Essentially, you'll need to sleep in an elevated position after breast augmentation surgery for at least one to two months (around six weeks for the majority of patients). The reason is that this position helps to reduce swelling, largely by taking the pressure off the incision areas and the implants themselves.
We recommend sleeping on your back and a little elevated (like in a recliner chair) for the first 3 weeks after surgery. Gravity in this situation pulls the swelling downward and away from the implants. If you sleep flat then the excess fluid does not drain and the swelling will persist.
Dr. Ramanadham gets asked, “When can I sleep on my side after breast augmentation?” quite frequently. After all, it can be hard to sleep constantly on your back night after night. For the most part, patients will need to wait at least four to six weeks before they can switch to side sleeping.
Simply put, sleeping on your back keeps your breasts in an optimal position for healing. We therefore recommend you keep this position for eight to 12 weeks post-surgery. Some online sources suggest four to six weeks are enough, but you will continue healing beyond this short window of time.
SLEEPING ON YOUR BACK – ELEVATED!
This will put your new breasts in a relaxed position, with minimal strain on your chest, allowing the incisions from your breast augmentation to heal and the implants to settle. However, just sleeping flat on your back isn't the best sleeping position after breast surgery.
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.
Dr. Howland requires patients to wear their compression bra for several weeks at all times except when bathing to aid the healing process.
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.
Essentially, you'll need to sleep in an elevated position after breast augmentation surgery for at least one to two months (around six weeks for the majority of patients). The reason is that this position helps to reduce swelling, largely by taking the pressure off the incision areas and the implants themselves.
Hematoma: Exercising before you have healed enough can cause a tear in your breast tissues, which may lead to a pocket of blood called a hematoma.
It is important to sleep on your back with your upper body elevated after breast augmentation surgery. This position minimizes fluid buildup, enhances circulation, and also keeps the breasts in a more natural position as they heal. Sleeping propped up also helps with mobility.
You could receive the all-clear to sleep on your sides as early as two weeks after breast augmentation. However, you may be advised to wear a special bra to support your chest. After roughly four to six weeks, you should be able to resume sleeping on your stomach.
If you stop wearing the surgical bra before the recommended time provided in your surgeon's aftercare plan, you may notice that it takes longer for your incision to heal. Compression bras increase blood flow to the surgical site, flooding the area with nutrients and proteins to boost cell renewal and speed up healing.
Get plenty of rest and sleep
Some DVDs, books and magazines will help pass the time. You will be walking immediately after surgery, slowly regaining your strength. Just remember to listen to your body, getting plenty of sleep and relaxation, as you heal.
Painful or uncomfortable implants can indicate a number of issues that require a breast implant revision, including capsular contracture, damaged lymph nodes, a developing seroma, pinched nerves or poor implant placement. If you have silicone implants, pain may be a sign your implant has ruptured or is leaking.
One question I hear a lot from facelift patients is “how long do I have to elevate my head after facelift surgery?” While sleeping on your back is a must, keeping your head elevated for the first 2 to 4 weeks is equally important.
Plan to sleep on your back with several pillows to elevate the head of your bed. This is to lessen the amount of swelling you experience, which may worsen in the first few days after surgery before getting better. Plan to sleep on your back for the first 6 weeks after surgery while your chest heals.
Too much use of these muscles might result in the shifting of the implant. This will cause an asymmetrical and unnatural shape of the breast as the implant moves outward or downward. It may also contribute to increased swelling, bruising, and soreness. Undesired scar formation can also develop.
Typically, most women need to recover for 1 to 2 weeks before they are ready to resume their normal routine but can be back to work within 3-5 Days. You'll get the best results from your breast augmentation if you give your body enough time to heal.
Washing hair is possible on the 3rd day after the surgery. Patients can wash hair as usual, yet, any fast arm movements are not recommended.
Most patients can go braless after about six weeks, but it should be on special occasions and not daily to maintain optimal results. If you are considering a breast lift and breast augmentation procedure, Dr. Michael Hakimi is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, CA.
A sports bra will keep the breasts in place while exercising, but it can be too restrictive when dealing with post-surgery recovery. The breasts can swell a little and a sports bra won't leave any room for this.
Please wear a “sports” bra for 24 hours a day for 21 days. 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.
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.
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.