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.
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.
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.
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.
In general, most women are able to wear bras 4-6 weeks after breast augmentation. That being said, Dr. Pozner recommends waiting approximately three months before spending a lot of money on new bras.
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.
A 15-year-long study, concluded and published in 2013, seemed to find that forgoing a bra could actually decrease any sagging. According to the study, the support of a bra can weaken the tissue surrounding the breasts, causing them to droop.
Some surgeons say not to wear a bra at first because the implants need time to 'settle in. ' A bra, no matter the type, will alter the shape and position of the breasts somewhat. Pressure from your bra offers support and increases comfort, but it can change the final appearance of 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.
Directly after your procedure, you might notice that your implants are "riding high" on your chest and may look flatter than you'd hoped or slightly square in shape. These are normal occurrences caused by tight skin and muscle tissue that will gradually resolve as your implants drop and fluff over the coming weeks.
Saline and silicone breast implants are made from neutral materials well tolerated by the human body. While the body can have an inflammatory reaction to implants, this isn't a rejection. Breast implants are made from the same materials as many medical devices that are well tolerated by the body.
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.
"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.
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.
After three weeks you should be able to wear normal clothes and transition to a normal, soft, bra. Remember, still no underwire or push-up bras until after the six week mark. After the six week mark you should be able to wear whatever you want without significant pain.
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.
Can I wear a tight sports bra after breast augmentation? Yes, you can wear a sports bra after breast augmentation. However, make sure it is not too tight. Otherwise, a tight bra increases the risk of implant rupture and damage to your breast tissues.
Do your implants feel too firm, and not soft and supple? Typically, the first sign of a botched breast augmentation is that your implants feel too hard. Your surgeon may have used poor quality implants, and if this is the case, you may have to have those implants removed and replaced with better quality ones.
The bottom line: "Generally speaking, wearing or not wearing a bra really won't have a significant impact on your overall health," Dr. Sahni said, adding that it's entirely a personal choice.
She points out that this means the common misconception that going braless for an extended period of time makes your breasts sag is, in reality, the opposite: "Women who have gone long periods without wearing a bra often report that this leads their breasts to being firmer, rounder, and perkier over time," she says.
Injury prevention. Although the injuries are usually mild, it is possible to hurt yourself when sleeping in a bra. The buttons, hooks, straps, and underwire can repeatedly poke at and rub against your skin, resulting in redness and chafing. Taking off your bra before bed prevents this from being a problem.
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.
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.
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.