, clean your house and get caught up on laundry. You’ll also want to make sure that you have another adult lined up to drive you to and from your appointment, plus stay with you for the first few days to help around the house.

  2. Don’t Sleep on Your Stomach

    It’s important to get up and walk around frequently throughout the healing process, even if that means just taking a lap or two around your living room.

    It might go without saying, but you’ll need to avoid sleeping or lying on your stomach while you recover from your tummy tuck. Most people feelthe most comfortable in a reclined position with their knees bent. You can also prop a pillow under your legs to help keep pressure off of your abdominoplastyincision.

  3. Do Wear Your Compression Garment

    After your tummy tuck, you’ll be sent home with a special compression garment to help with swelling. For the first two weeks, you’ll need to wear your compression garment 24/7, other than when changing your dressings. For the next four weeks, you’ll just have to wear it during the day.

    Even though it might seem like skipping a few hours here and there isn’t a big deal, your compression garment can have a significant impact on how smoothly and quickly you’re able to recover after your body contouring procedure.

  4. Don’t Do Any Heavy Lifting

    During the first two weeks of healing after abdominoplasty, try to take it easy at home.You should avoid exercising outside of getting up and moving around your house to keep your blood flowing. At the two-week mark, you should be able to resume light activity like walking.

    Gradually over the next several weeks, you can begin to increase your physical activity, provided you’ve checked in with your plastic surgeon and are on track with your recovery. Still, you’ll need to avoid heavy lifting and very strenuous exercises for at least two to three months after your procedure.

  5. Do Follow Your Plastic Surgeon’s Instructions

    Your plastic surgeon should provide you with a detailed list of tummy tuck recovery guidelines, so try your best to follow these as close as possible. If you have any questions along the way, don’t hesitate to give his or her office a call or even schedule an office visit if you have a specific concern. Remember, there’s no such thing as a bad question.

  6. Don’t Rush Your Recovery

    You might be tempted to get back to your regular routine more quickly, but it’s important that you allow your body the time it needs to properly heal. Otherwise, complications during recovery could end up prolonging the process and hindering your beautiful tummy tuck results. Use the first week or two after your tummy tuck to take some time for yourself and simply relax.

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6 Dos and Don’ts for a Smooth Tummy Tuck Recovery
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6 Dos and Don’ts for a Smooth Tummy Tuck Recovery
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Looking for tips on how to have a smooth tummy tuck recovery? Double board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. David Dellinger of Austin, Texas shares his insights.
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BeautySmoothie Beauty Blog
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February 26, 2018
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