Generally speaking, you shouldn't consider going braless for at least six weeks after breast augmentation. Your breasts need to be thoroughly supported during this time to ensure optimal healing. After six weeks, you may occasionally go braless, but try to keep this to special occasions, and don't make it a habit.
After your breast augmentation surgery, your surgeon will recommend wearing your surgical bra every day, including when you sleep. The bra helps your implants settle to give you the best possible results while aiding in healing. Wear the surgical bra for 6-8 weeks.
If you do not wear a compression bra following breast implant placement or stop wearing it before your implant settles in a new shape and size, there is a high risk of your implants dislocating from their position.
You may remove the bra to shower. After 21 days please wear a bra for 12 hours a day for 21 days. You may begin to gently massage the implants, to keep the breast soft and to minimize the risk of a capsular contracture.
"Can I take a rest from my bra?" The doctor recommends that you wear the bra as close 23 hours per day as possible (all day and night, except for the time when you're in the shower). You will need to wear a sports bra with no under wire for 6 weeks, or until the doctor says you are clear to start wearing a regular bra.
A sports bra rarely has a deep enough underband to provide the support you need after surgery, nor does it allow for any post-operative swelling, which means it can quickly cut in and could restrict lymphatic drainage.
surgical bra can be removed for few hours while taking showers. But it is advisable to keep it on as much as possible as it gelps in providing shape and fullness to the breasts.
The ideal fit for a post-surgery bra should be snug but not tight. The best indicator that your bra fits correctly is that it's comfortable, and although you might feel some pressure, this isn't excessive or painful. Signs that your bra is too tight include: the straps or edges leaving marks on your skin.
However, it's important that you don't sleep on your side or roll onto your side in your sleep. This could put pressure on the implant or your incisions as you heal, which may affect your results. My patients can typically return to side sleeping (while wearing a supportive bra) within 2 weeks.
Avoid bras that apply pressure to these incision areas for at least three months. At first, we recommend sleeping without a bra, unless that bra was provided by your surgeon. After a six week period, patients may sleep with a bra if they find it more comfortable.
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.
The best position for safe sleeping after breast augmentation surgery is on your back with your upper body slightly elevated. This position, typically achieved by sleeping in a recliner or with a stack of pillows, can reduce breast swelling and soreness.
After your breast augmentation surgery, you'll need to sleep on your back in an elevated position for the first several days. This keeps your breasts in a more natural position, improves circulation, and minimizes swelling. It also makes it easier to get in and out of bed without straining your arm and chest muscles.
It is easy to tear out these stitches early on, so it is vital that no strenuous arm activity be performed for several weeks; this includes putting your arms over your head for the first three weeks. So, avoid pullover shirts for that period of time.
You can remove your bra when you shower. Don't wear a bra that has an underwire while your incisions are healing. You'll get a prescription for pain medication to help manage your pain after surgery. Constipation (www.mskcc.org/pe/constipation).
Immediately after surgery, your breasts will be swollen and tender, so you will likely need to wear a medical compression bra, also called a surgical bra, without underwires.
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.
4 to 6 weeks post-op
Usually, at this point, most patients have fully recovered and can resume regular activity. Your breasts should look and feel more natural. Patients are advised to make an appointment with their surgeon for a full evaluation of the breast implants.
Lying Down: Because anatomically shaped breast implants are better at maintaining their shape, they will keep that shape even when the patient is lying down. This may cause an unnatural look because the implants will not spread out like natural breasts would; rather, they will somewhat maintain the “teardrop” shape.
For the most part, patients will need to wait at least four to six weeks before they can switch to side sleeping. For some patients, it may be more like eight weeks.
After 6-8 weeks, your body should be fully healed and recovered, and you can resume your daily activities. It's important to know that even after you're fully healed, it will still take about 3-6 months for your breast implants to fully settle into your breasts.