After Surgery, Sweat It Out With A Faja

Have you ever heard of a faja ? It's a piece of cloth that shapes, compresses, and supports the torso after a surgery. Not only is it a piece of cloth, but it has become an addiction in Colombia where people wear fajas to shape their bodies and look good.

What is a Colombian Faja?
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A Faja is a post-surgery garment worn by Colombian women to help regain their shape after childbirth. It is wrapped around their torso and usually secured with Velcro. It consists of two elastic strips and two rubber pads, creating an hourglass figure. Fajas were invented by Colombian surgeon Jorge Bonsignore, who wanted to help his patients recover faster. They are used in the postpartum or post-surgical treatment of abdomen and waist areas for either men or women, where there is an overhang of skin or fat that needs to be reshaped as a result of stomach surgery, a tummy tuck, liposuction, weight loss or pregnancy.

While the idea of a corset-like garment to recover from some type of surgery seems unconventional, it has actually become one of the fasting growing industries in Colombia. The colombian faja garment, also known as abdominal belt, has been around for years, but it’s in America where it is now becoming more popular. As many people have begun to learn about this unique recovery device, we can expect it’s popularity to continue to increase.

For many women after a C-section it has become a trend to be placed in this garment, although there are a lot of different names. One of the most popular is “Colombian Faja” because supposedly it originated from Colombia and is now widely used throughout Latin America.

How to properly wear a Faja?

Let’s be real here. No one is looking forward to exercise after hip surgery. That being said, there’s nothing like a post-surgery faja on your waist to make you look forward to a workout. Unless, of course, you’re a guy. Then it might just make you want to stay in bed and not move all day.
When you have surgery, you virtually can’t exercise until your stitches are out. During this time, you can actually wear a compression faja to aid your recovery. While you might think that wearing one after surgery would be uncomfortable, it doesn’t have to be. Learn some tips below on when to wear a faja and how to make it feel more natural for you.

Stage 1 Faja

The Stage 1 faja is the one you'll put on right after your operation when you wake up, and it's part of the BBL package you can get before or during your pre-op session. It has a low compression rating, which means it will fit loosely on your body rather than tightly. It's not designed to fit like a waist trainer or shapewear. The BBL bundle includes lipo foams and an abdominal board in addition to your Stage 1 faja. Lipo foams are rectangular pieces of foam that are positioned between your garment and the fat suctioned areas. The lipo foams deliver a smooth, homogeneous compression to the suctioned area. An abdominal board is a piece of equipment that aids in the smoothing and flattening of the stomach area.

​Stage 2 Faja

After three weeks of wearing your Stage 1 faja, you will be able to purchase a Stage 2 faja at one of your post-op sessions. The Stage 2 faja will have higher compression than the Stage 1 faja and should feel substantially tighter. It will most likely be the same numerical size as your Stage 1 faja (S – 4X L). You can chuck your lipo foams and abdominal board because the stage 2 faja is worn alone.

You should wear your Stage 2 faja for six months after switching over. You should also consider sleeping in your Stage 2 faja. Except while showering or washing your clothing, your goal should be to wear your Stage 2 faja on at all times during the day. After six months, you can stop wearing all clothing, but you can't resume waist training until you've finished your Stage 2 faja.

The benefits of wearing a Colombian Faja

One of the most effective ways to encourage your body to heal after surgery is by wearing a faja

1. Serves as support during exercise
2. Protection after surgery
3. You can sculpt your shape when wearing a dress
4. Wearing a girdle improves posture
5. For back pain
6. Using a belt to form the desired region
7. Reduce the waist
8. Increase your self-esteem

There are endless faja options and designs, making it difficult to decide which is the best for your body. The best way to select a faja is to try them on, but this can be costly if done often. Invest in a faja that fits correctly, will correct your body contour, and can be worn for an extended time period. Keep in mind you might need to make minor adjustments after surgery. 
You'll want to follow your doctor's advice about how long to wear your Faja each day, but the general rule is: the longer the better! The more hours per day you spend wearing a Faja, the more support and compression.

Congratulations on your new body!

​You might be feeling a little sore and stiff, and that's totally normal. So is some swelling—all those fluids are necessary to help the body heal quickly.