The Guide to Fajas and Plastic Surgery Recovery

A quick disclaimer before getting into our recommendations is that everyone has their techniques and ways of working. So please check with the professionals that are guiding you throughout your cosmetic surgery. They are most familiar with your body and its progress. This is information we have collected through post op professionals from massage therapists, surgeons, nurses, as well as, our own research. Another important disclaimer is that not every post op journey looks the same! Everybody is different, just be patient with yourself during your healing process. We hope this helps you along in your recovery!

Why should you wear fajas after surgery?

The first few weeks after any plastic surgery, your body will feel like play doh. That's why surgeons recommend getting post surgical faja to quite literally hold you together. The feeling when you first put on your compression garment and foam is typically relief! What happens when you get cosmetic surgery like liposuction or tummy tuck is excess fat gets removed resulting in excess skin.The post surgical faja has many medical benefits such as: holding the skin against the muscle and helping sculpt the body! The compression of the garment aids with the inflammation and swelling levels. Wearing post surgical garments also prevents bleeding in the area and promotes blood circulation. They even help you stand up straight after surgery. Overall, fajas let your body settle and shift into its new hourglass figure.

How long should you wear a faja?

Since your body is in that playdoh state, the post surgical garment is crucial to sculpt your figure. Realistically, internal healing will take several months and many other factors go into this answer like age, skin elasticity, and types of procedure. Keep in mind during the early post op weeks, your figure will fluctuate tremendously depending on what you eat, drink, and time of the month. There is going to be some serious bloating and swelling. Overall, our clients' bodies really start stabilizing during 4-5 months. That is why we recommend wearing fajas about  6-8 months post op to secure your figure. Your body and any fat regions are more set in stone at this point. However, some clients end up wearing their garments for over a year post op. A good test is to take off your faja for a couple of hours and see if any swelling starts happening. If you do, that is indication that you most likely still need your faja!

Do I wear fajas to sleep?

According to Plastic Surgeon Richard Barnett, you should wear your compression 24/7 hours a day for the first 6-8 weeks. If you are having difficulties sleeping with foams and fajas, try taking off the foam or wearing a first stage faja with lower compression to make yourself more comfortable. Although compression is important, getting a full night's rest is also crucial for your body to heal.

How many fajas do I need during recovery?

This is also not a straight-forward answer because again everybody is different and your body will fluctuate throughout this time. However, you will need around 4-5 fajas minimum throughout your recovery process. You always start off with a first stage garment for the first 1-2 weeks depending on the procedure or whenever the last drains are removed. After this period, you would want to graduate to a second stage faja. In about a week or maybe two, your garment will feel loose.Not because it was not fitted properly but because your swelling has gone down. When your faja is not compressing anymore, it is either time to size down or alter your current garment. We always recommend having at least two fajas that fit properly so that you have one while the other is dirty or getting altered.

What is the difference between a first stage and second stage faja?

The difference between a first stage and second stage faja is the compression level. The first stage faja is a low compression garment that is meant to be softer on the skin and body because it is worn immediately after surgery. A second stage faja is a high compression garment that is meant to be worn after the first period of recovery. It will be tighter material and fit compared to first stage garment.

How do I wash my faja?

Our Colombian fajas are made with material that is interwoven, you can think almost like braiding hair,in order to make compression occur. When they are placed in the washing and dryer machine, they eventually will loosen and get damaged. In order to take care of your garments, wash by hand and let air dry!

Pro tip: Get three or four post op fajas so that you could alternate wearing them and not have to do laundry so much.


How do I know which faja to get after my cosmetic surgery?

The general guide to picking the proper faja is to take into consideration your procedure, your inflammation and the compression level you need. For example, for our Brazilian Butt Lift clients, we make sure that there is a high compression in the abdomen and torso, but low compression on the hips and thighs to prevent compressing any fat transfer in the region! Now if you had arm liposuction or leg liposuction that means you post op fajas need to compress those regions. (Aka you need sleeve faja or long leg faja).

What are boards and foams?

Foams and boards are worn underneath your post surgical garment. They add another layer of compression after surgery. With compression, the purpose is to limit the swelling after the removal of any fatty tissue. Foams are soft and are typically used for the sides of the torso. While boards are firm and can come in different torso shapes and sizes. There is even a 360 foam board that combines the two. Foams and boards are recommended to be used for about 3-6 weeks total depending on your inflammation levels.


Overall, post op fajas have tremendous benefits after surgery that help you protect your investment! Cosmetic surgery can be very taxing especially during the recovery, but trust the process and you will be snatched! We hope this guide helped you in your surgery journey if you have any other questions, feel free to reach out! We would love to connect with you!

 

Cited:

May 25, 2022 — Nancy Calle
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