The initial high-set, hard results you see from your breast implants are not permanent. Many factors affect how quickly breast tissues soften after augmentation. This “dropping and fluffing” process can last anywhere from eight weeks to six months.
Don't be alarmed; this is completely normal, and your newly augmented breasts will eventually settle and soften, typically within 6 months.
This is totally normal and will pass over time. As you begin to heal, your new breasts will go from feeling hard to gradually settling and softening so that they look and feel more like natural breast tissue.
After swelling subsides, your breasts will begin to feel more like a natural part of your body. If your implants were placed under the muscle, they may take a few months to feel normal as they “drop and fluff.” Until then, they may feel unnaturally high on your chest and you may experience a sensation of tightness.
A lack of implant drop and fluff, such as the lower breast seeming empty, could indicate that pocket has hardened and started to contract around the implant, which not only affects the appearance of your breasts but may also cause breast pain.
Your breast implants may appear to be bigger or fuller once they've dropped to a lower, more natural-looking position on your chest and "fluffed" into a rounder and softer shape. Changes in the size or shape of your new breasts after augmentation can also occur as swelling and tightness subside.
But for the average sized women with normal measurements, the C cup implants are between 300-400 cc. The 300 and 325 cc volumes can be thought of as small C cups. The 375 and 400 cc as large C cups. 350 cc might be considered a classic middle C cup implant.
Over time as the breast pocket stretches, your breasts implants will eventually soften, typically by 6 months after your surgery. Keep in mind, though, that every woman is different.
However, when the implants are placed properly, it will be difficult to feel anything. Breast implants may look more obvious on people who are naturally very thin with very little padding on the chest. Many people consider any type of implants to feel slightly harder than actual breast tissue.
You can help to ensure that your implants drop and fluff optimally by taking good care of yourself after surgery and adhering to your recovery protocol; however, you can't do anything to rush the process.
Massage: Gently massaging the breasts while they heal from breast augmentation surgery may help to prevent capsular contracture by encouraging the breast tissue to remain pliable.
Breast massages should be performed two to three times a day for two to three minutes at a time. It is recommended to perform these frequently for the first three months of your healing process; however, continuing this habit afterward will only aid in your results.
When Will My Breast Implants Soften? The initial high-set, hard results you see from your breast implants are not permanent. Many factors affect how quickly breast tissues soften after augmentation. This “dropping and fluffing” process can last anywhere from eight weeks to six months.
In as few as a few days, patients may begin to notice their implants begin to settle. By several weeks, the implants will be near their final resting position. The three-month mark is typically the latest that movement will be noticed. Athletes with strong chest muscles may require more time to notice breast settling.
Today's breast implants are extremely durable, and can withstand tremendous amounts of pressure before rupturing: about 175 pounds for saline, and up to 300 or so for silicone gel. This is far more pressure than a mammogram comes even close to applying.
If your implants are taking longer than usual to drop, your cosmetic surgeon may advise applying a compression band to the upper portion of your breasts and/or massaging your breast tissue. However, neither of these techniques should be utilized without first consulting your surgeon.
There are no non-surgical remedies for capsular contracture.
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.
The higher the number of CCs in an implant, the larger it is. Breast implants generally start at about 400 CCs and go up from there, with each 150 to 200 CCs reflecting an additional cup to cup-in-a-half in size.
Example: Bust = 37 inches, Band = 34 inches, 37 – 34 = 3 inches. That's a 34C! If the difference between band and bust measurement is 1, then your cup size is A. If the difference is 2, then the cup size will be B, so on & so forth.
If you massage your breasts too soon after your surgery, the incisions could reopen and an infection could develop. If your breasts begin to feel hard, or if the tissue around them starts to feel tight, consult with your surgeon right away.
Over time, the swelling resolves, the tissues loosen up, and the shape of the implant starts to exert itself on the overlying tissues. As a result, the implants settle into a lower, more aesthetically pleasing position on the chest. They appear softer and rounder, and they look larger and closer together.
Post-operative bloating and swelling usually peaks 2-3 days after surgery and most subsides by about 3 months. Bloating and swelling occur after plastic surgery for a number of reasons: You aren't as active as you usually are.