What Garment to Use Post BBL? Worried Mine Is Too Tight. (photo)

Hello and Great Question.  I appreciate the time you are spending researching this procedure.  My name is Dr. Matthew J. Nykiel.  I am a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, a Fellowship Trained Cosmetic Surgeon, and a Butt Augmentation Specialist.

Each Surgeon has a slightly different protocol; and therefore, the most important thing is to check with your surgeon.  


STAGE 1 vs 2 GARMENTS:  A stage 1 garment is for the early post op period.  These garments are made with extra access points to allow you to easily go to the bathroom and/or take the garment on/off.  A stage 2 garment is for the later post op period and looks very similar to a compressive garment you can buy at a department store (i.e. Spanx).   HOW TIGHT SHOULD THE GARMENT BE?I like compressive garments that go from the chest to the knees and have mesh at the butt or have been designed to have "less" pressure on the buttocks.  I have not (yet) found one brand that is superior to another.  At our office, I utilize a specialized garment company. Personally, I think compressive garments are necessary because the garments help to decrease the swelling, bruising, and firmness.  The garment should feel tight, similar to how Spanx feel, the point of the garment is to squeeze out the swelling/firmness.  The tightness should be similar to when you wrap an ankle or knee.  The garment should NOT be causing indentions and/or divots where the liposuction or fat grafting is performed.  It is normal for the garment to cause indentations at the very edges of the garment, but not within the areas of the liposuction and fat transfer.  If you are experiencing indentations from the garment, you can place lipo-foam (essentially thin styrofoam) to help prevent it.  Alternatively, you can try a different brand; however, in my experience I have found the lipo-foam is a quicker and better option.  HOW TO MEASURE A GARMENT:If you choose to try a different brand, the hip measurement is the most important, followed by the waist width, and then the chest width.  I would take your measurement and then compare your measurement to the different brands.  Simply search compressive medical garments.  

At our office, we have specialized trained staff to go over this information with from your initial consultation, to pre-operative appointment, and post-operative follow-up.Best of Luck!  Please reach out if you have any further questions or concerns.

Matthew J. Nykiel, MD#TopREALSELFDoctor#CoreREALSELFDoctorButt Augmentation SpecialistLiposuction SpecialistBoard Certified Plastic Surgeon

I use the 3 finger rule to find out if a garment is too tight or too loose. Take your index, middle, and ring fingers side by side and stand them up perpendicular to your skin at the area in question. If you cant fit all three fingers in this way then it is too tight. If you can easily put 4 or more fingers in the space this way then it's too loose. Hope this helps!

Thanks for your question...Every surgeon varies with post op instructions. I suggest speaking to your surgeon again if you are in discomfort. You can learn more on our social media (Instagram and Snapchat): @realdrsix.

Regards,

Hello, thank you for your question. I recommend contacting your physician and discussing garments with him or her, especially given your history with having circulation problems in your stomach. In your photo, it looks like the BBL garment has mesh over the buttocks which is in place to avoid pressure to this area. Some surgeons use Stage 1 and Stage 2 garments after BBL which are designed to optimize your BBL results. The types and garments are very surgeon-specific so I highly recommend talking with your surgeon to get recommendations for these. Thank you.

Fnd a surgical garment that fits snug, but not too tight. You should be comfortable in it and don't worry that it's too tight that it will harm your circulation.Best wishes,Dr.Bruno

Compression garments should be snug but not overly tight. The best advice is to follow the protocols as recommended by your surgeon. He/she will typically recommend a particular garment type/size. They will also have recommendations for adjusting the garment as swelling subsides (whether that involves tailoring the garment or a second garment is up to the individual physician).Compression recommendations will vary from physician to physician. Generally speaking around the clock usage is recommended for the first 3-4 weeks. Patients can then downgrade to a half days use for an additional 2 weeks afterwards.
As always, discuss your concerns with your board certified plastic surgeon (ABPS).