There are endless ways you can help your body heal faster from cosmetic plastic surgery or treatment. Of course, it will depend highly on your body, the surgery you undergo, as well as the expertise and detailed post-operative instructions from your board-certified cosmetic plastic surgeon. In this blog, we’ll be discussing lymphatic drainage massage, a popular post-operative treatment to speed up recovery and get patients back to their daily routines quickly.

Inside of our bodies, we all have a lymphatic system. It is an ingenious system that naturally detoxifies the body and rids it from toxicity. A blocked or sluggish lymphatic system can result in swelling, pain, excess toxicity in the body, and compromised overall health. When our lymphatic systems function optimally, they release toxicity (including fluids) so that our bodies can operate and stay healthy.

Lymphatic drainage massage works by physically draining excess fluid and swelling out of the body. This toxicity and excess fluid are removed via the lymph nodes. The massage is done manually with gentle strokes over the limbs and other parts of the body to assist the body’s ability to naturally drain excess toxins, water retention, swelling, and bacteria. After treatment, patients also comment that the massage helps them feel relaxed and decreases their stress levels. This is because lymphatic drainage assists the patient’s sympathetic nervous system to reduce anxiety and inflexibility, and restore a sense of calm in the body and mind.

Furthermore, lymphatic drainage massage can also prevent infection and further swelling that can occur post-surgery by boosting the body’s natural immune system. Your body’s natural lymphatic system is made of a combination of toxins, immune-boosting cells, hormones, and more. When the body is put under physical, emotional, or mental stress, the system becomes sluggish and is unable to process the toxins optimally. Lymphatic massage helps assist the body and speed the process of turnover by clearing the body of unwanted bacteria quickly and effectively. It also naturally increases the body’s circulation which has a positive effect on skin quality and allows the skin to look more vibrant with regular treatments.

Patients will be happy to note that the massage is not painful and quite enjoyable. At Elements Spa, our medically-trained staff are experts on the body and are aware that most all plastic surgeries can cause swelling in the body as it heals. With a trained professional, the recovery period after plastic surgery can diminish exponentially with the appropriate post-operative recommendations and lymphatic drainage is almost always recommended to reduce swelling, pain, and bruising, as well as to accelerate a faster overall recovery. Patients can also get a series of treatments to further expedite healing.

Click here to learn more or to book a consultation with one of Toronto’s leading board-certified cosmetic plastic surgeons, Dr. Adibfar.