A breast lift can completely change your profile as a woman.
Once you’ve had this procedure, you can forget about uncomfortable push-up bras and painful, annoying breast tape to make your chest look more attractive. Your breasts will instead be naturally higher and perkier. Without trying, you’ll look more youthful. You’ll feel more comfortable and at-ease with yourself.
But before you can enjoy the benefits of your breast lift, you need to get through the recovery period.
The success rate for breast lift surgery is very high. This is a commonly performed, highly effective procedure. Unfortunately, many women don’t fully understand what is expected of them during recovery, and they may end up compromising the outcome of their surgery as a result.
When it comes to breast lift recovery, the patient must know and understand that their active participation matters. In other words, your plastic surgeon is in charge of your surgery, but you are in charge of your breast lift recovery.
Below is an overview of what you can expect during recovery and how to optimize your experience so as to reduce pain and achieve optimal results.
What Is Breast Lift Recovery Like?
Your breast lift recovery time will mostly be spent relaxing and recuperating. Don’t push yourself too hard, and don’t return to your normal routine until you’ve received clearance from Dr. Smita and feel up to it.
You should get adequate sleep and eat a balanced diet of lean protein, veggies, fruits, healthy fats, and whole grains. Don’t stress about “healing fast”. Rather, take the time necessary to heal well.
Focus on rest and relaxation. Get help with household tasks and errands, when possible. Basically, take it easy and trust the healing process.
So, what can you not do after a breast lift?
You should not exercise during the initial few weeks after your breast lift. At the same time, short, gentle walks are good for promoting circulation. Essentially, refrain from sweating, getting out of breath, or otherwise exerting yourself.
In addition, you must avoid lifting heavy objects. This includes children, so if you have kids, be sure you have some help at home.
Generally speaking, you want to keep your upper body relatively still and relaxed. Any tension or strain on your chest, back, upper arms, or neck area could pull at your incision sites and cause them damage. If you need to get something high up or out of reach, ask for help, or get up and move closer to the item so that you don’t have to stretch and strain.
After your breast lift, you should avoid taking baths or getting into a hot tub or any type of water. You don’t want to submerge your incisions in water just yet. Dr. Smita will let you know when you can take a shower. This will usually be around two days (48 hours) after your surgery.
Finally, do not expose your treatment area to sunlight. UV rays can affect scarring long-term, making your incision sites darker and more noticeable. You’ll want to avoid exposure to the sun or tanning bed lights at all costs. When necessary, wear protective clothing and sunscreen, and stay in the shade if possible.
When Can You Exercise During Your Breast Lift Recovery Time?
After around the three-week mark, you should be able to return to a light exercise routine. Be sure to ease into physical activity slowly, and focus on lower body exercises at first. Your upper body will still be recovering during this time, and you don’t want to do damage to any of your incision sites or hinder your results in any way.
Possibly the best breast lift recovery time exercise is walking. You’ll want to start walking almost right away after your surgery. Just a short 5- to 10-minute walk, according to your abilities and comfort level, can get your blood moving and reduce your chances of post-surgery complications.
How Painful Is Breast Lift Recovery?
After your breast lift, you will feel some soreness and discomfort. You may also feel general tightness in your breasts. The sensation may be made slightly more uncomfortable if you have drains. However, these will only be in for a short period before you will go back in to see Dr. Smita and have them removed.
Many patients only require over-the-counter pain medications after their breast lift. However, if you are in more pain, a painkiller can be subscribed, and you should be able to transition to over-the-counter pain meds within a few days.
How Long After Breast Lift Do You See Results?
Most patients will see the full results from their surgery after 6 to 12 weeks. At this point, you shouldn’t have any residual swelling, and your scars will have significantly faded to a lighter color and a flatter appearance. Your scars will continue to flatten and lighten as time goes on.
How Long Do Breast Lifts Last?
The results from your breast lift should last indefinitely. However, patients who lead healthy lifestyles are more likely to have longer-lasting breast lift results. This primarily means staying at a healthy and steady body weight, consuming a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and taking care of your skin.
After several weeks of recovery, some patients may decide to start scar reduction therapy. Specially-developed lotions and serums can help reduce the appearance of your incision scars even further when used correctly. Silicone products have particularly been found to help reduce scar appearances. Just be sure to check with Dr. Smita before starting any scar reduction therapy regimen after your surgery.
Schedule Your Breast Lift Consultation Today
Dr. Smita Ramanadham specializes in breast lift surgery. Her practice serves patients in the New Jersey, New York City, and Tri-state areas.
To learn more about breast lift recovery and the surgery itself, contact our office today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Ramanadham. We look forward to hearing from you!
References
https://www.plasticsurgery.org/cosmetic-procedures/breast-lift/recovery
