Breast augmentation is far and away the leading cosmetic surgery in the United States, with more than 333,000 procedures in 2017 alone. As women opt to lift and reshape their chests in the pursuit of a more shapely and youthful profile, surgery is a necessary step that requires a little bit of TLC afterward.
Here at Cosmetic Surgery Center, we want our patients in Oklahoma City to have the best experience possible when it comes to breast augmentation, which is why we pulled together the following recovery tips.
While we typically perform breast augmentation procedures on an outpatient basis, meaning you’re free to go home afterward, the most important thing to bear in mind is that you should plan on taking it easy for the first few days. Even using the latest minimally invasive techniques to augment your breasts, it’s still surgery and your body needs some downtime to recover and heal properly.
Be sure to have your bases covered on the home and work front, and clear your plate for a few days of R&R and plenty of sleep. Load up your ereader, have a stack of magazines, or queue up a new series for some binge TV. This time is important because your body has been through an ordeal, and it’s scrambling to send in the necessary resources for healing from the inside out. By leaving your body to its work, you allow it to do what it does best and heal more quickly.
After your surgery, we send you home in a compression wrap or postsurgical bra. It’s important that you follow our instructions about wearing this garment as it will reduce swelling and keep your implants in place. You may remove it to change your dressings, per our instructions, but you should plan on wearing it for at least a few weeks.
Along the same lines, you should avoid any bras with underwires, which not only make recovery uncomfortable, they can also interfere with your new implants.
During the first week or two, it’s important that you keep the incision areas clean, but you should avoid getting them wet as much as you can. Once you get the green light from us to shower, that’s all it should be — a quick shower. We recommend that you avoid swimming, baths, hot tubs, or any other environment that keeps your incisions wet for any length of time. This is important because you don’t want to risk an infection that can set your recovery, and your big reveal, back.
Immediately after your surgery, and up to 4-6 weeks postoperatively, your breasts may be swollen, and you may experience some minor discomfort as your skin resettles itself over the new implants. Because of this, we do ask that you avoid running or other activities that cause your breasts to bounce. Maybe take this time to pursue another exercise regimen and add a little yoga or spinning to your mix. Even a nice walk is better than jumping around in a rumba class. Whichever activity you choose, be mindful not to raise your hands over your head too much either.
Whenever your body is in healing mode, it’s all hands on deck, and you can provide much-needed support through nutrition and lifestyle changes. If you smoke, we ask that you quit before your surgery. Smoking compromises your circulatory system in significant ways and slows healing.
Instead, pump up your body with the tools it needs through a healthy diet full of nutrient-rich vegetables and fruits, and throw in a little lean protein and healthy fats to keep up your strength.
By allowing your body to heal and readjust properly after your breast augmentation procedure, you’ll be debuting your new shape in no time. If you have any questions, or you’d like to explore a breast augmentation, please give us a call or use the online scheduler to request a consultation.
