18 Jun 2026 | by Sean Doherty, MD, FACS
Body contouring procedures and summer vacation often go hand-in-hand. It's incredibly common for both men and women to want to look their best in a bathing suit. However, the surgery itself is only one part of your body contouring procedure. There's also the recovery. It may, therefore, take some planning for you to safely get your body where you want it before hitting the beach. Having said that, not every patient can control where the time off for a surgical procedure actually falls on his or her calendar. If you're a teacher, for example, summer may be the best time for scheduling a surgical procedure. So, when it comes to a year-round body contouring calendar and when to schedule your procedure to be vacation ready, here are some things to consider.
General Recovery Timeline by Body Contouring Procedure
Any surgical procedure to improve the appearance of your body contour such as:
• Breast Augmentation
• Breast Lift
• Mastopexy Augmentation
• Male Chest Reduction for Gynecomastia
• Liposuction
• Tummy Tuck
Each requires some downtime for recovery. Furthermore, everyone's body heals at his or her own rate. During your initial body contouring consultation in one of my Boston area practices, I will ask you a lot of questions as to how your body recovered from any prior procedures, aesthetic or otherwise, as I'm looking to establish your unique baseline of healing. In general, most patients can expect to achieve 75% of their final result at 3 months post-op and 100% at 6 months post-op. This is assuming that you follow your post-op instructions carefully, do not develop any complications and that your weight remains stable.
Post-Op Body Contouring Rules on Swimming in Boston
A desire to look and feel like the best version of yourself in a bathing suit may be one of the reasons why you are seeking a body contouring procedure. In a perfect world, you'd want to schedule surgery 3-6 months before summer and/or a beach vacation. However, not everyone can make this happen with their work schedule. But one of the critical components of your recovery is going to be no swimming and no hot tubs for 4-6 weeks after any breast surgery, gynecomastia surgery, liposuction or a tummy tuck. This is non-negotiable as either may put you at risk for developing an infection which could not only be dangerous for your health, but which also may adversely affect your aesthetic outcome.
Rules on Post-Op Compression Garment
Another thing to think about when it comes to your calendar and scheduling a body contouring procedure is that:
• Liposuction
• Tummy Tuck
• Gynecomastia
These all will require you to wear a compression garment following your procedure. You can expect to wear it 24/7 for the first 3 weeks, and then generally, 12 hours a day for at least 2 more months. The rules on the post-op compression garment are there for a reason. The garment helps your body to heal appropriately by reducing swelling, which lessens discomfort, and aids in delivering the exemplary result that we both want. Patients who do not follow their post-op instructions carefully run the risk of compromising their aesthetic result, which is a waste of both time and money.
To find out more about a breast augmentation, gynecomastia, liposuction, tummy tuck, or any other surgical or non-surgical procedure with Dr. Sean Doherty or his team at his Boston or Chestnut Hill office, contact us today or call (617) 450-0070 to schedule a consultation.
