Choosing to get breast implants is an exciting decision that you may have spent months or years thinking about. If you’re like most women, questions about recovery and when you’ll see results play a prominent role in your decision-making process. The good news is that the downtime after breast augmentation is relatively brief and uneventful for most patients.
Breast Augmentation Recovery Timeline
Getting plenty of rest in the first few days after breast augmentation is essential, so we recommend taking at least a few days off work or school. The healing process, however, takes weeks, and it can be several months before you see the full results of your procedure. In an earlier blog post, we wrote about how to plan for a smooth recovery.
Breast Augmentation Before and After Photos
Here’s a general timetable for activity after breast augmentation surgery.
1 to 4 days: Breast augmentation is an outpatient procedure, meaning you’ll return home on the day of surgery. You’ll need someone to drive you home and remain with you for at least the initial 24 hours after the operation. We encourage patients to go for brief walks around the house starting when they get home. Movement boosts circulation, which is an important part of healing. Expect to feel sore during the first few days. You can manage discomfort with a prescription or over-the-counter pain medication.
1 week: After about a week, you’ll. have a follow-up appointment. We’ll check your incisions, which should be healing well by this point. You can begin going for longer walks and exerting a little more energy. Minor stretching is OK, but don’t push your limits—listen to your body.
10 days: You’ll probably feel a bit antsy and may want to resume light cardio exercises that don’t involve using your upper body, such as brisk walking or biking. It’s important to be patient and not exert too much energy. Studies show that exercising early in the recovery process doesn’t increase the rate of complications. Much of the swelling and bruising should be resolved, but residual swelling will still obscure the final results.
3 to 4 weeks: By week 4, it’s generally okay to sleep on your side. Sleeping on your back with your upper body elevated by pillows during the initial weeks after surgery facilitates healing by not putting pressure on the breasts. You can increase your activity level, but stay away from workouts that focus on the pectoral muscles.
4 to 6 weeks: At the one-month mark, most patients can resume regular exercise routines except heavy lifting. We recommend waiting until the 6-week milestone to resume upper body weight training.
What Does ‘Drop and Fluff’ Mean?
Immediately after breast augmentation surgery, your breasts will sit high on your chest and look and feel tight. Inflammation as part of the healing process causes tissues to swell and muscles to tighten. Even though your breasts will appear larger, they won’t look like they will several weeks after the procedure.
As weeks pass and the swelling resolves, tissues relax, and the implants settle into a lower chest position. They’ll look more aesthetically pleasing, and the implants will begin appearing and feeling softer, rounder, and larger. This is what’s meant by drop (settle lower) and fluff (appear fuller and rounder).
Need Expert Breast Augmentation Advice? Request a Consultation
You can learn more about what to expect after your breast augmentation surgery during a consultation with one of our board-certified plastic surgeons. Call our office at (912) 351-5050 or use the online form to contact us.