Breast Augmentation before the Beach Season -What you need to Know

by BodySculpt NYC Body Sculpt - Plastic Surgery

Breast augmentation is a safe and effective procedure that enhances the size and contour of a woman’s breasts using implants or fat transfer. Experienced surgeons customize breast augmentation in Manhattan, NYC, NY to help women achieve their unique goals. Many women consider breast augmentation to get their body beach ready. Here are some things you need to know about the procedure and how to plan it:

Breast implants in a variety of sizes and shapes – Breast implants are placed behind the breast tissue or under the chest muscle through an incision in the armpit, at the edge of the areola or under the breast. There are different type of breast implants such as saline, silicone, gummy bear and IDEAL. These implants come in different sizes and shapes such as tear-drop and round and with textured and smooth surfaces to fit any woman’s breasts and body type.

Saline Implant – This implant is filled with sterile salt water after it is placed in the breast pocket.
Silicone Breast Implant – This breast implant comes prefilled with silicone gel.
Gummy Bear Implant – Gummy Bear implant have both a silicone shell and a silicone gel filling. The main advantage of these implants is that they maintain their shape even when the implant shells are broken.
IDEAL Implant or structured breast implant – IDEAL breast implants combines certain key features and benefits of saline and silicone gel implants.

Your surgeon will help you choose the option that can provide you with the best results. Your implants may appear to sit higher on your chest wall after the first month. However, they will naturally settle into the breast over the next 2-3 months. In the case of breast augmentation with fat grafting, it can take 2-3 months for the swelling to subside.

Breast Lift – Your NYC plastic surgeon may recommend combining breast augmentation with a breast lift if you have sagging concerns. This procedure raises the breasts to a more aesthetically pleasing position.
Swimming - If you want to swim, you should consider having breast implant surgery at least a month in advance of your vacation. You can swim only a month after the procedure as microbes in the water can expose the healing incisions to risk of infection. You would need to get clearance from your surgeon before you start swimming. Precautions to take:

Avoid submerging the breasts in water until all incisions are completely healed
Dry your swimsuit top after swimming
Towel off well after getting out of the water to avoid soaking your incisions with a wet top
If it is before three weeks, you can put on your swimsuit and sit by the pool or on the beach.

Activity - Patients can begin gentle and non-strenuous exercises two to three weeks after their breast augmentation. As volleyball is a strenuous activity, you should wait for six to eight weeks before you start. After breast implant surgery:

Start with low impact and relaxing exercises
Perform exercises that gently relax your chest and abdomen
Avoid raising your arms over your head for the first two weeks
Wear an elastic and comfortable sports bra when exercising for added support

Sun tanning - Protect your incision with sunscreen with SPF 30 or greater. Tanning the incisions too early can damage the healing tissues and cause reddish and raised scars or wide scars. You should wait until the incisions color fades and marks are flat and soft. This generally takes a few months to a year or more to happen and varies from patient to patient. You should also avoid direct sun or tanning booth light exposure until healing is complete. It is advisable to put sun block directly on your incisions before putting on your swimsuit.

If you are planning to undergo breast enhancement surgery in New York City, choose a surgeon who has extensive experience in performing the procedure.