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!

Hello dear!!
Thanks for the question and provided information as well.
Every doctor has their preferences in regards to compression garments. I suggest my patients to use a full body compression garment (that closes with clips), 24/7 for the first 3 months, and after that, for 12 hours a day for 3 more months, to get the best results.
It is important for the compression garment to be very tight, for it to help with the swelling, after surgery, and to use it with a cotton t-shirt underneath to avoid garment burns. 
Please, follow up close with your plastic surgeon.
Good luck :)