Guide:
- Breast Augmentation Recovery: What To Expect
- What To Expect One Month After Your Breast Augmentation
- When Will I See The Final Results After Breast Augmentation?
- When Can I Get Back Into The Gym After Breast Augmentation?
- Breast Augmentation Recovery Tips
- Are You Prepared To Achieve Your Goals With Breast Augmentation?
Some women naturally have smaller breasts, while others lose volume over time with aging, pregnancy, and breastfeeding. Breast augmentation can make an incredible difference in a woman’s self-esteem, even if it’s a subtle enhancement with a small implant.
Like any surgery, breast augmentation has a recovery period, and healing doesn’t happen immediately. Your body takes time to heal after this confidence-boosting procedure. Most of Dr. Liland’s patients believe the several weeks of waiting through recovery for final results are beyond worth it when they see their newly enhanced breasts.
Breast Augmentation Recovery: What To Expect
Immediately after breast augmentation, you may feel sore, tired, and nauseous. Feeling tightness in your chest or experiencing either oversensitivity or loss of sensitivity in your breasts during the first day or two is normal. Do not be alarmed by the swelling or bruising. These will reduce over time as you heal.
For the first couple of hours, after your surgery is complete, patients rest in the post-op room while the anesthesia wears off to ensure they wake up safely before sending them home. Don’t forget to arrange with a friend or family member to help you get home and care for you for the first few days post-op.
Throughout your recovery after breast augmentation, you’ll have some soreness and tenderness that typically takes up to six weeks to dissipate. The worst pain will be during the first 24 hours. You will be prescribed pain medication to help minimize this discomfort. Dr. Liland sends patients home with bandages and a compression garment over their breasts to help hold the implants in place as they heal. You should wear these as instructed to heal correctly and allow your implants to settle into their ideal position.
We recommend wearing a special bra during your breast augmentation recovery. Avoid irritation from wiring and keep your incisions away from any unnecessary tension. Dr. Liland will give you more information during your consultation.
Be prepared to relax during your breast augmentation recovery. If you’re usually very active and find it hard to be bedridden, try to prepare yourself mentally before surgery day to allow this time for your body to heal.
For best healing, you should avoid all intense activity during the first two weeks of breast augmentation recovery. You should also refrain from anything that may raise your blood pressure during this period. Most patients with more active jobs need to take a couple of weeks or more off work to allow themselves to heal without any potential complications.
What To Expect One Month After Your Breast Augmentation
You may still have some soreness at the 3-4 week mark, but usually, patients feel little to no pain or discomfort at this stage. Most patients feel back to normal long before this and overestimate their ability to return to their usual routine.
Avoid going back into strenuous activities too quickly. It can cause complications with your incisions and negatively affect your final results. Your doctor may suggest light exercises like walking one month after your surgery. Listen to their instructions regarding more intense activities like lifting weights or running on a treadmill.
Swelling and bruising should be much less noticeable at this point, but if you still have more bruising than expected, this is normal for some patients and should fade more within the next few weeks.
You should still wear your post-op bra one month after your breast augmentation. Wearing this along with front closure bras will help you heal well as they are much more supportive and gentle on your incisions than regular bras.
The implants are still settling after one month, so they may feel uncomfortable or appear asymmetrical. Be patient with your body as the implants settle and become more natural-feeling. Your implants should start to feel more natural and settled into their new position within the next few weeks after this point.
If you have small children and usually lift them frequently, you should be able to safely pick them up again after about one month, but be sure to ask your doctor how often and how heavy a weight you can lift so you can do so safely.
When Will I See The Final Results After Breast Augmentation?
You may be eager to see your final results just one month after surgery but remember implants take time to settle into your body and get into their ideal placement. You may notice your breasts appear larger immediately after your surgery, but it takes at least six weeks for the swelling to resolve and for the skin to stretch with the added volume.
Most patients see final results after 6-8 weeks post-op. Dr. Liland may have you visit our office for a follow-up appointment to ensure the implants have settled correctly.
When Can I Get Back Into The Gym After Breast Augmentation?
Again, if you are a very active person, you need to be prepared ahead of your breast augmentation for the long road to recovery ahead of you. Exercising strenuously before your incisions have healed leads to complications that may eventually call for revision surgery.
Light walks are usually encouraged after three weeks or so. We advise patients to wait at least six weeks before lifting weights or doing intense cardio. Dr. Liland keeps in touch with patients throughout their recovery and will let you know when it is safe to return to the activities you love.
Breast Augmentation Recovery Tips
We want you to achieve your dream results from breast augmentation surgery. Achieving your goals is determined by your surgeon’s skill but also by how you take care of yourself throughout your recovery.
Here are our aftercare tips for you to ensure you get the best results out of your breast augmentation surgery:
- Prepare your new wardrobe for after the surgery
- Drink plenty of water
- Follow your surgeon’s instructions closely
- Don’t be afraid to contact your surgeon if you have any questions or concerns
- Avoid smoking or drinking any alcohol
- Wear loose clothing that doesn’t rub your incisions
- Eat healthy foods
- Apply cold compresses to the breasts to reduce swelling
- Sleep in an upright position so that fluid does not build in the chest
- Prepare your recovery space with plenty of pillows for cushioning before your surgery
Learn more about best aftercare practices following your breast augmentation.
Are You Prepared To Achieve Your Goals With Breast Augmentation?
If you understand what to expect during your breast augmentation recovery, you’re one step closer to getting the surgery and loving your body. Please request a consultation with Dallas plastic surgeon Dr. David Liland if you wish to proceed with your procedure. Dr. Liland is renowned for bringing patients’ breast augmentation goals to life and will help you determine the best implant size, shape, texture, and profile.