Many patients arrive at their breast augmentation consultation appointment excited about the prospect of getting new breasts. However, many women say, the number one thing they’re often concerned about is breast augmentation recovery. Understandably, they want to know how difficult it is, how long it will take, and whether it will be painful.
Let’s take a look at what you should expect during the first week of your breast augmentation recovery.
PREPARING FOR YOUR BREAST AUGMENTATION RECOVERY EXPERIENCE
Let’s begin by briefly going over what breast augmentation entails. Altogether, breast augmentation recovery (also known as “boob job recovery”) usually takes around six to eight weeks. With that said, everyone is different, and all surgeries are unique. However your body recovers consultation breast augmentation is okay as long as you are staying in tune with your health and not overly concerned about meeting “recovery deadlines”.
Here are some general dos and don’ts to keep in mind during your breast augmentation recovery time:
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Do wear your breast augmentation recovery bra. This is a critical element of your recovery.
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Don’t strain or stretch too much, especially around your chest area or with your upper arms and shoulders.
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Do use a wedge pillow to sleep with, which can help support and raise your upper body.
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Don’t submerge your upper body (chest and breasts) in water until Dr. Steinberg says it’s okay. This means do not take baths, get into hot tubs, or go swimming until you are fully healed.
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Do drink plenty of water during your breast augmentation recovery. Hydration helps with healing and will also help reduce swelling.
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Don’t exercise vigorously or strength train, especially when it comes to your upper body and chest area. Wait until Dr. Steinberg says it’s okay to return to exercise.
BREAST AUGMENTATION RECOVERY TIMELINE
One of the biggest tips we can offer in terms of your breast implant recovery, is to prepare ahead of time as much as possible. Your mobility will be limited after your breast augmentation surgery. Therefore, whatever you can do now while you have full mobility will help you later on.
Of course, this means asking friends and family for help, making freezer meals, preparing a recovery space in your home, and picking up prescriptions ahead of time for prescription medications. But it also means taking the time to thoroughly understand the recovery process.
Here’s what to expect day by day and week by week during your breast augmentation recovery:
1 Day After Surgery
Over the course of the first 24 hours of your full recovery afterwards, your breasts will be slightly sore and quite swollen. They may appear high and squarish at the top, instead of rounded. Rest assured, this shape will change over time.
If you are in pain, pain medication may be prescribed. Remember that because there’ll be consistent swelling day by day breast augmentation recovery can be a longer recovery process. That is, you won’t see the full results from your breast augmentation procedure for several months. Still, with patience and proper care, your recovery will be safe and effective, and you’ll see consistent improvement day after day, week after week.
Other symptoms you may have during recovery room the first day of your recovery include:
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A feeling of tightness and firmness in the breasts
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Nipples pointing downward
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Not a lot of outward projection
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Swelling that extends over the breastbone
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Bruising
2 Days After Surgery
Tightness and swelling will continue into day two. All of the symptoms you experienced on day one will persist, except that you may begin to start feeling itching around your chest and breast area as well. At this point, your breasts will be:
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Swollen
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Tight and firm, sitting high on the chest
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Bruised
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Slightly pointed downward with nipples appearing low on the breasts
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Squarish in shape
3 Days After Surgery
At 3 days post op breast augmentation patients won’t see many changes from day two. However, some swelling may have dissipated. Your breasts will still be squarish in shape, and the nipples will still be pointed downward. Tightness and a compressed feeling will persist. You may continue to experience some slight discomfort.
Continue taking it easy and resting. Although your breasts are not yet the shape or size they will be when you are fully recovered, your body is doing what it needs to in order to heal. In addition to getting adequate sleep and rest, you should also try to integrate a daily walk into your schedule at this point. Regular light exercise, (that does not strain you or require much effort) is recommended to improve circulation.
1 Week After Surgery
After day 3, you should see slight improvements in swelling and tightness with each successive day. While some soreness may continue, this, too, should dissipate as the days go on.
At 1 week post op breast augmentation patients are usually able to return to work, though this does depend on your job. Work that requires you to be on your feet or moving frequently and lifting heavy objects may be too much for you at this time. If you work at a desk or don’t need to do much heavy lifting or moving, you should be alright to go back to your normal activities at work.
As always, listen to your body, and take care of yourself. Healing from breast implant often requires rest, calmness, a healthy diet, plenty of fluids, and gentle care for your incision sites. Finally, remember that 7 days post op breast augmentation patients should also be able to start sleeping flat on their backs. Do not sleep on your stomach or side just yet, however.
2 Weeks After Breast Augmentation Surgery
At the two week mark, you should see a noticeable difference in the appearance of your breasts. Although they will still be relatively firm, the tightness will have dissipated by this point, and you should not have any more bruising.
It will take some more time for you to see the natural rounding of your breasts come out, but your nipples may not be pointed so far downward at this point, and you should feel your breasts settling more into place. Some people refer to this as when your breasts “drop”.
As long as you get the okay from Dr. Steinberg, you may begin to do more vigorous exercise after the two-week mark.
3 Weeks After Surgery
Dropping should continue for 3 weeks post op breast augmentation patients. Some patients may notice their breasts dropping asymmetrically, but do not worry as they will even out with time. While your breasts may still have some tightness and firmness, you should see more rounding on the sides and bottoms after 3 weeks. Internally, your body will have formed “capsules” of scar tissue around your implants by this point.
Some may also experience additional itching and some shooting pains, but know these symptoms are normal and will disappear with time. Remember that if you have any questions, you should feel free to ask Dr. Steinberg. She’ll be monitoring your breast augmentation post op progress at all of your follow-up appointments.
4 Weeks After Surgery
Four weeks or about one month after breast augmentation, you should be back to your regular exercise routine and at-home activities. Swelling will be greatly diminished (though not entirely gone), and your chest should look more rounded and natural.
Dr. Ashley Steinberg will generally have discussed bra management with you by this point as well. You should be able to wear whatever bra you desire as long as you don’t experience any significant pain as a result.
6 Weeks After Surgery
After six weeks of recovery from breast augmentation, both breasts will continue to drop into place, and most swelling will be gone. As each day passes, you should notice your breasts looking more and more natural and symmetrical. If you still notice your implants appear high on your chest, don’t worry. This is also normal, and your breasts will settle in place with time.
2 Months After Surgery
At two months post-op, your breasts should still be settling. Remember it can take anywhere from three to six months before they fully “drop”. You’ll notice your breast augmentation scars are starting to fade and flatten. Continue keeping them out of the sun, and using scar therapy treatments as long as you’ve cleared this with Dr. Ashley Steinberg.
Your breasts will continue to drop, settle, and be cleared of swelling as the weeks and months go on. Most patients are able to see their full results from surgery after six months.
FAQ: BREAST AUGMENTATION RECOVERY
What is the fastest way to recover from breast implants?
Many patients want a faster breast augmentation recovery. However, you must let your body heal at its own pace. You can’t rush things, or you will risk compromising your results and your health.
With that said, there certainly are things you can do to ensure that you consistently see progress with your breast augmentation recovery week by week. Namely, make sure you follow Dr. Steinberg’s postoperative instructions exactly. Don’t overexert yourself too soon. Get help at home when you need it. And take care of your body. Eat a healthy diet, drink plenty of water, get plenty of rest, and don’t stress too much about recovering quickly.
Can I return to work 3 days after breast augmentation?
This depends, but don’t plan on it. Every patient is different, and every breast augmentation recovery is different. You have to give breast implant surgery your body ample time to heal before heading back to work, returning to your exercise regimen, etc. After three days, this is typically not enough recovery time for breast implants to settle so that you can return to work. However, you should see a notable improvement in how you feel and the appearance of your breasts.
The initial period of breast implant recovery takes around one to two weeks, and after this point, you will be able to go back to work (as long as you don’t have a physically demanding job). As with all stages of your recovery, always check with plastic surgeon, Dr. Steinberg to know for sure.
How painful is breast augmentation recovery?
Soreness and some discomfort are normal after breast augmentation surgery. During your recovery, this soreness will be worse over the first few hours and days. After this time, you’ll notice a gradual improvement in how you feel.
During the surgical procedure, itself, you of course will not feel anything because you’ll be under general anesthesia.
BOOK A CONSULTATION WITH DR. ASHLEY STEINBERG
Recovering from breast augmentation requires time and patience, but it is overwhelmingly worth it for the vast majority of individuals. Whether you’ve always wanted new breasts or you’ve recently decided to take the plunge and learn more about this surgery, we’re here to guide you.
Call today to schedule a consultation appointment with Dr. Steinberg. We can discuss breast augmentation, breast lift, or whatever breast surgery you are interested in. We look forward to hearing from you!
References
https://www.healthline.com/health/breast-augmentation-recovery
