Pain will come in varying levels depending on the individual's pain threshold, skin type, and more. Pain is generally very manageable with the right pain relief. It's not uncommon for this pain to also relate to a feeling of being “'sunburnt” in the chest.
During the breast augmentation procedure, you will not feel any pain because the procedure is performed while you are under general anesthesia. After you return home and the anesthesia begins to wear off, you will likely feel soreness under your armpits and around your chest area.
Even if there is no serious issue causing pain, some patients find implants are uncomfortable enough to disrupt their daily lives, especially if the implant used was too large or poorly placed. Regardless of the cause, persistent pain or irritation is not a normal result of breast augmentation surgery.
After the procedure
Your breasts will be swollen and bruised for about two weeks. You'll likely feel pain and soreness around the incisions, which will be red or pink for a few months. Numbness in your nipples, areolae and breast skin might last for about six weeks.
Myth: Breast Reduction Surgery Is Very Painful
In general, breast reduction surgery is significantly less painful than breast augmentation surgery. For most patients, the length of the recovery process after breast reduction is less than two weeks, and discomfort typically dissipates within days of the procedure.
However, you can generally expect the breast implants to feel very similar to natural breasts. In most cases, silicone breast implants are reported to feel more like natural breast tissue than saline options. However, all breast implants can deliver great outcomes.
Another common concern about breast implants is that they will feel excessively heavy. Because an implant does add volume and weight to the breasts, it often takes several weeks or months to adjust to your new figure.
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.
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.
Back to Work: 1-2 Weeks
Most likely, you'll feel ready to get back to non-strenuous work a few days after surgery, but it's best to wait a week to give your body a little more time to recover. Even just sitting at your desk all day may be surprisingly fatiguing in the first week or two after breast augmentation.
Breast Implants Boost Your Self-Esteem and Confidence
One of the greatest reasons why getting breast implants is worth it is the boost in self-confidence patients get following the procedure. Many women who come in for breast implants are incredibly self-conscious about the size and shape of their breasts.
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.
An Improved Quality of Life
This means a woman can experience a marked boost in her own confidence levels, self-esteem, and self-worth. Many patients of breast augmentation report that they feel more feminine, more beautiful, and much more confident in every aspect of their lives, from the office to the dating scene.
Immediately following breast enlargement surgery, your breasts will feel hard, but over time, your breast implants will gradually soften and settle, looking and feeling more like your natural breast tissue.
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.
When Can I Take a Shower After Breast Augmentation Surgery? You may shower 24 hours after surgery, but it is advisable to wait 48 hours to prevent wetting the incision area. After 24 hours, you may remove the dressings except for any skin tapes or steri-strips covering the incisions.
Your First Week after Augmentation
You will see very little side or bottom rounding of the breasts, often looking square, with little outward projection and minimal bottom fullness. Have no fear! This is all normal.
Silicone implants are filled with a cohesive silicone gel, while saline implants are filled with a saltwater solution. Both types of implants can feel hard to the touch immediately after the procedure. As your body continues to heal, the implants should “drop” into their designated location and soften over time.
Breast sagging can still happen
Going braless is great for a special occasion or event. However, all breasts, perky implants or otherwise, are subject to breast ptosis.
Silicone implants require a larger incision and cannot be adjusted after placement. On the other hand, silicone implants look and feel more natural, even when placed above the muscles of the chest, and are unlikely to ripple, wrinkle, bisect, or otherwise become aesthetically impacted.
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.
Implants make your body think it is getting more fat than extra breast tissue. Therefore, your waist is proportionally smaller. However, this does not make your breasts look larger than they are.
After your breast augmentation, your implants may appear to sit high on your chest during the early stages of healing. This is because when the implant is placed behind the muscle wall, it agitates the pectoralis muscle and causes it to put pressure on the implant.
According to Men's Health, the biggest tipoffs that men look for to determine if a woman has had breast augmentation surgery are based on sight alone. Indicators include the breasts being too close together, appearing abnormally large, or sitting too high on a woman's torso.