Recovery

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6. How long before they soften up?

This depends upon your implant surface type, implant-filler, overfill, muscle tone and implant placement. You will be firm regardless of being over or under the muscle due to swelling. Add to it if you have saline = possibly firmer, textured implant - thicker shell, more palpable; overfilled = firmer; under the muscle = firmer, if your muscles are really knotted or if you work out your chest a lot your muscles will be firmer than someone who does not work out their pecs. So you see there are many scenarios which will affect the firmness of the implant and the length of time you are such.

Some surgeons will suggest massaging the pectorals in under placements to help loosen up the knotted and traumatized pectoral muscles. Ask your surgeon about massage if this is your muscle placement. Other than that if you are very overfilled or have cohesive silicone implants, you may always be this firm. If you have any case-specific questions, ask your surgeon.

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7. Am I too firm? How firm is too firm?

Firmness is relative. Some patients may think they are too firm simply because it is slightly firmer than what they had before. Some patients WANT firmness and upper pole fullness. There is no blanket answer because there are different preferences of the patient. Personally I like firmer breasts, I don't like squishy ones. If I wanted squishy, I would have kept what I had before.

Just know that implants aren't going to be just like natural breast tissue and even if it were, breast tissue varies. Some women's tissue is more fibrous, some less dense. We all differ in anatomy and preference.

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8. One seems to be dropping quicker than the other? Is this normal?

This is normal, some surgeons report that your dominant side will hold that implant up higher if you have unders and it will drop slower. However, some surgeons report just the opposite because they believe the muscle contractions massage the implant into place. Go figure.

The fact is that we all differ in our healing times and one may drop slower than the other. Don't be discouraged if this happens, be patient and they will usually level out on their own. If you have any case-specific questions if you are not dropping evenly after some time, ask your surgeon.

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The Strap is a device that many women loathe. But the fact of the matter is, it will be your best friend for a while so get used to it if you must use it. If you will need assistance in your breast implants dropping, the surgeon may choose not to place you in any type of support garment at all and may even utilize a garment called THE STRAP. Quite possibly he/she may use an elastic band or ace bandage above your breasts to push your implants down. This all depends upon your needs.

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10. How soon can I go back to work?

This depends upon your type of employment and incision type/implant placement. If you have a sedentary job you can generally go back sooner than later. If you have TUBA you can go back sooner than if you have implants and a full lift. Generally, 5 days is a good amount to take off work but 2 to 4 days is very possible. If you take 5 work days off, that plus the weekends will give you ample time to heal properly.

Just remember, don't overdo it. Even jobs that are sedentary with the occasional lifting of a file box or bending over to get a file, can injure you. If you have a labor-intensive job, you must wait 3 weeks at least. Ask your surgeon, as he is the one who will release you for activity.

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11. Will I regret my decision to get breast implants?

This is a personal question you will have to ask yourself once you have healed and are out of the proverbial woods. But if you want to know averages or statistics, I will let you in on a little secret. Almost all of us have thought at one point during the healing phase, "What have I done to myself???" It is a very natural thought to pop into your head. We are human, therefore we are capable of regret, imagination, second thoughts. It is common to think we have made a mistake once we see the bruises (if applicable) or feel uncomfortable. Especially that the breasts don't look their best directly post-op. Give yourself some time to heal and your implants time to settle before you even consider thinking about the r-word.

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12. When can I tan my new boobies?

No. Sorry, but you are going to have to wait. Wait at least until your skin is no longer red and shiny or you are going to possibly wind up with hyperpigmentations. As far as the incisions, from 6 months to a year and I'd rather it be a year to be safe. Scars take about 12 months to mature so cover them! Your skin will stretch out and heal before your scars do so once you start tanning, cover your scars with some kind of tape, not just sunblock. If you tan scars it can cause hyper- or hypopigmentations and can cause degradation of the collagen network in your scar from sun damage. Your scar tissue has less melanin and is unable to naturally protect itself in a normal sense. Especially before the scar tissue has matured.

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13. My bra is irritating my incision lines what can I do??

If your incisions have closed you can either wear an ACE® bandage around your breasts and then wear the bra on top of it all, or use foam padding like EPIfoam™ from BioDermis. EPIfoam™ has an adhesive silicone sheeting side and a foam pad so that your underwires or bra band does not cause irritation. Plus the silicone sheeting helps fade and flatten your scars.

*Please ask your surgeon before using any product or wearing any item that may conflict with his post-operative instructions.

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14. My new breasts are squeaking and gurgling! is this permanent? When will it stop??

Do not be alarmed if you hear gurgling, buzzing or crackling noises coming from your breasts, this can be from fluid build up or air bubbles within the implant pocket as well as the implant not being settled in, give it a few weeks. I personally had gurgling, squeaking and sloshing type noises for a few weeks but it dissipated. Although disturbing, this is normal.

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15. My breasts look like cones or torpedoes, is this permanent?

If you are wondering why your breasts may be odd looking, it is because of your skin being stretched over them; the implants may be very firm and high. You may think they are too big, too small, too round, not round enough, too "jellybean shaped", too square, too itchy, too high, too low, too ugly, too sensitive, too this and too that. This will pass, remember your results aren't near being seen. Give it time .If you got unders (either sub-pectoral only or full sub-muscular) it may take a bit for the muscles to relax. Especially on your dominant side. For instance, if you are right handed, your right breast may not fall as fast as your left one. Don't worry though, it will, and if it doesn't due to the pocket not being made low enough, your surgeon can correct it later on.

As far as specifically about torpedoes, your implants haven't dropped yet, the lower half of your breast is probably tight so you will have high & hard cone-shaped breasts, this will go away.

Your muscles are going to be quite traumatized if you chose under placement so the firmness will be from the tight, knotted up muscles, although if you have your implants overfilled very much it will result in firmness that will never go away. Just give yourself time to heal and your new breasts time to settle in. Don't jump to conclusions just yet, you might not even think you like them at first. Please be patient.