3 Minute Read:
After receiving breast implants, it might be tempting to run right out and buy some new sexy bras. Wasn’t that one of the perks you were looking for anyways?
While we understand this desire (and promise that the time for it will come!), it is important that you don’t ditch the full-coverage support bras too soon.
Breast augmentation doesn’t require the longest of plastic surgery recovery timeframes; however, it is still a process. Your breasts will be swollen for several months following your surgery. This (in addition to the shifting and settling implant placement) means that your breast size will vary.
Also, while your incisions may look as though they’ve healed, they may still be tender and vulnerable to the pressure of underwire bras.
There is a progression of appropriate bra types that takes place in three steps.
Following your surgery, you will arrive home wearing a compression bra. This bra provides the necessary support to aid in the healing process.
You will be instructed to wear this bra day and night for two weeks (at least).
Benefits of your compression bra include:
After spending two weeks in your compression garment, you will likely be ready to graduate to a sports bra.
Be sure to get the OK from your surgeon and choose sports bras that provide adequate support, as your breasts still have some healing to do and need a lot of support.
The timetable for healing varies among women, and it’s essential to attend your follow-up appointments. The doctor will check the position of the implants as it takes some time for them to drop into place.
Once you are completely healed, all swelling has subsided, and the implants have settled, you will be given the go-ahead to buy some sexy new underwire bras.
Finally! Once you have completely healed and your new breast size is apparent, you can pick out some nice sexy bras – BUT – make sure they provide strong support.
Your bigger breasts need this support to keep them perky and beautiful.
If you choose underwire bras, make sure they do not irritate your scars. While they may have healed, they still have some fading to do, and irritation can delay this process. If underwire bras bother your fading scars, switch to a cute supportive bra without underwires, or limit your time wearing them.
Usually, women are recommended to wait at least six months before returning to an underwire bra.
Dr. Troy Andreasen is a well-respected, board-certified plastic surgeon serving California’s Inland Empire. He and his team are committed to delivering the excellent results our patients have come to expect.
If you are considering breast enhancement surgery, including augmentation or a breast lift with implants, call our office today or contact us online to schedule a consultation by filling out the form below.
3 Minute Read:
Breast augmentation, also known as augmentation mammoplasty, is a plastic surgery procedure performed to increase breast size, contour breast shape, and enhance curves and confidence.
Many women want to improve their breasts with implants. However, female athletes and other physically active women may worry about what implants will do to their lifestyle and exercise habits.
Well, fortunately, breast augmentation is appropriate for any woman, regardless of her gym routine.
During breast augmentation, an implant filled with sterile saltwater or silicone gel is placed behind your breast tissue or under your chest muscle.
While the placement of this implant may depend on how active you are (often, weightlifters and bodybuilders choose to keep the implant over the chest muscle in the submammary position to allow for increased movement), most regularly active women will have no problems with either placement.
Submuscular implants rarely have any effect on your ability to exercise.
Breast augmentation is always in your grasp, but you may want to consider all of the specifics of your surgery very carefully so you can find the best option for your lifestyle and body frame.
The size of your implant is important. Only significantly oversized implants have a chance of making exercise difficult or painful (if they interfere with movement or their weight places strain on the spine). Therefore, you must have an open discussion with your surgeon about the size and type of your implant, as this will depend on your body frame, fat composition, and current or planned level of exercise.
The most important thing when considering breast augmentation is that you can never ask too many questions. Your body will undergo surgery, and your recovery will depend on your body’s natural healing process.
It can take up to six months for your implants to fully settle, and although you will be able to resume normal activity levels after six weeks, you have to be patient.
It is essential to remember that breast augmentation is a major procedure.
The better your pre-surgery preparation and post-surgery recovery, the quicker you can resume your exercise regime. You will feel minimal discomfort after the procedure, and the pain of the recovery is negligible.
On average, a full recovery, during which you have to refrain from physical activity, is about six weeks. After that, you can resume your active lifestyle.
Careful planning, in-depth discussion with your plastic surgeon, and regular post-surgery appointments will ensure that you look your best and allow you to continue with your exercise regime in a realistic timeframe.
You can have the bustline you desire and continue your training schedule.
Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Troy Andreasen can help you achieve the results you want for your bustline without compromising your active lifestyle. Call 909-291-4900 today to schedule your consultation.
2 Minute Read:
Following breast surgery, compression is a key component of the recovery process. A compression garment is worn early after surgery to facilitate healing and enhance results.
The medical compression garment is constructed from strong, synthetic fabrics that apply the needed pressure to the targeted area for comfortable support. It is considered a woman’s best friend after undergoing breast augmentation and/or breast lift surgery or other surgical body contouring procedures.
Here is why.
Wearing a compression garment after your breast augmentation or breast lift applies even pressure across the treatment area, preventing excessive buildup of fluids. The garment also helps your body absorb any accumulating fluid. Without it, post-op swelling can linger much longer than necessary.
Additionally, a compression garment will minimize bruising by preventing blood from flowing towards the skin’s surface. This helps to reduce the appearance of bruises.
Blood clotting is a significant risk with any surgical procedure. Fortunately, compression garments can help promote effective circulation, reducing your risk of complications related to blood clots.
Proper blood circulation also plays an important role in wound healing and decreases the chances of infection.
By wearing a compression garment, patients can expect to experience a pleasant and quicker recovery. By managing post-operative swelling and discomfort, the recovery process becomes shorter, allowing patients to get back to living their life sooner.
Wearing a compression garment provides the needed support, keeps the implants in place after augmentation, and achieves a smoother and more even outcome. The garment helps your skin contract to its new contours more seamlessly and ensures surgical incisions heal correctly — which is vital for aesthetic results following breast surgery.
Most patients also find that compression garments help with proper posture and facilitates easy movement afterward. In addition, the use of compression garments can help reduce pain.
Dr. Andreasen will advise on the specific time frame depending on the procedure and the surgery’s extent. Typically, most patients will be required to wear a compression bra during their initial part of recovery (two weeks after surgery).
At that point, you can switch to a compression sports bra but make sure to avoid anything with an underwire. This can be worn for another two weeks, day and night.
Lastly, your compression garments should feel noticeably snug but not overly restrictive or bulky.
If you would like to learn more about the breast enhancement surgeries offered by Dr. Andreasen and how to best manage your recovery process, contact us today by giving us a call or filling our online contact form. We will be very clear about your expectations and guide you on your journey to full recovery.
3 Minute Read:
Deciding to plunge into breast augmentation can be overwhelming. It is not something to take lightly.
Besides the breast implant surgery, you will have to dedicate a couple of weeks to your recovery and will essentially alter how you look. And even though it is a welcome change, it is a change.
Being a purely personal decision, you need to make sure that you are both physically and emotionally ready for your breast enhancement.
Women consider breast augmentation for various reasons. While some want to enhance their naturally small breasts or alter the shape of their breasts, others want to address issues like asymmetry. Whatever the issue may be, it is important to carefully consider your decision and be confident in the next steps, as this sets the stage for a truly rewarding transformation.
So, how do you know if you are truly ready to take the next step in your cosmetic surgery journey and get a breast augmentation?
Am I mentally ready for breast surgery?
Am I choosing to enhance my appearance to improve my self-confidence or physical comfort, or am I just doing it because of outside pressure?
These are really important questions to ask. Ensuring that the decision is truly yours and that your motivations are healthy is essential before committing to a surgical procedure. You are enhancing the size and shape of your breasts, and this changes your body contour and how you present yourself.
For a woman who plans on getting pregnant soon, for instance, in the next 12 months, breast augmentation results may diminish after nursing, so it is best to wait until after childbirth to have the surgery.
Another physical consideration besides pregnancy is having a stable weight. If you plan on losing a significant amount of weight, it would be best to hold off your breast augmentation plans until your weight is stable. This helps to avoid sagging skin/breasts post-surgery.
Scheduling factors will also influence your decision. You want to consider these two scheduling elements:
Being well-prepared for your breast augmentation can lead to a comfortable and stress-free recovery that helps you achieve beautiful results. Contact us today at (909) 291-4900 to learn more about breast augmentation and whether you are a good candidate for the procedure.
Dr. Andreasen offers breast augmentation surgery, breast lift surgery, breast revision surgery, and many other face and body plastic surgeries for women and men in the Ontario, California, area.
3 Minute Read:
One of the most common questions patients ask about breast augmentation is how long their recovery will take. Breast augmentation recovery is typically minimal, with some patients only being sidelined for a few days. However, this can vary from patient to patient, and even more so depending on the specific breast augmentation surgical technique performed. For this reason, it is vital that you listen to Dr. Andreasen’s instructions to properly manage your recovery.
Just after your operation, you will feel woozy as you wake up. Side effects of general anesthesia are generally mild, though you may experience some grogginess and aches for the first few hours. You will be provided a special support bra to wear for the duration of your recovery. This garment will help to control swelling by promoting blood circulation. It will also help to ensure that your implants settle in the correct place.
After a couple of hours, you will be released to go home. It is important that you have someone drive you home and keep an eye on you during that first day or two.
During this period, you can expect to experience mild to moderate discomfort. Your surgeon will provide you with medication (either prescription or over-the-counter) to manage pain during this time. You will have instructions on how to care for your healing incision sites, which you should follow to ensure that the scars heal quickly and without complications. Most patients should not work or exercise during this period. Be sure to contact your surgeon if any complications arise, such as excessive pain, extensive bleeding, or signs of infection.
Dr. Andreasen will provide you with a general timeline for when you can return to work and your normal day-to-day activities.
By your fourth week following your surgery, most patients are ready to resume light activities and exercises. You should continue to wear your surgical support bra, and may still require over-the-counter medications to manage pain (although this is very rare). The swelling should mostly abate by this point, and the initial new contours of your breasts should be visible. You should still refrain from physically demanding activities such as exercise, heavy lifting, and similar activities.
It takes several weeks for your implants to settle into place. Breast implants typically sit higher on the chest initially, and, over time, they will drop.
By this point, most swelling should be gone, and you may no longer require your surgical support bra. Exercise and vigorous activities may usually be resumed at this point, though you should consult your surgeon first just to be sure.
The final results of your breast augmentation procedure should be visible within three to six months. If you are unhappy with your results at that time, you should contact Dr. Andreasen for a follow-up appointment to discuss your options. If you are satisfied with your results, nothing further needs to be done at this time. Your implants can last between 10 and 20 years (if not longer), depending on lifestyle factors and your physical state.
You should schedule follow-up appointments with Dr. Andreasen and undergo routine MRIs or ultrasounds (if you have silicone implants) every few years to ensure that no complications arise.
Make sure to mention your breast implants to your primary care physician when you are scheduled for mammograms. Some implants can create difficulties during cancer screenings if not taken into account. We hope you will enjoy your new enhanced breasts for decades to come.
If you have questions about breast augmentation surgery or the recovery process, contact Dr. Andreasen by calling 909-291-4900 or fill out our online contact form.
4 Minute Read:
Breast implants have been safely enlarging women’s breasts for decades. Breast augmentation surgery allows women to enhance their confidence in their bodies by achieving more proportional and shapelier breasts. While the majority of women with breast implants never experience any complications, breast implants are not without risk. Some of these potential complications are known; others are speculated.
Before you decide to get breast implants, you should understand the risks, read up on breast implant safety, and realize what it means if your implants begin to hurt after the procedure.
Capsular contracture is the most common reason for women with implants to seek out a breast augmentation revision specialist. Capsular contracture happens when the scar tissue around the implant starts to tighten, causing breast implant hardening, chronic pain, and distortion.
Unfortunately, there is no way to relieve or break capsular contracture without breast revision surgery. Capsular contracture treatment involves the complete removal of the implant and scar tissue. While there is no way to prevent capsular contracture, breast implant massages may reduce your risk.
Implant rupture occurs when an implant shell breaks, allowing the saline or silicone contents to potentially spill out into the body. Implant ruptures cause aesthetic complications and pose potential health risks.
Saline ruptures are easily identifiable because the saline is absorbed by the body relatively quickly. This saline is sterile; however, there have been reports of mold developing inside the saline implants. When the implant ruptured, the mold in the saline was also absorbed. It is still unclear what complications this poses long-term.
Silicone ruptures are often silent ruptures. Silicone implants have a thick gel consistency that allows it to maintain its shape and remain in the breast pocket even after a break occurs, at least for some time. If the rupture is discovered early, the damaged implant can often be removed with no problems. Unfortunately, if it is not found, loose silicone can escape into the body and travel toward vital organs, such as the lungs.
Implant ruptures are caused by damage to the implant shell. This can occur after a trauma to the chest (such as a car accident or intense pressure from a breast exam) or can be the result of implant weakening from the initial augmentation. Breast implants are very durable and should not damage; however, rupture does happen on occasion.
Breast implant illness has become a risk even though there is no evidence proving a link between the symptoms and the presence of the implant. This self-diagnosed disease has gained steam over recent years since thousands of women started experiencing the same unexplainable side effects.
Since they all had breast implants, many speculated that the implants must be responsible. This was how the term breast implant illness was started. Breast implant illness symptoms vary; however, they are similar to autoimmune diseases and include headaches, joint pain, muscular pain, anxiety, depression, brain fog, memory loss, and hair loss.
It is believed by some that the silicone in the implant or implant shell causes an autoimmune reaction in the body, and these symptoms are the body’s response to that. As of now, there is no scientific evidence to back that claim.
Breast cancer is, unfortunately, an all-to-real fear (and reality) for many women. Some women who have or are interested in getting implants wonder about how it will affect their risk of developing cancer.
Implants do not prevent breast cancer, and patients can still get cancer with implants; however, the implants also do not contribute to it. While silicone does not cause cancer, breast implants, specially textured saline or silicone implants have been linked to cancer of the immune system called breast implant-related anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL).
BIA-ALCL develops in the scar tissue that forms around the implants and is not breast cancer. BIA-ALCL cancer symptoms include lumps, bumps, as well as hard and sore breast implants. This condition is tested through a biopsy of the scar tissue and, when discovered early, is very treatable.
Even with these potential complications, breast augmentation is entirely safe. Many women with implants never experience a complication. Others only have to consider a secondary treatment when their implants reach the end of their life (which can be decades).
For women who have to repair a complication with her implant(s), breast revision surgery makes the process easy, safe, and comfortable.
If you have concerns or are interested in breast augmentation, contact Dr. Andreasen by calling (909) 291-4900 or by filling out our online contact form.
Posted July 12, 2022 in Breast Augmentation
3 Minute Read: After receiving breast implants, it might be tempting to run right out and buy some new sexy bras. Wasn’t that one of the perks you were looking for anyways? While we understand this desire (and promise that the time for it will come!), it is important that you don’t ditch the full-coverage […]
Posted August 06, 2021 in Breast Augmentation
3 Minute Read: Breast augmentation, also known as augmentation mammoplasty, is a plastic surgery procedure performed to increase breast size, contour breast shape, and enhance curves and confidence. Many women want to improve their breasts with implants. However, female athletes and other physically active women may worry about what implants will do to their lifestyle […]
Posted July 01, 2021 in Breast Augmentation, Breast Lift
2 Minute Read: Following breast surgery, compression is a key component of the recovery process. A compression garment is worn early after surgery to facilitate healing and enhance results. The medical compression garment is constructed from strong, synthetic fabrics that apply the needed pressure to the targeted area for comfortable support. It is considered a […]
Posted April 05, 2021 in Breast Augmentation
3 Minute Read: Deciding to plunge into breast augmentation can be overwhelming. It is not something to take lightly. Besides the breast implant surgery, you will have to dedicate a couple of weeks to your recovery and will essentially alter how you look. And even though it is a welcome change, it is a change. […]
Posted July 28, 2020 in Breast Augmentation
3 Minute Read: One of the most common questions patients ask about breast augmentation is how long their recovery will take. Breast augmentation recovery is typically minimal, with some patients only being sidelined for a few days. However, this can vary from patient to patient, and even more so depending on the specific breast augmentation […]
Posted June 15, 2020 in Breast Augmentation
4 Minute Read: Breast implants have been safely enlarging women’s breasts for decades. Breast augmentation surgery allows women to enhance their confidence in their bodies by achieving more proportional and shapelier breasts. While the majority of women with breast implants never experience any complications, breast implants are not without risk. Some of these potential complications […]
“Thank you so much for all your help in making this very important decision. Your staff was very welcoming and so sweet. Your honesty is very refreshing and I look forward to soon scheduling my surgery!”
"I have had a few people tell me to check out other doctors with cheaper costs but am not interested at all. I am very insecure when it comes to certain parts of my body and i felt very comfortable and sure that I wanted you to do this surgery."
"I had gone too 2 diffrent locations , this place made me automatically made my mind up I had two recommendations from this place and I love the work they did on them , staff is very nice as well as the surgeon I love this place very pleased with my procedure."
Individual results may vary
The Andreasen Experience
Breast and Body Specialist
Contact Us
We are eager to answer any of your questions and help you toward achieving your aesthetic goals.
Dr. Andreasen is the premier plastic surgeon in the Inland Empire of SoCal
Troy J. Andreasen, M.D.
3333 Concours St Bldg #3
Ontario CA 91764
Phone: 909-291-4900
Follow Dr. Andreasen on all social networks