When you think about life after breast augmentation you probably think about your gorgeous and perky breasts or perhaps how great your clothes will fit. While these wonderful moments will certainly come, first you’ve got to go through something a little less enjoyable: breast augmentation recovery. A few days of taking it easy, resting, and letting your body heal are essential to getting the breasts you’ve always dreamed of.

After your surgery, you will go home wrapped with a surgical gauze dressing and an Ace Wrap. You may remove the ace wrap and the gauze dressing the following day and take a shower if you wish. You can throw away the gauze and put on the sports bra that you were instructed to. Do not remove the surgical tapes that are over your incisions. These will be changed at your one week visit. You will see Dr. Haws or Dr. Gingrass at your 2 week visit and will be given instructions on alternate bras at that time. We generally don’t recommend doing any breast massage exercises until you are instructed to do so.

Here are some tips for getting through your recovery period. Don’t worry, many of our patients are surprised at how easy and comfortable recovery actually is. It isn’t time to run a marathon, but it isn’t time to be miserable either.

Breast Augmentation Recovery Do’s

For the best breast augmentation recovery possible, these do’s are essential.

• Talk with Your Surgeon– In your breast augmentation journey your surgeon and the rest of the staff here at the Plastic Surgery Center of Nashville are your guides. We are happy to talk with you about concerns, worries, and questions. Ask us for advice about recovery and feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns after surgery. Good communication will help you know what to expect and how to prepare.
• Take it Easy– Your body needs time to heal after surgery. That doesn’t mean you should spend weeks lounging on the couch (although you will want to rest for the first day or two), but it does mean that you’ll have to scale back some of your activities for a period of time after surgery. Most people return to work in a few days. We recommend that you avoid heavy lifting, pushing, or pulling with the upper body for at least two weeks. You’ll also want to avoid exercising during this time period as well. Giving your body the time it needs to heal properly will help your breasts to look their best. If you have had other procedures at the same time (like liposuction or a tummy tuck) you may need a few extra days of initial recovery.
• Follow a Healthy Lifestyle– Eating healthy foods and avoiding unhealthy behaviors like smoking will help your body to heal. Smoking can significantly reduce the amount of oxygen in the blood, slowing the healing process. Practice good health habits before and after surgery (and for the rest of your life of course).

Breast Augmentation Recovery Don’ts

Avoiding these breast augmentation recovery don’ts will help your body to heal. If you have any questions feel free to contact us.

• Don’t Wear an Underwire Bra– After surgery we will send you home wrapped in gauze and surgical dressing. This will be removed after a few days. Once the gauze is removed you can start wearing a soft cup bra, like a sports bra. Avoid wearing an underwire bra until you are fully healed. The wires can irritate the sensitive breast tissue and keep the implants from settling. Wait until you have the go ahead from your surgeon to start wearing regular bras.
• Don’t Worry about Scarring– Breast augmentation surgery does leave scars, although we make every effort possible to hide and minimize scarring. Right after surgery your scars will be very pink and firm. This will fade in time. Don’t worry about your scars right away. They may appear to widen or grow during the first few months after surgery. This is all normal. Time is needed for your scars to begin to fade.

We are here to help you throughout the breast augmentation surgery process whether you are having breast enhancement on its own or with other procedures as part of a mommy makeover. While there are some great online resources for information, Dr. Haws and Dr. Gingrass want you to feel free to contact them with any concerns after surgery.  They are your surgeons and your experts and do not expect you to have to surf the net if you have a post operative concern.   They do these surgeries all the time but know this is your only experience.  They expect you to call if you have a concern and are available to address it promptly.