Follow our SoftHealing™ Aftercare guide
for a fast recovery and flawless results.
Follow our SoftHealing™ Aftercare guide
for a fast recovery and flawless results.
Sitting
Sitting (for Petite BBL and XL BBL)
On the day of your procedure, we’ll provide you with a Squlpt BBL pillow, which you should use for sitting for the first three weeks post-treatment.
Place the BBL pillow under the back of the thighs to elevate your bottom and alleviate pressure when sitting. Then add additional support under your bottom and behind your back to stabilize yourself as needed. After three weeks, you can stop using the BBL pillow and transition to sitting normally, increasing your sitting intervals by 15-20 minutes every day.
Sensations
Numbness, itching and other sensations are normal parts of the healing process.
It’s normal to have a feeling of numbness around your treatment areas, which can take a few weeks or sometimes a month or so to resolve. While it may feel strange, it’s a healthy sign that your body is healing and always resolves on its own.
Some people experience mild itching in the first few weeks post-treatment. Again, this is a normal part of the healing process. The majority of patients don’t experience itching at all. If you do, it will resolve in a week or so, and we’ve found massage and stretching can help a lot.
Don’t be alarmed if your treatment areas feel uneven. It’s normal to have some minor inconsistencies (lumps and bumps) in the first four weeks, although some people won’t experience this at all. As with other post-procedure sensations, any inconsistencies will resolve themselves in time and daily self-massage and stretching can help.
You can also expect to be a little heavier following your procedure, sometimes 10 pounds over your baseline weight on the scale. This is related to water weight (swelling) since your body retains fluid and your weight will return to normal as you heal.
Medications
Take medications when needed to relieve discomfort.
Before your procedure, we give you a small dose of Xanax and Tramadol to help you feel relaxed and comfortable. During the procedure, and with the guidance of our team, you can self-administer laughing gas (nitrous oxide and oxygen) as needed to manage any discomfort. You’ll be awake and comfortable the whole time, able to interact with your plastic surgeon for a safe and totally personalized experience.
For safety, we give you two doses of an IV antibiotic; one before the procedure and one at the end.
When it’s time to leave, our plastic surgeons will prescribe an anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen, an acid blocker, an anti-nausea pill and an antibiotic to take for five days. If you need anything stronger, we’ll prescribe that for you, too.
Since these medications and doses are customized to each individual, we’ll give you precise details and instructions on the day of your procedure.
Swelling
Swelling is to be expected and will peak in the first week.
Swelling is a normal and healthy part of the healing process. It can be hard to predict exactly how much swelling you will experience as it depends on the type of procedure you have, the treatment area, as well as individual genetic and lifestyle factors. However, you can expect swelling to peak within the first five to seven days, and then drop off significantly by the time you stop wearing your garment (two weeks). Be patient with your body and remember swelling is a sign your body is recovering.
Drainage
Drainage is totally normal and part of our safety protocol.
You can expect a moderate amount of fluid to drain from your entry sites in the first 36 hours. The drainage quickly reduces from there and discontinues completely by day three or four.
We leave your entry sites open as it’s essential for the numbing fluid used during your procedure to flush from your system. Trapped fluid pockets can lead to infection. One of the reasons our procedures are so safe is because we set you up for proper drainage.
The drainage fluid will have a light reddish or pink hue as there’s always a few drops of blood mixed in. This doesn’t mean you’re bleeding so there’s no need to be concerned.
To help manage draining, we’ll supply you with absorbent pads in your SoftHealing recovery kit. It’s important to change the pads when they start to get soggy. Simply unfasten part of your garment, remove the pads and place fresh ones over your entry sites.
Bruising
Bruising is normal and shows your body is healing.
Bruising after plastic surgery is a natural part of the healing process. But keep in mind that it looks different for everyone depending on your body type and which procedure you have.
Most people experience minimal bruising compared to traditional procedures. And most of the bruising should disappear 10 to 14 days post-treatment, although it may take a little longer.
Taking Arnica with Bromelain tablets can help reduce bruising. You can start taking Arnica one week before the procedure and one week after, if desired.
Incisions
Take care of your entry sites to optimize healing.
Your entry sites will seal over and stop draining within three to four days after your procedure. Once this happens, apply Neosporin pain relief over the incision and cover with a small band-aid to protect the area. You’ll notice a yellow or white crusty appearance along with some mild redness and bruising at the entry sites, which is totally normal.
After applying Neosporin and keeping a band-aid on for seven to 10 days, you can transition to silicone scar sheets. You can purchase a roll online, cut the silicone sheet to a postage stamp size and apply daily over the entry site for one month.
Be sure to protect the entry sites from overexposure to the sun for the first 12 months by applying a zinc or titanium oxide sunscreen and wearing a coverup. This helps prevent the entry sites from over-darkening (hyperpigmentation).
Discomfort
Manage discomfort, minimize downtime.
You can expect to feel sore after your SoftSqulpt procedure, like you worked out extra hard at the gym. Some clients experience mild to moderate soreness, while some experience intense soreness, in the first few days post-procedure. With time, the soreness will dissipate on its own. To help you along the way, take ibuprofen and acetaminophen as needed.
Light activity and stretching will help keep you limber and bring down swelling sooner. Self-massage is another great way to ease discomfort, which you can start at home just a few days post-procedure.
Exercise
Stay active post-procedure, but don’t overdo it.
One week before your procedure, we recommend avoiding any exercise that causes soreness. Sore, tense muscles going into your procedure will only intensify during and after.
After your procedure, you should start walking and doing non-strenuous activities to get your body moving. Aim for a gentle 15-minute walk once a day.
If you have SoftSqulpt liposuction only, you can accelerate the recommendations above as desired. But the most important thing is to listen to your body and its needs as you recover.
Clothing
Wear loose clothes for the first month.
Soft, loose-fitting clothes are your best friend while you’re recovering. Stay away from tight clothes that overly compress your treatment areas and any outfits with a tight band or belt that pinch the skin as they can leave permanent marks or depressions. After four weeks, you can go back to more form-fitting clothes.
Sleeping
Sleeping
Getting a good night’s rest is a must for a fast and successful recovery. Just as important is the position you sleep in post-procedure.
If you undergo SoftSqulpt liposuction only (no fat transfer), you can sleep and sit as you normally would without any restrictions. That said, we do recommend sleeping on your back as this helps smooth out swelling of the abdomen more quickly and evenly.
For Naturals, we recommend sleeping on your back or on your side with pillow support. Just make sure you don’t sleep directly on your breasts with significant pressure.
For Petite BBL or XL BBL, we recommend sleeping in a side sprawl position with a tilt forward towards your tummy. This alleviates pressure simultaneously from the bottom and hip dips. Placement of an additional pillow between your knees, and one or two around and under your midsection, will add extra comfort and support.
Massage
Massage to reduce swelling, stiffness and soreness.
Massage isn’t a must after your SoftSqulpt treatment, but it can help to speed up the resolution of swelling and alleviate soreness over time. Start with daily self-massage three to four days after the procedure. Apply moisturizing lotion and gently massage your treatment areas using your hands or a manual massage device, such as a roller ball, to knead and roll where needed. Our team will give you more detailed tips and recommendations closer to your procedure.
We recommend massaging only the areas where fat was removed. Avoid massaging the fat transfer sites as they will heal better if they are left alone.
Regarding professional massages, we’ve seen limited benefit considering how expensive they are and how temporary the effect is from having one. While we understand the drive our patients have toward seeking them out, we recommend no more than one or two sessions as a kickstarter. It is our strong opinion that the consistency of a daily self-massage is by far the most clinically effective approach.
Garments
Wear your compression garment to promote healing.
We’ll fit you with a compression garment post-treatment, which helps to manage swelling, reduce discomfort, and support your skin as it heals and settles into its new shape.
You should wear the garment full time for 48 hours, then remove it on the morning of the second day for your first shower. From there, you need to wear it for two weeks, taking it on and off as you desire for showering and bathing.
SoftHealing garment tips:
- Your garment should be snug – not overly tight or painful. Snug support without restricting the skin is key to preventing any dents from forming.
- Wearing the garment beyond two weeks can cause discoloration and excessive scar tissue formation under the skin.
- Be sure to only wear the garment we give you to avoid these issues.
With you every step of the way.
We put your wellbeing, comfort and confidence first.
It’s important to keep in mind that everyone’s healing journey looks different. Listen to your body, be kind to yourself as you heal, and follow our tips for a seamless recovery.
The 6-Week Rule
We understand this can be a lot to digest. So we’ve developed a simple way to summarize the recovery process. We call it the 6-Week Rule.
Six weeks is the magic milestone for our patients. This is the moment you start to feel like yourself again, only better, as everything settles and your “after” results are revealed.
While you’ll look and feel amazing at six weeks, you’re still in the very early stages of healing, which means the results keep getting better and better!
Here’s what to expect by the six-week mark:
- 80-85% of swelling has resolved, revealing the new contours of your body
- The majority of fat from your fat transfer procedure has been absorbed and the rest is yours to keep permanently
- The majority of soreness is gone
- You’re ready to return to your regular exercise and workout routine
- No more sleeping / sitting guidelines, dietary restrictions, garments, BBL pillows or other limitations to worry about
clothing
Wear loose clothes for the first month.
showering
Take your first shower on day two.
excercise
Stay active post-procedure, but don’t overdo it.
hydration
Don’t forget to stay hydrated for the next 72 hours.