When Can I Wear a Push-Up Bra After Implants?

November 14th, 2024 | Posted in: Breast Augmentation |

If you love a dramatic, feminine silhouette, you may want a push-up bra in every color and style. Before you hit the boutiques, there are a few important considerations to keep in mind when it comes to wearing a push-up bra after breast augmentation surgery. This blog will discuss how wearing the wrong bra can affect your recovery and whether there are long-term effects of push-up bras on breast implants.

4 Min Read:

What Are Breast Implants?

Breast implants are medical devices used to increase breast size via breast augmentation surgery. They are usually made of silicone shells and filled with saline solution (saline implants), silicone gel (silicone implants), or highly cohesive silicone (gummy bear implants).

The body treats breast implants as foreign objects. In lieu of outright rejecting them, the immune response causes the body to form a capsule made of scar tissue that holds the implants in place. While incision healing is a major part of recovery, this internal healing process takes several weeks to months.

What Is Breast Augmentation Recovery Like?

In the first weeks after a breast augmentation, you will be wearing a support bra. This bra helps to minimize swelling and support your breasts as they heal. Internally, a capsule needs to form around the implants; externally, the incisions need to close, heal, and fade. Over time, the breasts will drop, fluff, and settle in place.

During breast augmentation recovery, it is important not to raise the arms above the shoulders and to avoid strenuous activity until your surgeon says it’s okay. There are multiple reasons for these restrictions on movement and activity:

• Bleeding: You can bleed into the pockets around the breast implants in the first week of recovery, which can lead to further complications, including swelling, infection, and necrosis.
• Poor scar tissue formation: The capsule that forms around implants is an integral part of recovery and contributes to the appearance of your final results. Moving can dislodge the capsule and lead to immediate or delayed complications, such as implant displacement.
• Poor wound healing: Raising your arms can strain your incisions or tear stitches, which can prolong healing or cause unsightly scarring.

It’s important not to compress or lift the breasts in order to minimize swelling, speed healing, maintain implant position, and protect the delicate incisions.

How Do Push-Up Bras Affect Recovery?

Wearing anything other than the surgical bra provided by your surgeon can have detrimental effects on your recovery. Major concerns include:

• Compression: A push-up bra is made to compress and lift, and both of these forces on the breasts are detrimental after breast augmentation surgery. Both compression and lifting can cause discomfort and displace the implants from their pocket, which may require another surgery to correct or cause long-term complications.
• Skin Damage: The pressure a push-up bra exerts on the skin can negatively affect incisions. Friction on fresh incisions can cause them to open and can cause poor scarring on healed incisions.

Your main priorities after a breast augmentation are to allow your incisions to heal properly so they can fade and to give your body time to form a capsule around the implants so they can settle over the next several weeks.

When Can I Wear a Push-Up Bra After Implants?

Generally, you can try to wear a push-up bra 6–12 weeks after surgery, but we usually recommend waiting until your implants have settled. This is quite a wide time frame because each patient is unique. Your surgeon can tell you exactly when you are cleared to wear different types of bras.

Post-Surgical Bra Timeline

For the first few weeks after surgery, you should stick to your surgical bra to support optimal healing.

About four to six weeks after surgery, you may be able to transition to a soft, wireless bra for gentle support without compression.

And six to twelve weeks after surgery, you might be able to gradually introduce a push-up bra for short periods of time. By now, the initial swelling has subsided, and your implants have started to settle into a more natural position.

After about three months, most patients can comfortably wear a wide array of bra styles. At this point, the implants have stabilized, and the breasts’ skin and tissue have adjusted.

Many patients look forward to new wardrobe options, including fun bras and swimsuits. However, it is worth it to have patience and allow yourself to fully heal so you can enjoy the best results.

Want to Learn More About Breast Implants in Beverly Hills?

If you’re ready to learn more about how breast implants can give you the curves you desire, take the first step by consulting with a qualified plastic surgeon. Dr. Gabriel Chiu is a highly experienced plastic and reconstructive surgeon who helps patients achieve stunning results and increased confidence. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Chiu today by filling out our online contact form or calling (310)-888-8087 to schedule a consultation.