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Caring for Your Breast Implants

Making the decision to have breast augmentation surgery is an investment in your body, your self-image, and your beauty. Many women make this decision every year and it’s no surprise that they want to do everything possible to protect their investment by taking good care of their improved breasts. By doing so, you can ensure that your results last a long time, prevent complications with your implants, and benefit from your personal investment for years to come. Keep these tips in mind when you’re recovering from breast augmentation surgery and transitioning back to your normal personal care routine.

Start Strong With a Successful Recovery

Taking the necessary time off to heal, rest, and recuperate from breast augmentation can set you up for a long, successful relationship with your new breast implants. Your surgical results and your overall breast health can be a direct result of a good, strong recovery. Be sure to follow these basic steps to heal the right way:

  • Give yourself five to seven full days to rest after surgery. Make sure you do not work, have social commitments, run errands, or have any obligations other than resting during this period.
  • Follow your surgeon’s orders to manage pain and discomfort with medication, cold compresses, and any other method he recommends.
  • Wear the surgical tape, support garment or special bra that your doctor gives to you as directed.
  • Avoid strenuous activities for four to six weeks following surgery, even if you start to feel healthy enough to try them. Stick to light aerobic exercise, which you can begin about two weeks after surgery.
  • Keep all follow-up appointments with your surgeon so you can monitor your recovery progress and prevent any complications that can result from implants.

Give Your Breasts the Support They Need

When you undergo breast augmentation, the inserted breast implants will increase the weight of your breasts in a matter of hours. Yes, this is an obvious consequence of surgery, but have you taken the necessary steps to prepare? During recovery you’ll be given a surgical support garment to help keep the pressure of gravity at bay while your breasts heal. Once you’re recovered, however, don’t make the mistake of going back to your old bra. Choosing a supportive bra with wide straps and a strong structure will not only make your breasts look great every day, it could also help to prevent premature sagging from the added weight.

If you’re athletic and involved in vigorous exercise or sports activities, you’ll also need to have the right sports bra for the occasion. High-impact work outs, running, hiking, and other activities can put a lot of excess pressure on breasts, even more so on breasts with implants. Look for sports bras that feel too tight when you first put them on. If you’re unsure which bras will provide the most athletic support, don’t be shy about asking a sales associate when you’re shopping the lingerie department. It’s better to know for sure that you’re getting what you need than to risk problems with your breast health.

Add Massage to Your Daily Schedule

It would be nice if we all had time to get a massage every day, but in this case, you can give yourself the massage and save yourself a lot of money. Caring for breast implants should involve a daily massage of the breast tissue, something that can easily be done in the shower every morning. When you massage the area around your implants, be sure to move the surrounding tissue in a circular motion. Your implants can be moved up, around, and inward to the middle of your chest. Just a few minutes a day can help your breast implants to remain supple, soft, and moving naturally with the surrounding breast tissue.

Live a Healthy Lifestyle

While it may seem overstated at times, living a healthy lifestyle can have tremendous benefits for your recovery and after-care following any surgery. Breast augmentation is no exception to this rule. To keep your breasts healthy, you should keep your body as healthy as possible. Follow a well-balanced diet rich in vitamins and nutrients, add supplements to your diet as needed, and engage in regular physical activity. Exercise, in particular, can reap big benefits for the elasticity of your skin, which may prevent your breasts from sagging too soon. Remember to always stay well hydrated by drinking enough water every day as well. Speak with a personal trainer, nutrition specialist, or any other personnel your surgeon might recommend to you.

Choose the Right Surgeon for Your Breast Enhancement

A skilled, experienced plastic surgeon is the right start to a successful breast augmentation with long-lasting results. When the time is right to book your consultation for a breast augmentation, remember that Dr. Ronald Lohner is an experienced and board certified plastic surgeon based in Philadelphia who offers facelift surgeries and other facial rejuvenating treatments to his patients. He completed his undergraduate education at Dartmouth College and medical school at UMDNJ-Rutgers. Currently, Dr. Lohner is Chief of Plastic Surgery at Bryn Mawr Hospital and holds a faculty appointment at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine. His peers have selected him as a Philadelphia-area Top Doctor for the last eight years. His office is located at [primary_address] in [primary_city], [primary_statefull], on the Main Line. Please call his office at [primary_phone] to schedule a consultation.