With this, your muscles should begin to relax, allowing your implants to gradually settle and soften. The entire drop and fluff process can take three to six months to complete, however, so don't worry if your implants still feel tight or look a bit high even after most of the swelling has dissipated.
2+ Months Following Surgery
Around the six week/two month mark, the pain and tenderness should be gone. If your implants are still “riding high” on your chest at this time, it is completely normal. Around three months post-op, your breast implants should “drop” and settle into place.
Unless you have significant capsular contracture, your breast implants will likely feel just natural to you. Most patients report that the sense of actually having implants tends to vanish after a few months, and they become just part of you.
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.
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.
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.
After dropping, the implants relax or “fluff” into the lower breast areas, taking on the natural teardrop shape which is more projected. The breasts begin to look larger with normal contours, taking on the appearance the patient had in mind when she started the process.
Most swelling will subside after two weeks and over the following weeks the implants should fall gradually and fill the lower breast. You should expect your breasts to be in their final position at three months. The type and size of the implant can affect the drop and fluff timeline.
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.
People may notice that there's something “different” about you, but it will be a subtle, natural change. Breast implants will put the attention on you, not just your breasts. You don't even have to tell others your little secret unless you choose.
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.
If you're unhappy with your breast implant, the first thing you must do is contact a board-certified and reputable plastic surgeon. Breast revision is an extremely delicate process, so you must contact a reputable plastic surgeon with a perfect track record to minimize your risk of complications.
With fresh implants, you should limit lifting your arms. Dr Turner will advise you to keep your arms below the shoulder for about 2 weeks. This allows the capsule to form around the implant to secure it in place. Lifting your arms above shoulder level can cause the implant to move out of the pocket.
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.
How to correctly wear your surgical bra after your breast surgery. Surgical bras should have no seam and fasten in the front with a zipper or clasps. Your surgical bra should be snug but not too tight. You should be able to insert two fingers underneath.
Immediately after getting breast augmentation, patients experience an inflammatory process that causes the tissues to swell and the chest muscles to tighten. This can give breasts a high, tight appearance that may include: A “humpy” appearance along the upper breast. A flat appearance at the outer breast.
Three to Six Months After Your Breast Augmentation
By this point in the recovery process, most of your swelling will be gone, even if you've had an augmentation with implants. Your breasts will feel almost normal, though there may still be a little firmness and some residual discomfort at times.
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.
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.
Heavier breast implants will shift faster with the help of gravity, and implants with texture may not drop as drastically because of the friction between tissue and implant. Breast implants (particularly sub-muscular placement) sit high on the chest for the first few weeks following breast augmentation.
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.
If, after a couple of months, your breast implants do not seem to have dropped as expected, it's a good idea to call your cosmetic surgeon, who can evaluate your breasts to ensure there are no complications or suggest methods to help coax the drop and fluff process along.
Therefore, during the initial four weeks after surgery, breast augmentation patients should avoid overusing their pectoral muscles. Typically, this means lifting nothing heavier than 10 pounds. No heavy pulling or pushing of objects such as car doors or even heavy purses, and no weight training.
Keep in mind that overstressing your torso in particular is a bad idea because implants are placed beneath or above the chest muscle. Avoid chest and shoulder exercises, lifting weights or any other exercise that puts pressure on your chest or back.
As you heal, fluid retention will gradually subside, which should help you take off the extra weight. Swelling – You'll experience some swelling in the breast region after your procedure, and this can result in a modest weight gain. As with fluid retention, you'll lose this extra weight as your swelling subsides.