Hot showers after liposuction, wearing garment after liposuction, 3 weeks post op. Advice?

You should always contact your PS about postoperative instructions. The use of the compression garment will vary from surgeon to surgeon.  My patients typically wear the garment as much as possible for six weeks to prevent irregularities of lipo.  Should the swelling resolve faster than usual, they will can tighten their garment  I have received no complaints about wearing the garment other than its itchy quality.  Wearing a soft t-shirt under it resolves this problem.  I would wait 4 to 6 weeks before taking hot showers.Kenneth Hughes, MD, Board Certified Plastic SurgeonLos Angeles, CA

Thanks for your question! While it is always best to get specific recovery advice from the surgeon who did your procedure, I will tell you what I would tell one of my own patients. At this point in your recovery a hot shower is fine. I do always suggest checking water temperature with a part of your body that was not operated on, as sensation of temperature in operated regions can be temporarily altered. This could put you at risk for a burn if you don't test the water with a part of your body that you know has normal sensation. In terms of a compression garment, I have my patients wear one for 48 hours.

Although every surgeon has their own protocols, I would have no issue with you swimming at this point, 3 weeks postop. As for the hot showers, the only concern is that some of the skin can be partially numb after liposuction, and this can take up to 6 months to resolve. So if you take an excessively hot shower, you might burn these areas without being able to feel it. However, if the water does not feel excessively hot on other parts of your body, then it should be fine all over. I have my patients wear their compression garments 24/7 for 6 weeks after surgery and I think it definitely helps. I would say the first 4 weeks of compression therapy are the most important though.
Emile N. Brown, MD
Johns Hopkins & Harvard Trained Plastic Surgeon