Squeezing or «pressing» incisions:
1- The mistake: Forcing fluid out by pressing on open wounds.
The scientific reality: This traumatizes the tissue, breaks healthy capillaries, and increases the risk of infection by exposing the wound to the environment. The fluid should be reabsorbed by the lymphatic system, not forcibly evacuated.
2-Strong or painful massages:
The mistake: Believing that «if it hurts, it’s working» or that vigorous massage is necessary to «break up» the fibrosis.
The scientific reality: The lymphatic system is superficial. Excessive pressure collapses lymphatic capillaries and generates more swelling (traumatic edema), worsening the fibrosis instead of eliminating it.
4-Reopening closed holes or «stitches»:
The mistake: Reopening the surgeon’s incisions to insert cannulas or fingers for drainage.
The scientific reality: This is a surgical procedure beyond the scope of practice for an esthetician and a violation of aseptic technique. Only a surgeon is authorized to perform any intervention on a wound. Use of syringes to aspirate fluids (seromas):
The mistake: Attempting to extract fluid accumulations with syringes during the drainage session.
The scientific reality: It is a high-risk, invasive procedure. A correct manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) technique prevents the formation of seromas without the need for needles.
5- Use of wood therapy or aggressive tools:
The mistake: Using wooden rollers or cups on recently operated tissue.
The scientific reality: Post-surgical tissue is in the repair phase. Rigid tools cause shearing of the skin, can detach skin flaps, and generate fibrosis due to friction.
«While the market is flooded with aggressive techniques that compromise patient health, at Gloria Arenas Spa and Healing Hands Institute we choose the path of science.
Squeezing, causing pain, using syringes or wooden tools on recently operated tissue is not professionalism; it’s a lack of anatomical knowledge.
In our training, we understand that the human body has its own fluid elimination system, and our job is to stimulate it with the precision of a watchmaker, not with the force of a massage therapist.»
