Frequently asked questions,
answered with honesty.

There is no standard number. Any professional who gives you a number before assessing your case is guessing.

What determines the number of sessions: the type and extent of the surgery, the state of the tissue at the time of assessment, how your body responds to healing, and what you want to protect or achieve. A straightforward lipo with good healing might need 8 to 12 sessions. A case with established fibrosis, seroma, or persistent swelling might need more, with different intervals and protocols.

We work this out together at the first assessment, with honesty about what to expect.

The earlier, the better, but "early" doesn't mean "the day after surgery at full pressure." It means starting care while the tissue is still in the early stages of healing, when photobiomodulation and a light touch already make a difference without causing harm.

In practice: ideally within the first week, once your surgeon clears you. If you're past that window already, whether it's two weeks, two months, or a year later, it's still worth starting. The protocol changes with the stage of the tissue; it doesn't stop applying.

Yes. Recovery from plastic surgery can take up to a year, sometimes longer. Fibrosis, residual swelling, and adhesions respond to the right clinical approach even when they have been present for months.

The protocol for late-stage cases differs from immediate postoperative care (the technology and techniques change), but improvement is possible. I have worked with dense fibrosis and skin retraction cases that arrived months after surgery and responded well to conservative treatment.

Yes. This is actually one of the most common profiles I see: people who have surgery in Turkey, Brazil, Colombia, or Spain and come back to Belgium often find themselves without anyone to support their recovery.

What I need at the first assessment is to understand what was done (type of surgery, technique if known, how long ago) and the current state of the tissue. Your surgeon's report or operative protocol helps if you have it, but it's not required. We work with what's in front of us.

Fibrosis is the excessive, disorganized buildup of collagen in tissue, which leads to hardening, adhesions, and sometimes pain or contour irregularities.

It forms when the post-surgical inflammatory process isn't managed well. The most common mistake: intervening with too much pressure before the tissue is ready. Every hard push on tissue that's still inflamed causes microtrauma. The body responds by producing more collagen to protect the area. More collagen means more hardening, which invites more force to "fix" it, which causes more microtrauma. It's a vicious cycle that feeds itself until someone identifies what's actually driving it.

Fibrosis doesn't break down through force. It resolves with the right clinical approach: technology (TECAR, ultrasound) at the right time, progressive fascia release, and time respected.

Seroma is a buildup of serous fluid (a yellowish liquid) in the space between tissues after surgery. It's fairly common after tummy tucks and extensive liposuction.

It needs to be monitored and, in some cases, drained by a doctor with a needle. My role is to support that process: targeted lymphatic drainage to help move the fluid, appropriate compression, and communication with the surgeon about how it's progressing. It's not something to manage alone at home, and it's not something to ignore either.

It shouldn't. Pain during postoperative drainage is a sign something is off: either the pressure is too high for the stage of the tissue, or the technique isn't respecting the physiology.

The right protocol feels comfortable. You might feel pressure, movement, sometimes a sense of "release," but not pain. If you've had postoperative care before and it hurt, the approach was probably wrong for where you were at.

Yes. I always work in partnership with the doctor in charge, because postoperative care needs to align with what was done during surgery. If your surgeon is on the other side of the world, we'll talk at the assessment about how to set up that communication, or how to work with a local general practitioner as a bridge.

Quite different. Each surgery creates its own tissue map, and a tummy tuck combined with lipo comes with specific challenges: extensive fascial redistribution, higher seroma risk, and two treatment areas whose healing stages don't always line up.

The protocol accounts for what was done in each area; there's no generic approach for combined surgeries.

Persistent facial swelling after a facelift is more common than most people expect, and it lasts longer than swelling on the body. The cervical and auricular lymph nodes get handled during surgery, which temporarily affects the face's natural drainage.

The facial protocol is completely different from the body protocol: no radiofrequency, minimal pressure, guiding lymph through the cervical chains. Persistent facial swelling responds well to this approach, but it takes patience and a professional who understands the difference.

Lipedema is a chronic condition marked by inflammation of the fatty tissue, leading to a disproportionate buildup of fat, usually in both legs, thighs, and hips, while sparing the feet. It affects almost exclusively women and has a strong hormonal component.

The most common signs: legs that look disproportionate to the rest of the body, a feeling of heaviness and pain to the touch (sometimes even shower water feels uncomfortable), easy bruising, worsening around your period and menopause, and the sense that no matter how much weight you lose, your legs don't change.

Diagnosis is a medical act, made by a specialist (a vascular surgeon or endocrinologist). My role is conservative support after that diagnosis, and pointing you to the right doctor when I suspect it.

They're different conditions with different treatments, and mixing them up is one of the most common mistakes out there.

Lipedema: affects both legs (and sometimes the arms), involves inflammation of the fatty tissue itself (not the lymphatic system), has a strong hormonal component, and the main treatment is managing inflammation, nutrition, and hormone regulation. The lymphatic system can be affected secondarily, but it isn't the cause.

Lymphedema: usually affects one limb, involves structural damage to the lymphatic system (from surgery, infection, trauma, or a congenital cause), and the main treatment is mechanical compression and drainage targeted at the affected lymphatic pathway.

Treating lipedema as if it were lymphedema (compression alone) doesn't resolve the inflammation in the fat cells. It can even make things worse if the compression is excessive.

There's no full elimination, but there is effective long-term management. With an accurate diagnosis and the right approach, progression is controlled and quality of life improves significantly.

The most honest comparison is diabetes: left unrecognized and poorly managed, it gets progressively worse. Once it's identified and you have access to treatment and keep up the right habits, you live well; the condition is still there, but it's under control.

About 80% of managing lipedema comes down to hormone regulation and nutrition. Conservative follow-up care (drainage, compression when indicated, modulating inflammation) supports and sustains that control.

No. Cellulite is a cosmetic change in the skin, without any systemic inflammatory component. Lipedema is a medical condition recognized by the WHO, involving chronic inflammation of the fatty tissue, pain, progression, and functional impact.

The issue is that for years lipedema was treated as cellulite, which led to aggressive cosmetic treatments that make the inflammation, and the condition itself, worse.

No. It's a clinically important difference: tissue affected by lipedema already carries chronic inflammation, and the inflammatory response to liposuction is significantly stronger than in healthy tissue.

The protocol needs to reflect that: more photobiomodulation from the start, more sessions, functional goals (preserving mobility, reducing pain) alongside the cosmetic ones, and ideally preparing the tissue before surgery to lower the baseline inflammation.

The main risk after lipedema-related lipo isn't cosmetic; it's pain and loss of mobility. Managing this without understanding the biology of the tissue is a serious mistake.

It depends on the stage and how you respond individually. Generally, sessions start more frequent (weekly or biweekly in the first months) and get spaced out as things stabilize.

The practical measure I use is direct feedback: "how many days after the session do you feel lighter?" When that lightness fades quickly, we keep the frequency higher. When it lasts longer, we space sessions out.

Follow-up care for lipedema and lymphedema is ongoing, with no discharge date. It's long-term management.

Aesthetic drainage focuses on the immediate visual and sensory effect: contouring, reducing visible puffiness, relaxation. The result is real, but temporary (24 to 72 hours) and doesn't necessarily follow the actual direction of the lymphatic system.

Clinical lymphatic drainage starts from the real anatomy of the lymphatic system: the pressure is minimal, the rhythm is specific, the direction is precise. The goal is to genuinely stimulate lymphatic flow, with an impact on immunity, sleep, regulation of the autonomic nervous system, and reduction of structural swelling (not just surface-level puffiness).

It costs more because it demands more knowledge and more precision, not because it's more "upscale."

For anyone who wants to care for the body's physiology, not just its appearance.

The most common profiles I see: women in perimenopause or postmenopause with persistent bloating, fluid retention, and fatigue; people under chronic stress with trouble sleeping; anyone who wants to support their immune system on a regular basis; and anyone who simply wants to feel their body is functioning well, not just look "in shape."

For progressive, lasting results, the most effective approach is to start with a higher frequency (4 sessions over 2 to 3 weeks) and then space sessions out as the body responds. Many people settle into 1 maintenance session a month.

Clinical health drainage done once, just to "see what it's like," will leave you feeling good, but it won't change the pattern of your lymphatic system.

No, but you do need a foundational background in health or aesthetics (massage therapy, esthetics, nursing, manual therapies, or a related field). Module 01 was built for people who have that foundation but little or no specific experience with clinical postoperative care.

If you already work with postoperative recovery but without a defined method, Module 01 will show you what's been missing, and Module 02 is where everything really connects.

It matters to be honest here: the certification belongs to the Neiva Cimini Method®, a proprietary method, not an academic degree regulated by professional boards.

The certificate's value comes from who signs it and what it represents: training from an internationally recognized specialist, with a verifiable clinical methodology and endorsement from plastic surgeons. For titles regulated by professional health boards, the path is the formal degree and postgraduate programs of those respective professions.

Format to be confirmed before the first cohort opens. The plan leans toward recorded modules with live sessions for questions and case analysis. Final certification may include an in-person component.

Join the waiting list to get the details before the public launch.

Yes. The content is in Portuguese and applies to any context. The Directory of Certified Professionals is international.

Prices will be announced when each cohort opens. The waiting list gets priority access and special launch terms before the public opening.

Yes, both are possible. I've already run in-house training for surgical teams in Belgium and Germany. For that kind of request, the best path is a direct conversation: the format is tailored to the team's profile and what the surgeon wants to implement.

Talk to me directly →

I work from two locations: Maasmechelen and Brussels. Address and availability details are shared when you book.

Dutch, English, French, and Portuguese. No language barrier: pick whichever feels most comfortable to you.

Booking happens through WhatsApp. The first conversation is about understanding your situation before scheduling an assessment, with no commitment.

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Pricing is shared in a direct conversation. There's no standard package: the number of sessions and the investment are set at the assessment, based on your situation.

Yes. Billing details are arranged during your care.

To be confirmed when you book, depending on your insurance plan's coverage (mutualiteiten/mutuelles).