How soon can I began using vitamin e oil, cocoa butter or something to soothe the tight skin from a LBL?

Thanks for your inquiry.  In general it is important for incisions to be completely healed before starting any type of scar regimen.  I would suggest checking with your plastic surgeon before starting any treatment.

Every patient is different and every plastic surgeon has their own different way of treating scars after a 360 lower or circumferential body lift.  In general, I typically wait for all lower body lift incisions to be completely healed before starting scar creams.  For some patients this means 2 to 3 weeks after surgery;  for some patients, this means four months after a 360 circumferential body lift.  To clarify, vitamin E and cocoa butter are used to lighten the scar, not to "soothe the tight skin".  In addition,  there are better scar creams than vitamin E and cocoa butter.  The key ingredient to any good scar cream is silicone.   The silicone cream can be applied as a cream or as a strip, like Scotch tape.  Excellent silicone product include Mederma and Kelocote.I would use these creams for 18 to 24 months.

2-3 days after surgery to start lotions should be fine.  I would avoid the incision lines, however.Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

You can start lubricating the tightened skin gently as early as 2-3 days after surgery. However you should not touch the incision until okayed by your surgeon.Gentle massage of the non-incision skin even from pressure external to the garment can help it feel better and help reduce swelling since this is a type of lymphatic massage. Talk with your surgeon about how to do this safely and properly.

My recommendation would be to ask your plastic surgeon about application of topicals to your skin. Best wishes for a smooth recovery.

The surgical site is usually very tender within the first 2 weeks after surgery. I think it is better to wait until tissues are less swollen and tender.