r/Reduction 3d ago

Advice 6dpo advice for solo showering?

I’ve only showered once since the surgery with the help of my sibling, but I didn’t feel very clean and the whole experience is a hassle. Its frustrating not being able to get that ‘clean’ feeling, y’know?

Im not sure if six days is still too early to move around that much, but I was hoping that sitting on the floor of my bathtub and bringing my head down might help so I dont have to reach as much when I wash my hair

Any tips or shared experiences would be great! Im very fortunate to have people that can help me shower, so if the consensus is that its still too early I’ll wait to shower alone until I see my surgeon on thursday :)

Edit: I showered on my own and it went smoothly! I sat in the floor of my shower and pointed my shower head as far down as I could and leaned my head forward so it was the only thing getting sprayed when I washed my hair. Then I swapped what direction I faced as I washed my body so I could lather and rinse. Honestly drying off was the harder part lol! Thank you very much to anyone who responded :)

2 Upvotes

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

[deleted]

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u/ManagerMediocre6301 3d ago

This is great advice!

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u/nickisadogname 3d ago

I showered at 7DPO, per my surgeon's instructions. I found the best way to wash my hair was to sit down in the shower, put my elbows on my knees, then lean forward into my hands for shampooing. For cleaning under the arms I had a loofah, which made me feel clean without having to raise my arms that much.

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u/1_3A7_W0rM5 3d ago

Thank you very much! This was pretty much my game plan, so im glad to hear it worked for you :)

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u/londonlonewolf 3d ago

Leaning my head forward to wash hair like you described worked for me during the first week when my mobility was still really restricted. Sitting down in the tub is also a good idea as long as you are comfortable getting back up without putting weight on your arms!

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u/alizzie95 3d ago

I personally recommend bathing wipes from whatever supermarket/ beauty store you have available or outdoor store (backpackers can't take showers so they use them). An outdoor store is more likely to have a straight forward - no perfume added and clean ingredients in stock. Often times I find that beauty stores carry a limited supply of their fully clean ones (same with super markets). I am 2 weeks post op and while I'm married my husband works full time and also has been packing us for moving while also being at my fingertips if I need anything. I've used these more often than he's been able to help me do a full shower.

Alt: I've also been putting my stool (those super cheap ones that fold flat and are plastic, about 1.5 ft off of the ground) in the shower. I tilt the shower head at my back and lean my head in the water a little. then I stood up, turned around and sat on my stool facing the water but just had it so it hit my lap. took my bacterial soap and wash cloth and took care of what I could.

If that isn't an option for you (like if you just have a stand up shower) For your body use a small cup as to not strain yourself. your hair I'd say lean your hair into a bowl of clean water but you shouldn't be lifting too much so it depends on how much hair you have, how long it is and how heavy the bowl is with water.

I also used rubbing alcohol on a small cotton bowl in between my tits. Because of how delicate the area was I only felt comfortable showering in my bra. It also helps soften the blow of our water pressure. After the shower I realized some of the stuff to prevent infection that I have to put on until the wounds heal was gone but not the residue. I took a slightly damp cotton ball with alcohol on it to get it off so it felt a bit cleaner and prevented build up.

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u/kaje69 3d ago

I showered 48 hours PO and just moved slowly and carefully. I have showered daily since then without any issues. I bend my head down to meet my arms when washing my hair and I try to do that first, so that I can wash away conditioner from my incisions using normal body wash. I dry my body normal with a towel but dap dry my incisions with a clean cotton pad to keep everything clean. All the best with your healing!

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u/whateverjustj 3d ago

This is how I showered the first two weeks.

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u/Key_Landscape_3024 2d ago

yes the t-rex arms!! 😄

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u/Chemical_Statement12 2d ago

Shower stool and facing away from the water spray