Wound care
The wound is closed with dissolving sutures placed under the skin. There are no external sutures to remove for most procedures (a few exceptions, where small sutures secure drain exit sites or specific points — these are removed at the clinic at the appropriate time).
The wound is covered with adhesive strips and a sterile dressing. The first dressing change happens at the clinic between day three and day seven. Subsequent dressing changes are also at the clinic, until the wound is sufficiently sealed.
You do not change dressings yourself unless specifically instructed. If a dressing becomes wet, displaced, or contaminated, contact the clinic for review rather than attempt to replace it.
Showering
Most patients shower from day three to day five post-operatively, with the dressings protected as instructed. Bathing in a tub, swimming, or any submersion in water is not permitted until the wounds are fully sealed — generally three to four weeks. This includes hot tubs, the sea, hotel pools, and home baths.
Wound appearance
In the first weeks, the wound is red, slightly raised, and may show small areas of crust at the edges. This is normal. Small areas of clear or slightly blood-tinged fluid weeping from the wound are also normal in the first few days.
What is not normal — and what should prompt urgent contact with the clinic — is described in the warning-signs section below.
Sleeping position
For the first 2 to 4 weeks, sleeping position is dictated by the procedure:
- Abdominoplasty, lower body lift, mommy makeover: on the back, with the upper body raised 30–45 degrees and the knees slightly bent (a pillow under the knees). This relaxes the abdominal tension and is by far the most comfortable position. Sleeping flat is uncomfortable and pulls on the tightened abdominal closure.
- Arm lift: on the back, with the arms supported on pillows at the sides — neither hanging down nor pressed against the body.
- Thigh lift: on the back, with a pillow between the knees to prevent the thighs pressing against each other.
- Upper body lift / bra-line back lift: on the back, with the upper body slightly raised. Side sleeping not permitted for the first 2 weeks.
- BBL / fat transfer: on the front or on the side, never on the back, for the first 3 weeks. This is the most disruptive sleeping restriction in body contouring.
- Gynecomastia: on the back, with the upper body slightly raised, for the first week. Side sleeping permitted after the first week.
A wedge pillow, an adjustable bed, or pillows arranged in a stack against the headboard all work. Whichever you choose, set it up before surgery — not after, when you cannot bend down to assemble it.
Hydration
Adequate hydration is one of the most underrated parts of recovery. Aim for 2 to 3 litres of fluid per day in the first two weeks — water, herbal tea, broth, or diluted juice. Avoid alcohol completely for the first four weeks (it interferes with healing, increases swelling, and interacts with medications).
For BBL patients specifically, hydration also affects the grafted fat survival — keep fluids consistently high in the first 4 to 6 weeks.
Nutrition
Healing requires protein. Aim for 1.2 to 1.5 g of protein per kg of body weight per day in the first four weeks — significantly more than a sedentary maintenance intake. Sources include eggs, fish, lean meat, dairy, legumes, and protein supplements if dietary intake is insufficient.
Avoid significant weight loss in the first 3 months — calorie restriction interferes with healing and is associated with poorer scar quality. If weight loss is needed, it can resume from month 3 onwards.
For post-bariatric patients, the regular nutritional supplement regime (B12, iron, multivitamin, calcium as prescribed by the bariatric team) continues unchanged through the surgical recovery. Protein intake is particularly important — bariatric patients often start at lower baseline protein than the body contouring recovery needs.
Avoid herbal supplements unless specifically cleared by the clinic — many (notably ginkgo, garlic, ginseng, fish oil at high doses, and St John's wort) interfere with bleeding and healing.
Medication schedule
You will be discharged from the clinic with a written medication list. Typical components:
- Antibiotic — usually for 5 to 7 days post-operatively.
- Pain medication — paracetamol-based regimen for most patients, supplemented in the first 2–3 days with an opioid or stronger non-steroidal as needed. Many patients are off prescription pain medication by day 5 to 7 and on paracetamol only thereafter.
- Anti-nausea medication — usually for the first 2–3 days.
- Stomach protector (proton pump inhibitor) — for the period that anti-inflammatories or opioids are being taken.
- Anticoagulant injection — usually low molecular weight heparin, injected once daily for 5 to 10 days, to reduce the risk of clotting in the legs. You will be shown how to administer this, or a family member will be.
Avoid over-the-counter painkillers without checking with the clinic — particularly aspirin and high-dose ibuprofen in the first two weeks, which can increase bleeding risk.
Activity within the home
The general principle in the first two weeks is: walk often, gently, around the home. Sit for shorter periods. Do not lie completely flat in bed except briefly. Do not lift more than a kettle. Do not push, pull, or strain.
This applies to the routine activities of daily life: getting out of bed by rolling onto the side first, then pushing up with the arms; standing up from a chair by leaning forward and pushing through the legs, not the abdomen; reaching for items from low shelves by squatting rather than bending; and asking someone else to lift anything heavier than 5 kg.
Warning signs — contact the clinic urgently
Body contouring recovery is straightforward in the great majority of cases. A small minority of patients experience complications that need prompt assessment. Contact the clinic immediately, do not wait until the next scheduled appointment, if any of the following occur:
- Increasing pain beyond what is being controlled by medication, particularly if localised to one area and worsening over hours rather than improving over days.
- Increasing redness, heat, or swelling in one specific area of the operated site — this is the typical presentation of a wound infection or developing abscess.
- Fever above 38°C / 100.4°F at any point post-operatively.
- Sudden swelling on one side or in one area, particularly if the swelling is firm and accompanied by pain — possible haematoma (a collection of blood under the skin), which sometimes needs drainage.
- Drainage from the wound that is pus-like, foul-smelling, or significantly increasing in volume after the first few days.
- Sudden chest pain or shortness of breath — possible blood clot in the lung. Go to an emergency department immediately.
- Sudden swelling, redness, and tenderness in one calf — possible blood clot in the leg. Contact the clinic or an emergency department immediately.
- Skin colour change — areas of skin that become dark, purple, blistered, or that you cannot feel — possible skin or flap blood-supply problem.
- Sudden re-opening of any part of the wound — possible wound dehiscence, which needs prompt review.
For international patients who have returned home, contact the clinic via WhatsApp first — photographs of the area in question are usually informative — but do not delay contacting local emergency services in the case of chest pain, shortness of breath, or a calf swelling and pain combination.