How to Live a Normal Life After Breast Augmentation

Knowing what to expect after a breast augmentation is not really hard to imagine. Your breasts will look bigger than they used to, after all, but it’s important to know that your surgery experience will be different from other women who underwent the same process and your recovery period might take longer depending on the type of implants you have. Although the aspects of breast augmentation might vary from woman to woman, these aspects are all the same no matter how long your recovery phase is and how your body responds to the change in size and shape of your breasts. It’s important to understand how this can impact your daily life, so getting it back on track might take a little bit of effort and a good recovery management plan. To do this here’s all you need to know.

Take It Easy

After your surgery, your body will feel significantly tired, something which can’t be remedied except with a great amount of rest to allow for the recuperation process to take its course and for your body to regenerate energy. Try to rest as much as possible in the first two weeks and don’t perform any activities that would increase your blood pressure. If possible, have someone stay with you for two days after the surgery, just in case if there were any surgery complications. If so, you’ll have to call your doctor immediately. Your doctor will probably prescribe some pain killers for possible soreness or tiredness that can be the byproduct of the surgery, so make sure to not miss out on them to achieve optimum recovery with minimum pain. 

Consider What to Wear

It takes time to get used to the implants once they’re embedded, and because most of these implants are located behind the breast tissue (submuscular area), you might experience some discomfort when moving your upper body around. This is typically a good time to ask your surgeon what to wear after breast augmentation, especially if you don’t feel comfortable wearing a certain type of clothing. Your surgeon will probably recommend wearing garments that are easy to take off, like hoodies or button-ups. As for your bra, you’ll have to wear one that is soft, snug, and won’t cause any irritation to the incisions. Sports bras or breast augmentation compression garments are also recommended, especially after the first week of recovery to help compress layers of the skin to heal together and reduce bruising and swelling, but make sure they don't affect the incision in any way. If you’re not sure whether or not to wear a certain garment, you can always contact your surgeon and ask for advice. 

Dress Your Wounds Properly

You might get too caught up in getting the right clothes for your recovery phase, but don’t forget to dress the incisions on a regular basis and follow the doctor’s instructions to the letter in order to avoid any complications in the future. Keep in mind that you should keep your dressings as is for the first week, as the bandage and gauze should remain in place, either with a soft bra or a tape. Your doctor will more or less instruct you to remove the bandage and replace it once every day up until your next appointment. Once the incisions have healed properly, you can stop changing bandages. Note, however, that there will be sutures (stitches) underneath the skin of your breasts to create a natural fold. You won’t see these stitches, but they’ll probably be responsible for the pain or pinch feeling you get when pulling on your muscles. The only way to deal with those stitches is not to tamper with or remove them, as they will dissolve on their own at the right time. 

It Is Time to Change Your Diet

Your doctor is probably going to ask you to rest for a while and follow a new diet, which is plausible considering that people who undergo surgeries that involve tissue transfers need to load on protein in their diet to heal more quickly. So, if you’ve just undergone breast augmentation surgery, you’ll have to consume foods like cheese or turkey. You can also eat snacks that have high protein content like peanuts or almonds, or you can simply add protein powder to your daily smoothie. Right after your surgery, you might feel particularly dehydrated, so you’ll have to drink large amounts of water to facilitate the healing process and allow your organs to work properly while digesting, absorbing, or excreting. Not drinking an adequate amount of water might increase your pain, even while on medication, the risk of getting infections, and constipation. This also means that you’ll need to lose the habit of drinking coffee in the morning, as it contributes to causing dehydration and thus, slowing down the healing process.

Possibility of a Capsular Contracture

Capsular contracture is a natural response of the immune system against foreign objects that enter the body. This usually happens with breast implants as a natural immune response. Your immune system will respond to the implant by creating a capsule or a scar, which normally looks like any surgery scar. However, in some rare cases, the capsule may become larger than normal; thus, applying more pressure on the implant and causing it to feel firmer. Capsular contracture can be fixed by reoperation and changing the implant with a different one made of different materials. This reaction is not common, and it shouldn’t be something to worry about, but you should always keep your doctor updated on the state of the implants and the capsules just to be sure.

Anticipate Changes to Happen in the Future

After you’ve gone through the recovery period, you can enjoy the results forever! You’ll have to note though that these results will remain as they are if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or if your body mass has changed over time. Therefore, you’ll have to consult your doctor on how to maintain these results for as long as possible.  

Getting breast implants can be a life-changing experience, but in order for the surgery to have the desired results, you will have to take care of your body while it’s recovering through the steps we’ve mentioned here. Your doctor is also your best friend in this regard, so be sure to always take their advice before you do anything that might affect your breast implants.