BBL in Istanbul · Day 1 of 10
Day 1 after a BBL in Istanbul
You are back at the hotel in the compression garment. Lie face down, move your hands and feet often and let your companion handle everything. The picks below are for them.
Short answer
On day 1 after a BBL in Istanbul:
- Not today Sitting · Sleeping position · Exercise · Hammam, sauna, baths and swimming · Smoking · Flying home
- With care Walking · Compression garment
For your companion today: Basilica Cistern, Topkapı Palace, Bosphorus sightseeing cruise.
Today's rules
Sitting
Avoid sitting on your buttocks. Many surgeons allow no sitting for the first 10 to 14 days except on the toilet and to eat; after that, sit only on a BBL pillow placed behind your thighs. The ASPS article cited here suggests keeping any sitting to about 10 minutes at a time for six weeks.
Source: The Aesthetic Society · American Society of Plastic Surgeons · American Society of Plastic Surgeons
Sleeping position
Sleep on your stomach, or as your surgeon instructs, not on your back.
Walking
Rest, move your hands and feet often, and from about day 2 get up and walk short distances to help prevent blood clots.
Source: The Aesthetic Society · American Society of Plastic Surgeons
Compression garment
Wear the support garment around the clock, as your surgeon instructs.
Exercise
No exercise until your surgeon clears you, usually six to eight weeks after surgery.
Source: American Society of Plastic Surgeons · The Aesthetic Society
Hammam, sauna, baths and swimming
The sources cited here do not give a date. Keep heat and water away from the liposuction incisions until your surgeon confirms they have healed.
Smoking
Do not smoke. Surgeons typically ask patients to stop for several weeks before and after surgery.
Source: Acibadem International · The Aesthetic Society
Flying home
Not yet. Surgeons usually want at least one to two weeks before you fly, longer for long-haul flights.
Source: Acibadem International · NHS
Confirm with your surgeon. These are general activity limits from published aftercare guidance. Your clinic's written instructions always come first, and they may be stricter or looser for your procedure.
Day 1: a rest day at your hotel
Today is for resting at the hotel and short walks as your surgeon advises. The picks below are for your companion, all within a short ride of the clinic district.
Basilica Cistern
The cool, dim underground cistern with the Medusa heads. Walkways get packed at midday; go at opening time.
Gentle walking, indoors, about 1 hour
Topkapı Palace
Courtyards, the Harem and the treasury. Three hours of walking with long open-air stretches between buildings.
A few hours on foot with breaks, some open-air walking, about 3 hours
Bosphorus sightseeing cruise
Two hours on the water past palaces, mansions and both bridges. Pick a seat in the covered cabin or the shaded side of the deck.
Seated, shaded or covered, about 2 hours
Turkish hammam
Steam, hot marble and a vigorous scrub. A must for your companion, a no for most patients.
Gentle walking, indoors, about 1.5 hours
Nothing to skip today
Nothing on our Istanbul list breaks today's rules. Keep following the food and care rules above.
Where to eat today
- Kebab and lahmacun. Adana kebab, lahmacun and pide in Fatih or Kadıköy. Spicy and chewy.
- Balık ekmek at Eminönü. Grilled fish in crusty bread from the boats by the Galata Bridge.
- Simit from a street cart. The sesame bread ring Istanbul runs on. Crunchy.
Put every day of this guide in your calendar, with your dates