HealthTech

Breast Augmentation and What to Expect at Home 

Image by Sasin Tipchai from Pixabay

Breast augmentation involves minor surgery that allows people to change their breast’s appearance. It has been one of the most common cosmetic surgeries in the last few decades. Therefore, the procedure has gotten better, allowing people to recover within a short period. Here is everything you need to know about what to expect after a breast augmentation.

Recovery Time

Before participating in this procedure, many people worry about the time taken to recover. The recovery period depends on various factors, such as individual health, after-care strategies, and the specifications of the procedure. For instance, if an individual is in good health, the chances are high that they will recover faster than those dealing with other health conditions. Also, taking good care of the breasts facilitates a faster recovery.

When the procedure involves subglandular augmentation, the recovery can take as less as three weeks. In the case of the submuscular technique, the recovery might take up to three months. According to Mark Solomon MD, the submuscular is more painful than the other procedures. The intense pain occurs because it involves cutting the pectoralis major muscles to pave the way for the implant.

The First Week of Recovery

Similar to other surgical procedures, breast augmentation heals in stages. For instance, the pain you experience within the first few weeks might be gone within the first month. After the surgery, it’s recommended that you have enough rest and place ice on the breast to manage pain and swelling. Drain also helps with the recovery process by removing fluid instead of letting the body absorb it. However, they are not a necessity in most breast augmentation procedures.

After the first 24 or 48 hours, you’ll experience a lot of itchiness in the incisions. Scratching these areas might cause more pain, so icing helps reduce the itchiness. You should also stay hydrated to reduce skin dryness, a common cause of itchiness. If it persists, consult with your doctor to get an anti-itch cream.

Some people have a misconception that bed rest is the most important thing an individual should get after breast augmentation. While bed rest is important to facilitate healing, you shouldn’t spend all your time in bed.

When you stay in bed for many hours, your body becomes stiff, thus causing you more pain. Walking around keeps your blood moving faster, thus upgrading the healing process. The good news is that it only takes less than a week to get past the initial and painful recovery stage. You should resume your desk job in a week if the procedure is done correctly. A physically demanding job will require you to take off more weeks.

Expected Pain

The pain you’ll experience after breast augmentation varies depending on various factors. However, it’s good to have an idea of what to expect. The discomfort experienced doesn’t present as a sharp pain. However, your breast will get sore, similar to your chest, after an intense workout. You’ll experience intense soreness the morning after, but it will reduce as time passes.

Women who have undergone this procedure report feeling muscle soreness as they move or raise their arms the first few days after surgery. They also report a burning sensation near the incisions. However, the sensation is not too much to cause you a lot of discomfort. It also subsides quickly as the itchiness begins.

What to Wear

After breast augmentation, it’s important to wear the right attire to facilitate healing. Surgeons recommend that their patients wear surgical bras for the first two weeks because they offer enough support to prevent sagging that might cause more pain. After two weeks, you can wear a bra without underwire or a sports one. You should only wear an underwire bra after two to three months to ensure the implants are well secured.

What Scarring to Expect

It’s obvious that after surgery, you’ll get a scar at the point of the incision. However, the current technological advances will make them less visible. In most cases, the scar will fade a lot after a year. If the incision was done under the breasts, you could hardly see any scarring.

Manage Your Expectations

People’s expectations after a breast augmentation vary from one person to another. Sometimes, things might not turn out as expected, which could affect your recovery process. Therefore, discussing aftercare with your physician is best because it will help manage your expectations.

The most important thing after the procedure is patience. Some people claim to recover in a week, but this might not be the case for you. Bodies are different. Therefore, failing to recover in a week doesn’t mean you’ll not heal. Sometimes, it can take up to six months before you start feeling normal again. Therefore, you should not have too many expectations because they might disappoint you. The last thing that should happen is to get stressed about the process because it will lower the recovery rate.

The recovery process following a breast augmentation varies from one person to another. Therefore, it’s best to listen to your body and not push yourself beyond limits. You should also consult with your physician regarding any questions you might have about the recovery process.

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