Swimming After Breast Augmentation
Many women who have breast augmentation surgery are eager to get back into the water, but they may not know what restrictions are in place. We hope that this article has helped you understand the risks involved with swimming after breast augmentation and encouraged you to be cautious when returning to your favorite pastime.
In this guide, we review the aspects of Swimming After Breast Augmentation, when can i do laundry after breast augmentationIn this guide, we review the aspects of Swimming After Breast Augmentation, can i go swimming after contraceptive implant, and when can i go to the beach after breast augmentation.
You will be able to return to your favourite leisure activities, like swimming, without any complications following a breast augmentation surgery — especially since this type of cosmetic procedure is likely to have you eager to show off your new beach body during the summer season. But, while engaging in exercise and recreation is important, it’s just as important to wait an appropriate amount of time after your surgery has been performed before hitting the pool, in order to avoid any unexpected complications.
While your breast augmentation recovery time may vary, likely, your cosmetic surgeon will not give you clearance for swimming until at least 4-6 weeks after your breast augmentation surgery. For this reason, you may want to consider scheduling your procedure at least a month before you plan to visit a pool or the beach.
Why You Can’t Swim Right Away
As with all plastic surgery procedures, it’s important to wait until you have fully recovered from your surgery before you resume your regular day-to-day activities, especially those that involve exercise, physical activity, and sun exposure. Swimming before your breast augmentation incisions have fully healed puts you at increased risk of infection from waterborne microbes and bacteria. This can compromise not only the results of your surgery but your overall good health.
In addition, since swimming is an activity that engages the chest muscles, swimming before the incisions have healed can put a strain on those incisions and the surrounding skin tissue, further compromising your healing process.
If you are visiting a pool or beach before the 4-6 week mark, it is possible to dip your toes into the water or wade in until you are waist-deep. Be sure to apply sunscreen liberally, as your incision sites will be especially sensitive to sun exposure.
Swimming After Breast Augmentation
Planning to schedule a cosmetic procedure this summer? You’re in good company. Warmer weather—and more body-conscious wardrobe choices—motivates many patients to make changes, and breaks from school or work are often easier to manage this time of year. And, with only a few weeks of downtime needed after most procedures, you’ll be able to enjoy your results in time for many summer festivities. However, there are some special considerations that apply to patients recovering during the summer months.
To help you on your way to a safe, comfortable, and speedy recovery, we’ve answered top patient questions about plastic surgery recovery during summer.
When can I swim after cosmetic surgery?
After most procedures, patients are allowed to gradually resume dry-land exercise within three to six weeks, but you’ll need to wait at least a month before taking a dip in a pool. Here’s why: bodies of water (chlorinated pools included) contain a menagerie of microbes that are normally nothing to worry about, but pose an infection risk to healing incisions. You can still enjoy sitting by the poolside and dip your toes in to cool off—just take care not to submerge the surgery site.
Longer, sunnier days combined with skimpier summer clothing present an added risk to plastic surgery patients.
Expect to wait a few extra weeks before swimming laps if you have breast surgery to avoid overexerting the chest muscles and possibly straining your incisions. Rhinoplasty patients will also have to wait several months before wearing swim goggles. Whatever procedure you’ve chosen, be sure to ask about specific limitations and get an official OK from your plastic surgeon before spending time in the water.
How can I protect my results from the sun?
Longer, sunnier days combined with skimpier summer clothing present an added risk to plastic surgery patients. Because scar tissue doesn’t have the same make-up as normal, healthy skin, it is extra-sensitive to the sun, and UV exposure can darken scars.
Scars are susceptible for a year or longer after surgery, so keep them covered a wide-brimmed hat, UPF clothing, or broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher sunscreen (once your plastic surgeon agrees it’s safe to apply topical creams) any time you go outdoors. You’ll be rewarded with lighter scars that are more likely to fade over time.
Wearing underwire bras too soon after surgery can irritate healing incisions, and most underwire bras and swimsuit tops lack the necessary support for daily wear.
Is it okay to take my kids to the amusement park a few weeks after having a breast lift?
One potential challenge to having plastic surgery during the summer is that you’ll be recovering while your kids are out of school…and getting more bored by the second! If they are begging to go to Wings & Waves, it’s likely fine to take them, granted you are past your initial recovery period (i.e., you can safely drive and perform light activity), your surgeon agrees it’s safe, and you take certain precautions:
When can I wear a bikini top after breast augmentation?
In general, our Eugene breast augmentation patients are required to wear a soft, supportive bra, such as a sports bra, for about 6 to 8 weeks after surgery to ensure results heal optimally. Wearing underwire bras too soon after surgery can irritate healing incisions, and most underwire bras and swimsuit tops lack the necessary support for daily wear.
Another reason we discourage women from bra or swimsuit shopping too early: your results will still be taking shape for several months after breast augmentation, and the biggest changes occur in the first 8 weeks. By waiting a few weeks, you can feel confident that your new garments will fit well for a long time.
when can i do laundry after breast augmentationIn
After undergoing any type of surgery to your body, it’s important that you find the correct clothes that will allow you to heal as well as keep you comfortable. You want to give your body the ability to relax, but also want to support areas that may need support in order to reduce any pain you may feel while recovering.
As with any plastic surgery, breast augmentation is an invasive surgery that requires making incisions in the body, both on the surface level and under the skin, which can lead to discomfort during the recovery process.
Thankfully, Dr. Adams has perfected his Fast-Track 24-Hour Recovery Breast Augmentation method that allows a patient to return to normal everyday life (outside of exercise and strenuous activity) within 24 hours.
The procedure uses unique surgical techniques to minimize the trauma associated with breast augmentation surgery. By understanding where on the body to make incisions to keep internal tissue damage to a minimum, Dr. Adams is able to cut the traditional recovery time down to just 24 hours instead of weeks.
This allows for the patient to get back to work and going out with family and friends sooner, rather than having to stay home in bed while recovering.
But regardless of whether you choose Dr. Adams for your breast augmentation surgery, you’ll want to be comfortable when going through recovery, which is why it’s important to wear the right clothes after your surgery.
What Type of Clothes to Wear After Breast Augmentation?
Bras
One of the most important pieces of clothing after undergoing breast augmentation surgery is going to be a comfortable bra.
Depending on your doctor you may be told to go bra-less for a few days post-surgery or to wear specific post-surgical bras to help reduce swelling and to prevent the implants from shifting while they are healing.
Definitely take the advice that your doctor gives to you, they know what they are talking about. And in most cases doctors will recommend not wearing a traditional underwire bra until about six weeks after surgery.
We put together a list of great bras to use when recovering from breast augmentation if you’re looking for more guidance.
Shirts
As we mentioned above, the proper bra is going to be the most important part of your outfit in the days after your breast augmentation surgery, but that doesn’t mean that you should just wear normal clothes over that.
In most cases you’re going to want to wear clothes that are easy to take on and off. Loose fitting t-shirts or blouses and zip-up hoodies tend to work best.
Due to the nature of how breast implants are inserted into the body, there will be some incisions made in the body tissue/muscle underneath the skin. This can lead to sore/achiness in your chest. The proper support from a bra can help, but you’ll want to do everything you can to reduce your arm movement.
Moving your arms away from your body can cause strain on the pectoralis muscle, which will be very sore from the surgery. By wearing loose fitting tops, or zip-up clothing, you’ll be able to easily put on and remove your shirts and minimize any pain you may experience.
Pants
The idea with pants after breast augmentation surgery is ease of removal and comfort. Your breast augmentation surgery will have no impact on your lower body, but the movement associated with removing your pants can exacerbate the soreness in your upper body.
Ensuring that your pants are easy to remove is key in minimizing the pain you may experience in your chest when making those movements.
Plus, if you’re going to be laying around for a few days, who wouldn’t want to be as comfortable as possible.
How Long Do I Have to Wear These Clothes After Surgery?
With a traditional breast implants you’ll want to wear these comfortable clothes for at least the first week. After the first week you can transition to more normal outer clothes if you’re feeling up to it, but you’ll want to continue to wear a softer sports bra, as you continue to heal.
If you’re still experiencing pain while wearing normal clothes, then continue to dress comfortably until the pain subsides.
After three weeks you should be able to wear normal clothes and transition to a normal, soft, bra. Remember, still no underwire or push-up bras until after the six week mark.
After the six week mark you should be able to wear whatever you want without significant pain. If you’re still experiencing significant pain at this point, we would recommend reaching out to your doctor.
Dr. Adams Fast- Track 24-Hour Recovery Breast Augmentation
If the recovery process from a traditional breast augmentation surgery is concerning to you, or is one of the reasons why you may not be considering the procedure, contact us!
Dr. Adams has perfected his Fast-Track 24-Hour breast augmentation recovery and will be able to help you reduce the downtime typically associated with breast augmentation surgery.
can i go swimming after contraceptive implant
You can safely get back in the water around 3 to 4 weeks after breast augmentation. Although many patients feel swimsuit ready a bit earlier, it’s important to give your skin tissue the proper time to heal and regain water resistance. After swimming, pat yourself dry so that your incisions can avoid staying wet.
when can i go to the beach after breast augmentation
As summer approaches, you may be starting to think about getting yourself ready for the beach. For some, this may mean having a breast augmentation.
In 2018, breast augmentation was up by 4%, totaling 313,735, proving that the popularity of this procedure is growing. Breast augmentation is a safe and effective procedure can enhance your breast size and shape. This can be performed with silicone or saline implants, or with your own fat.
The choice between an implant or your own fat is one that you make with your board-certified plastic surgeon. In general, if you want to be a cup size or larger, an implant is a better choice. If you desire to have a cup size or smaller enhancement, then fat grafting may also be an option for you as well, depending on how much fat you have on your body. The procedure can take approximately 1-3 hours, depending on whether or not it is combined with a breast lift.
How soon after breast augmentation can you swim?
Patients can expect to be back to work with some light lifting restrictions within one week, and completely off of lifting restrictions in about a month. With summer and beach season in mind, however, you may be wondering when you’ll be able to swim.
If you are planning to swim, make sure to plan to have your surgery at least a month in advance of your vacation, as most surgeons will want you to wait that long before immersing in a pool or ocean. After your surgery, be sure to get clearance from your surgeon to swim.
Since swimming often means time in the sun, it’s important to protect your incision with sunscreen that is SPF 30 or greater. You will also want to massage your scar with a silicone-based scar gel to help promote a thin, fine scar.
Although you may be cleared to swim after one month, it is normal for implants to still sit higher on your chest wall after the first month. Over the next 2-3 months, your implants will naturally settle into the breast, revealing your final results. With fat grafting, it can take 2-3 months for the swelling to subside and for you to see your final shape.
Ready to schedule your breast augmentation consultation?
When you decide to come in for a breast augmentation consultation, make sure you choose a board-certified plastic surgeon on the ASPS Plastic Surgery Connect referral service.
Board-certified plastic surgeons undergo a rigorous training process and are vetted by their peers through both a written and oral board examination process. Each and every ASPS member surgeon is board certified in plastic surgery, making them the most qualified plastic surgeons to perform your breast augmentation and get you ready for the beach!
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.