On average, a full recovery period usually takes about four to six weeks. It's important to refrain from physical activity, lifting heavy objects and overworking yourself during this sensitive time.
The First Week
For the first 4 to 7 days, you should stay home from work and continue resting as much as possible. Avoid strenuous activity of any kind. By the end of the first week, you should notice your energy coming back to you and your pain and soreness lessening quite a bit.
Patients should start light walking immediately after surgery – nothing strenuous, just short walks around the room or home every other hour. This is good for the circulation and helps prevent blood clots. After two weeks, patients can start more intense cardio such as walking on a treadmill or walking uphill.
In the first 1 to 2 weeks, you can use your arm normally up to shoulder height for light activities, such as face washing, hair brushing and eating. But avoid lifting your arm above the height of your shoulder. Don't lift anything heavy, but you can use your arm to lift a cup of tea.
After surgery, the implants tend to ride hide and appear small due to the patient's skin tightness in the area. There is tightness because the implants increase dimension to breast tissue causing the skin to compress the implant's shape and size.
3 Days After Surgery
Your breasts will still be squarish in shape, and the nipples will still be pointed downward. Tightness and a compressed feeling will persist. You may continue to experience some slight discomfort. Continue taking it easy and resting.
Your Recovery
You may feel sore for 2 to 3 weeks, and you'll likely have a lot of swelling. You may have a pulling or stretching feeling in your breast area. You can expect to feel better and stronger each day, although you may need pain medicine for a week or two.
When you first wake up from your breast implants surgery, your new breasts will likely be high up on your chest and feel hard to the touch. Don't be alarmed; this is completely normal, and your newly augmented breasts will eventually settle and soften, typically within 6 months. Read on as Dr.
Be sure to shower, not bathe for the first two weeks following your procedure. You should also take care to blot dry your breasts and the incision area with a clean towel after they get wet.
Sleep is very important after breast augmentation.
Additionally, sleep can play a part in our response to pain. According to this WebMD article, getting more sleep can help reduce the amount of pain you experience. Ideally, you should be trying to get 8 hours per night, and likely more when your body is healing.
You can expect to feel the most pain in the first one to three days after surgery. Your breasts and chest are likely to feel sore but you may also feel some stabbing or shooting pains. Your surgeon will prescribe you with pain medication to manage this.
USE ICE TO REDUCE SWELLING
Icing the breasts after augmentation as much as possible in the first 2-3 days will help avoid swelling, pulling, and pain around the incision area. Be careful not to ice directly on the nipple, however, as this is a more sensitive area.
Dry shampoo and feminine hygiene cloths or wipes were also recommended to help patients stay fresh. Most patients are told not to shower until the surgical drains are removed, so these items can help with staying clean until it's safe to resume a normal routine.
Swelling: Overexerting yourself causes your blood pressure to rise, which exacerbates and prolongs swelling. You will need to spend more time recovering, and the extra swelling can be quite uncomfortable.
During your operation, you will receive intravenous fluids to replenish your body's fluids and balance your sodium levels. This IV fluid is often the culprit for bloating as your body attempts to regulates its fluid levels postoperatively.
You'll notice the first signs of implant drop after a few days, and this process can be moved along by using a breast band and massaging your implants to promote faster dropping. (Silicone gels and sheeting may minimize your scarring as well.)
Typically, the most common breast implant size ranges between 300cc and 500cc. 400cc tends to be the single most common implant. 300cc to 360cc size implants are typically enough to give women a fuller shape without significantly altering their frame.
On the basis of this study, patients should be advised that 130 to 150 cc equates to a one-cup-size increase. Bras with narrower band widths need 130 cc and wider band widths require 150 cc to increase one cup size.
Rest is essential for a fast recovery after breast augmentation surgery. Therefore, avoiding strenuous activities, lifting heavy objects and bending over for at least a week after your surgery would be best.
Typically, most patients will be required to wear a compression bra during their initial part of recovery (two weeks after surgery). At that point, you can switch to a compression sports bra but make sure to avoid anything with an underwire. This can be worn for another two weeks, day and night.
For the first 4 – 6 weeks following a breast augmentation, patients should be wearing a supportive medical bra around the clock, including while sleeping, to promote proper healing and provide added support. After this time, it may be safe and appropriate to begin wearing a soft, supportive bra of your own.