How long can I go without wearing a faja? I will be about 5 weeks post-op.

Thank you for your question! For my patients having a BBL, I recommend they wear the compression garment that we provide for the first 3 weeks 24/7, then an additional 3 weeks at night only. At 5 weeks post op, it is recommended to wear the garment for 12 hours a day, so you are able to wear a swimsuit and cover up without it while on vacation. I recommend discussing specific post op questions with your plastic surgeon. Best of luck!

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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 Liposuction Specialist.
Each surgeon has his/her's own protocols, however, I recommend to my patients to wear their garment at all times except when shower for 6 weeks after surgery. The garment should be continued to be worn during the day from 7 to 12 weeks after surgery.  You should be okay to remove your garment for a few hours during your vacation but put it back as soon as possible.  I would also recommend that you follow up with your surgeon to see what he or she recommends.
I hope that helps!  Best of Luck!
Matthew J. Nykiel, MD
#CoreAesthetic
Butt Augmentation Specialist
Liposuction Specialist
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Thank you so much for your inquire. I always recommend to my patients to wear a postoperative garment to month at least, and is not recommend to be sun expose at least for 2 month as well. Kind regards,Dr. Emmanuel Mallol Cotes.-

Hello alysirr12,
It’s a pleasure to answer your questions! Plastic surgeons have different post-operative protocols, customized for every patient, to achieve optimal results. I typically recommend my patients wearing specialized compression garments around the clock (except for showering) for approximately 6 months, to reduce swelling and help their skin contract smoothly to their new body’s contours. The skin retraction and swelling after surgery usually would occur up to six months. Therefore, in order to have uniform skin retraction during those six months, I recommend wearing compression garments up to that time. Moreover, it is important that patients avoid exposing scars to the sun for at least 12 months after surgery, and always use a strong sun-block, if sun exposure is unavoidable (SPF 30 or greater). Since every case is different, consult with your plastic surgeon about your specific needs and concerns. Best wishes! Dr. De La Cruz.

Thank you for your question.  Every surgeon will have his/her own preferences as to recovery for specific procedures. I  have my patients wear a compression garment (faja) covering all treated areas 24/7 except to shower for 4 weeks post op.  This helps ontrol swelling as the compression on your tissues helps your body to reabsorb the edema fluid that accumulates in the tissues after any procedure. This can take quite some time to happen without help from the compression garments.  It also helps improve  contour.  Compression helps to keep the tissues adherent to the underlying structures while healing, this can help prevent the wrinkled skin appearance that can happen when the tissues heal in ways we don't want them to.

Dear Alysirr,You will be happy with my response.  I allow my patients to remove their garments completely at the 4 week mark.  I will give you a bit of advice.  First, ask your surgeon for their instructions (which you must chose to follow or not...as long as you are healing well without any complications) and just use SPF 40 several times a day (use cover-up when in direct sunlight...the skin is both a bit numb, and more sensitive to burning).  There really is no difference between the SPF 40-50 and higher numbers.This is just one of many articles from the internet.1. Marginally better sunburn protection. Sunbathers often assume that they get twice as much protection from SPF 100 sunscreen as from SPF 50. In reality, the extra protection is negligible. Properly applied SPF 50 sunscreen blocks 98 percent of UVB rays; SPF 100 blocks 99 percent. When used correctly, sunscreen with SPF values in the range of 30 to 50 will offer adequate sunburn protection, even for people most sensitive to sunburn.Good luck.Dr T

This is best answered by your PS as we all have different post op recommendations. I ask my patients to wear a 1st stage garment for 4-6 weeks after surgery (4 weeks is swelling is minor...6 weeks if there is a lot of swelling). If there is any sort of hiccup like a seroma, they may have to wear it a little longer. I like 2 weeks of compression after the seroma resolves. After the 4-6 weeks, it is optional to wear a 2nd stage or long term wear garment. Patients tend to swell for 6-8 weeks for sure but can do so up to one year after surgery. Swelling goes with life style to a certain extend so if you eat a salty diet, drink alcohol, or strenuous activity (hard work out), you will look more swollen the next day.