A Timeline for After Your Breast Augmentation Surgery

When preparing for your breast augmentation surgery, you’ll go through a rigorous process of planning and research. By the end, you should have all the information you need for the results you’ll be happiest with. But while you may be researching the procedure itself and deciding on things like placement and type of implant, you might not be putting enough thought into the recovery process.

Like any major surgery, recovery will take a while, and parts of it might be difficult. To ensure you have the best healing process, you should educate yourself on what to expect after.

Day One

Breast augmentation is a major surgery that will typically be performed with general anesthesia. However, you’ll be able to go home the same day. The surgery itself will last one or two hours, and you’ll spent another one or two hours recovering from the anesthesia. Once you’re alert enough, you’ll be discharged, at which point you can have someone drive you home.

Your surgeon will give you detailed post-surgery wound care instructions. Make sure that you follow these guidelines exactly to promote healing and avoid excess scarring. It’s likely that you will have a prescription painkiller to alleviate discomfort during the first days.

After you get home, rest. That’s your entire job for the day. Just rest.

Week One

The first week should be used for rest and eating well. If you can, take the full week off work. Don’t engage in any strenuous activity like pushing, pulling, or lifting. Straining yourself might increase pain and could hurt your healing tissue.

Your breasts will look tight and swollen. The first three days will be worst, but then the pain should slowly start to stabilize and reduce. Most swelling will have dissipated within two months.

You might hear squeaking or feel a squishing in your breast. This is caused by fluid surrounding the implant, which your body will absorb over the first week.

Month One

Most people can go back to work after about a week, but you should not engage in heavy physical labor. Even if you think you feel okay, don’t push it. Your incisions are still healing throughout the first month, and you shouldn’t expose yourself to unnecessary risks.

In the following months, you shouldn’t wear any underwire bras. Use softer bras. Your surgeon will probably give you recommendations. Badly-fitting bras can interrupt the healing process. Around the end of the first month, your surgeon will give you a plan for beginning low-impact exercise.

Year One

After the first month, the incisions should heal and the swelling should subside somewhat. Some swelling typically remains for a few months. Don’t buy new swimsuits or bras until eight weeks after surgery, since your cup size isn’t settled yet.

The scars might look bad at first, but they’ll fade over time. Scarring takes anywhere from twelve to eighteen months to fade to its final form.

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