Manual Lymphatic Drainage – MLD for cosmetic surgery and liposuction

So you have had cosmetic surgery / vaser lipo etc. You can’t wait to reveal the new you. However, your stomach / thighs are swollen and bruised and you feel sore. You might not yet see the difference. If you have had a surgical facelift, your face might feel vulnerable and still bruised and swollen. This is where MLD can help and is frequently prescribed by surgeons for both pre– & post-cosmetic surgery and liposuction in order to ensure that their patients get the best results from their procedure and see the results as quickly as possible.

How can MLD help after surgery?

Discomfort, swelling and bruising are common after these procedures and the flow of lymph can be interrupted by the surgery, which can result in reduced healing, fibrosis (scar tissue, dimpled, uneven skin and the possibility of developing seromas (pockets of serous fluid).

MLD decongests the lymphatic system, bringing back normal texture, definition and tone to the skin and reduces swelling and bruising.

If you have multiple procedures simultaneously (liposuction, breast work and tummy tuck), MLD will be even more necessary to address swelling and tissue hardness.

Does deep massage have the same effect?

It would be easy to think that deep massage would be helpful, especially to reduce hardness after liposuction but it actually increases circulation to the treated areas, making it harder to evacuate the lymph fluid and thereby making the problem worse. MLD is the only treatment that positively activates the lymphatic system to remove the accumulation of waste products and old blood cells in the tissue, thereby reducing swelling, bruising and tissue hardness. It is also very gentle and non painful, so the practitioner can work directly over or very close to the areas where the procedure has taken place to maximise the effect.

How many MLD sessions should I have?

This will depend on your surgeon’s recommendations, but it is usually a minimum of 3-4 treatments post–surgery for liposuction and possibly more for other types of surgery.

Why should I have MLD prior to a procedure?

Ideally, patients should have at least one MLD treatment 24-48 hours prior to surgery and again, may surgeons recommend this. This will prepare and cleanse the skin tissue of impurities, giving the surgeon clean, healthy tissue to work with, reducing the risk of infection and speeding up the healing process.

Research has proven the benefits of MLD for:

• Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck)
• Blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery)
• Breast augmentation or reduction
• Breast reconstruction
• Facelifts
• Forehead lift, brow lift
• Fat injections (Brazilian lift)
• Liposuction