Frequently Asked Questions
Thanks for reaching out!
You have probably landed on this page because you contacted me about getting an appointment, and I sent you a text that directed you here.
I’m always rushing between clients, and rather than give out partial information, or come across as short/rude because I only have a minute or two, I made this page to answer my most commonly asked questions.
This page helps to speed up the process of communication, answering the simple questions. This frees up my time to answer the questions that are unique to your individual situation.
I do value you as a potential client, and I will answer whatever questions you have above and beyond this information, so please reach back out to me via text at 505-554-5185 if your question is not addressed here.
How Many Massages Do I Need?
This is a very individualized question. Why are you getting lymphatic massage?
People who add lymphatic massage to their detox regimen often come once or twice a month.
Post-Op Recovery Clients most commonly come about 10 times, but some people may come more often. Here’s an article on how many massages you need after plastic surgery.Package deals offer discounts for people coming for multiple visits. They are listed in the link in the prices section above. If your budget does not allow you to purchase that many visits at once, you may get multiple smaller packages (for example, 3 x a package of 3 = 9 visits).
Having a Hard Time
Finding an Appointment Time?
Info on My Availability:
I’m the only licensed and insured person in the state
who specializes in cosmetic surgery recovery, so I’m a busy lady.
Yes, I am typically
booked a bit into the future.
I know this seems discouraging,
but usually I do manage to get people in earlier despite this.
People’s surgeries get postponed opening up 6 or so appointments all at once, people have emergencies that take them out of town for a week at a time which opens up a couple of spots, and other such things occur enough that I am usually able to get people moved up enough for it to matter.
Rule #1: Don’t Panic.
You will be fine, even if you are post-op
and have been told that you must get your
massages immediately or your surgery is ruined.
It is not.
I know you are scared,
but don’t be.
I deal with this every day.
You are going to be ok.
If you have an appointment booked with me, I’m available to you
via text to answer questions until your appointment.
I really do care about how you are doing, and I am happy to help ease your concerns until we meet.
Social media will have you believe
that the world will come to an end if you don’t get a massage right away.
While, sure, it’s ideal, your surgery is
not going to be ruined if you have to wait a couple of weeks.
Real problems tend to happen when people go for months
without getting any post-op work done.
Minor lumps and bumps can be handled easily
so long as we get to them in a few weeks.
What You Can Do to Help Yourself Until Your Appointment:
Since many people have to wait for appointments, I made a free
video on how to do self-lymphatic massage to help you out in the meantime.
Go ahead and get your appointment booked (even if it is not soon) and then stalk my schedule in order to grab cancellations before someone else gets them. While I do have a cancellation list, most cancellations are filled before I see them. Either I am working on a client or I am asleep, so keep an eye out.
You may let me know via text if you want to be seen sooner in case I get a cancellation. I do get cancellations and work hard to fill them. Although I can’t offer a guarantee that you will get in sooner, but there’s a good chance that will happen given the large number of clients I see and the fact that I work extremely long days.
It is not uncommon for people to get moved up 2-3 weeks, but again, it’s dependent on how many cancellations I get.
I do my very best to get people in as early as I can. Top priority for cancellations goes to people who have already booked an appointment. (Honestly, I usually never get to people who do not have an existing appointment.)
Once you have booked your appointment,
if you want to be on the cancellation list,
send me a text to 505-554-5185
to let me know.
Also, give me an idea of what your schedule is like so I can put that in the notes. If you had a surgery, please let me know the date for that as well. If you have a lot of travel time involved, please tell me what amount of lead time you need to make it here.
Remember that the BEST strategy to get in earlier is to stalk my schedule after you book your appointment. Sometimes cancellations happen while I’m in session and someone comes along and grabs it before I even know it was there. If you have already booked an appointment, you can simply switch it to that time slot. Do this by going to the absolute bottom of your email confirmation and select the “Change or Cancel Appointment” button.
Why It is Worth The Wait
Getting good, appropriate therapy
from a qualified, licensed
therapist is key to healing,
not just getting “a massage.”
No, I’m not the
only massage therapist in town.
Can you get *someone*
to work on you? Oh, yes, but…
What you don’t know about a person’s training and licensure can hurt you.
Here are some really important things to consider:
There are unlicensed (and uninsured) people
who claim to know how to do plastic surgery recovery.
Ask to see the person’s massage license.
By law it must be posted at the place of business.
Here’s where you can verify someone at the very least has a license in New Mexico.
If you hear of someone who claims to be licensed who is not, you should report them.
Beware of people who “do lashes” who can also help you with your BBL, or people who claim that they have taken “a class” on post-op massage and are doing it out of their home. These are HUGE RED FLAGS that you are not being treated by a person with proper training.
There are people out there offering a few hours of “training” to people who are not licensed or insured. These people then say that they are “certified” to do post-op massage.
Would you let a surgeon who only took one class or
who did not carry malpractice insurance operate on you?
Of course not!
Why would you then trust your body (and the massive amount of money you spent for your surgery) to someone who has no training and who carries no insurance work on you?
One class does not make a person qualified to work on someone who is recently out of surgery. Years of training in anatomy, physiology, and technique are necessary to ensure your safety.
It’s a good idea to check out this post on that very problem:
Dirty Little Secrets About the Plastic Surgery Recovery Industry
What you don’t know CAN hurt you.
So, yes, there may be a bit of a wait to see me,
but you are in good, qualified hands.
Let’s say you found a licensed massage therapist
who says that they can do lymphatic massage post-op
Did you know that
most massage therapists
should not touch someone for
6-8 weeks after surgery?
Why?
- Because without advanced training, therapists do not know how to correctly adjust their pressure to work over surgical sites.
- Most therapists do not have any training, let alone advanced training in Manual Lymphatic Drainage (what we call lymphatic massage). In fact, many therapists have been *improperly* trained for lymphatic work. How do I know? I hear LOTS of stories. Comments like “Now that I know what it should feel like, I know that I paid that woman for a tickle (or to torture me – depending on the therapist), not lymphatic work,” are things I hear every week.
At a BARE minimum, a therapist should be Manual Lymphatic Drainage Certified – a 40 hour course – from one of the following schools: KLOSE Training, Norton School, Academy of Lymphatic Studies. Even BETTER is if they are a Certified Lymphedema Therapist (CLT), which is an advanced level of study far beyond MLD certification. Simply taking “some continuing education course” over a weekend does not qualify a therapist as MLD certified.
Always, always, always check the credentials of your therapist. (Remember – there are people working who are not licensed and who do dangerous things.) They should be visible either on their website or in their office. I am a LANA-Certified Lymphedema Therapist, a step above being a basic CLT. You may view my credentials here. - Even if a person is properly trained in lymphatic work, that still does not mean they know anything at all about plastic surgery. This is a very highly-specialized discipline.
- Most therapists are not trained to work around wounds or medical devices such as drains.
- Some people will take your money, and you won’t get what you *think* you are paying for. They get away with this because most people don’t know the difference. It is unethical, but it happens all the time.
While this certainly isn’t representative of all therapists, there are some people who will take whatever kind of work they are asked to do simply because they need the work. Other people are downright not licensed, certified, insured, or have any informal training. Yet, they believe that YouTube videos will tell them all they need to know.
Oh, and Another Reason to Wait to See Me Is:
I also fit people for fajas that I have at my office –
along with boards, foams, and other post-op goodies.
Plastic Surgery Recovery really *is* my specialty.
I’m happy to answer questions about booking, cancellations, etc.
Just send me a text at 505-554-5185
Thanks so much! I look forward to helping you!
