Breast augmentation is the first step to getting the breasts you want. What you do during the breast augmentation post-op period will have a big impact on the overall results of your surgery and can play a role in whether or not your implants develop any complications down the road. Even if the instructions your surgeon gives you seem a little out there, it’s important to follow them to a T to increase your chances of having a great result.
Your surgeon will give you specific advice, but here are a few basic things to avoid after your surgery.
Breast Augmentation Post-Op No-No 1: Wearing a Bra
The advice not to wear a bra might seem strange to you. After all, if your breasts are bigger, they are going to need more support than before. But during the first few weeks after surgery, your implants will need to settle into place. Wearing a bra, particularly a super supportive underwire bra, can interfere with the settling process.
There’s another reason to avoid wearing a bra during the first few weeks after breast augmentation. Depending on where your incisions are located, the underwire can irritate the still-healing wound.
Finally, the goal of breast augmentation is to change the size of your breasts. It can be difficult to know what your bra size will be right after surgery. That’s just another reason to wait until you get the go ahead from your surgeon before you start wearing a bra. Even after you can begin wearing bras again, keep in mind that you cup size might still change a bit as the implants settle and swelling goes down. Be ready to go bra shopping a few times during the first few months or first year after your surgery.
Breast Augmentation Post-Op No-No 2: Drinking Alcohol While Taking Medication
There are a few reasons to avoid alcohol right after breast augmentation. For one thing, it can interact with any pain relievers your surgeon prescribed and the results won’t be pretty. For the sake of your well being, skip the glass of wine while you’re taking meds.
You may also want to continue to avoid alcohol for a few weeks after you’ve stopped taking the pain medications. Alcohol can cause your body to retain fluids. You might be swollen enough after your breast augmentation. Drinking can make the swelling worse.
Breast Augmentation Post-Op No-No 3: Skipping Your Exercises
During breast augmentation, your surgeon will place the implant between the chest muscle and the lower part of the breast. He’ll create a pocket of space in the area to make room for the implant.
As your body heals from the surgery, a capsule of scar tissue will form around the implant. Ideally, the capsule will stay loose and supple. If it doesn’t, a condition known as capsular contracture can occur. In severe cases, the contracture can cause the breast to look distorted and can be very painful.
To help lower the risk for capsular contracture, your surgeon will show you how to do a number of breast implant massaging exercises after your surgery. It’s important to do these exercises daily, as directed, to improve healing and reduce the risk for complications.
Breast Augmentation Post-Op No-No 4: Going to the Gym
Although massaging exercises are a must post-op, there are some exercises you’re better off avoiding for some time after surgery. Any sort of strenuous exercise, such as lifting weights at the gym, going to a Barre or Pilates class, or going for a run, needs to be avoided for at least a month after breast augmentation. Your surgeon will let you know for sure when it’s OK to take up exercising again.
Although you can’t go to the gym during the first few weeks after surgery, that doesn’t mean you can be a couch potato during that time. Some light activity, such as taking a walk around your neighborhood, is OK. In fact, going for a walk every day is usually recommended, since it will help you bounce back, reduces swelling and can help prevent blood clots.
Breast Augmentation Post-Op No-No 5: Smoking
If you smoked before your breast augmentation, your surgeon most likely had you quit a few weeks before the surgery. It’s also important to continue to avoid smoking for several weeks after breast augmentation. Along with having a number of drawbacks for your health, smoking can interfere with the healing process after surgery.
Nicotine slows down blood flow, which can make it more difficult for your incisions to heal or can make scars more visible. It can also put you at a greater risk for complications during your recovery period.
It might seem like there are a lot of “no’s” and things to avoid after breast augmentation. But the limitations after surgery are worth it for many patients, if it means that they get the results they want. If you have questions about what you can and can’t do after surgery or want more information about what’s off-limits and what’s not, schedule a consultation with Dr. Paul Vitenas, one of the top rated breast surgeons in the country. To book an appointment at his practice in Houston, Texas, call 281-484-0088 today.