The excitement patients feel during breast augmentation is palpable, say the experts. Women who have desired larger breasts for years have the opportunity to do something about it, and their excitement at one day being able to wear that dream bra in their dream dress is at the forefront of their minds.
While this future event is absolutely certain, it does take a period of healing and settling for breast augmentation results to be ready for the perfect bra. Veteran breast surgeons Dr. Kristi Hustak and Dr. Charles Messa discuss the healing process and how they help their patients along the road of recovery to be able to truly enjoy their breast augmentation results.
The Patience Required for the Dream Bra
Both Drs. Hustak and Messa are well-versed with the excitement their patients carry along their breast augmentation journey. One of the most exciting aspects is when their results are ready for the first purchase of a dream bra. “This is one of those procedures where there is pure excitement! These women have had small breasts their whole lives and they’re like, ‘I’m gonna wake up and I’m so excited to buy my new bra!” shares Dr. Hustak, a board certified plastic surgeon in Houston.
The dream bra is a certainty, but there is a period of time necessary before patients are ready for that purchase. “There is a settling phase,” explains Hustak. “When you wake up [from surgery], that is not the shape nor necessarily the size you’re going to be. I say 8 weeks before you go buy an underwire bra, but there’s a time you have to wait.”
Breast Augmentation Recovery
Breast augmentation remains one of the most popular plastic surgery procedures. The procedure has been dialed in so well through technology and technique that expert surgeons are able to have their patients up and moving again swiftly, oftentimes that very night. Even though the strict recovery from surgery is rapid, surgical results still take a period of time to settle in. Both surgeons agree that patients should contain their bra-buying excitement until this period of time has passed in order to make the right decision.
“With every surgical procedure, there’s going to be a certain amount of swelling and certain amount of settling,” explains Dr. Messa, a board certified plastic surgeon in Florida. “One of the hardest things for breast augmentation patients is to realize that this is not how their breasts are going to look at 1 or 2 weeks; it may take up to 3 months to get their ultimate size.”
In addition, where the implants were placed can also determine the healing process. If the implants are placed beneath the chest muscle, for example, “that needs time to stretch and acclimate,” shares Hustak. If the augmentation was performed in tandem with a breast lift, or mastopexy, there may also be areas that are numb or hypersensitive for a period of time, creating a situation where comfort will trump aesthetic.
The Tentative Bra Timeline
Every patient’s recovery and the time it takes for their results to settle is unique. Generally, Dr. Messa offers this tentative path of bra usage while the breasts heal. “I will typically tell them a sports bra for the first two weeks. If their breasts are sitting high or are tight, I tell them not to wear any bra at all. I let them decide, based on their comfort level, if they want to wear a bra or not. Normally I would say at about 4-6 weeks, you can try to wear an underwire, but if it’s uncomfortable, don’t wear it!”
Finally, it’s important for patients to check their enthusiasm and excitement with the seriousness of surgery. Breast augmentation in the hands of expert plastic surgeons like Drs. Hustak and Messa are “simple,” but that’s only because the difficult part of the process is during the planning. In order for patients to achieve their dream chest in their dream bra, diligent research, selection of a surgeon, and planning will dictate what the final results will be. A trusting and synergistic relationship with an expert surgeon will be the foundation for great results, always.