This could result in small amounts of blood forming around your implant, which is a potential cause of capsular contracture. Some surgeons still tell their patients to massage their breasts everyday so if capsular contracture occurs the surgeon is not blamed for it.
While we do not recommend massaging the breasts immediately after surgery, there are several benefits to incorporating massage after you have been cleared by your surgeon. Massage after breast augmentation can: Help your incisions heal faster. Keep the breast tissue soft, flexible, and natural-feeling.
What happens if you don't massage your breast implants? A regular breast massage routine is essential during the recovery period, reducing the risk of capsular contracture. Although capsular contracture rarely occurs after breast augmentation, not massaging your breast implants can increase the risk of this condition.
Early signs of capsular contracture may include a firm or tight sensation, pain, or asymmetry. As the condition worsens, you may notice more obvious symptoms, including: Breast pain. Asymmetry.
Proper Breast Massage Technique
Using the same hand, place fingertips near the armpit and gently press the implant towards your sternum, hold for a few seconds and release. Using the same hand, gently cup the upper portion of the breast and encourage the implant downward, towards your belly.
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.
Is there anything I can do to speed up the drop and fluff process? You are advised to wear a specially designed surgical support garment in the weeks after your surgery. This will reduce swelling quicker and help shape your breasts, as the implants and tissues are supported during the healing process.
Higher body mass index was identified as the only significant risk factor for capsular contracture in the primary reconstruction cohort. Other studies have shown capsular contracture risk to be associated with postmastectomy radiation therapy.
Patients who are prone to developing thick scar tissue or have a family history of autoimmune disease may be at a heightened risk of capsular contracture.
During a procedure to correct capsular contracture, a surgeon will take out the old breast implants, remove the hardened scar tissue, or “capsules,” and place new implants.
The reality is, it still happened regardless of what you do, and massaging the breast too much can make the pocket so large that the implants fall into the arm pit. Furthermore, excess massaging may increase the risk of capsular contracture by causing micro tears in the soft capsule.
Various breast massage and implant displacement techniques are believed to reduce the incidence of capsular contracture and are commonly recommended after breast augmentation.
By massaging the implant, which is essentially applying pressure to it from various directions, you can help relax the scar tissue that forms around it to help prevent the possibility of the capsule shrinking and tightening.
Capsular contracture can occur at any point after breast augmentation and without any warning. Most cases are likely to take place within the first two years after breast augmentation.
Capsular contracture can be treated and is not life-threatening. Nevertheless, if it's not treated, the scar tissue will likely progress to become more hard, tight, and in some cases, painful. It can eventually lead to deformed breasts in those who have had breast augmentations.
Generally, capsular contracture occurs during the healing process. About 75% of all capsular contractures will occur within two years of the patient's implants being placed. Sometimes capsular contractures occur many years after breast augmentation surgery, but this is the exception rather than the rule.
Capsular contracture is caused by an excessive fibrotic reaction to a foreign body (the implant) and has an overall incidence of 10.6%.
If you're worried about your breast implants not dropping after 6 months, don't panic. There are various factors playing into this process as mentioned above, such as the tightness of your pectoral muscles and the size and material of your implant. Your implants will continue to shift after the 6-month mark.
In some cases, patients are asked to go without any type of support. Usually, this is because it promotes a faster dropping of the implants in patients with tighter skin. Once the implants have dropped sufficiently, a bra is recommended.
Tip #3: Massage Your Breasts Downward.
Using steady, but gentle pressure, you'll want to pull your breast tissue upward, while simultaneously pushing the implant down for about 10 seconds at a time.