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When Will Breast Implants Soften After Augmentation Surgery?


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Posted March 08, 2021 in Breast Implants | 3 minute read

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Breast augmentation is an exciting cosmetic surgery that can help you achieve your goals for attaining a fuller bustline. If you are considering breast implants, it is important to know what to expect after your surgery, and that your final results may not appear immediately. Your breasts may feel hard and appear elevated on your chest before they eventually soften and drop to a lower position.

Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Warren Ellsworth takes pride in helping patients who want to have successful breast augmentation in Houston, TX. Our skilled team at Ellsworth Plastic Surgery is very knowledgeable and can answers questions about when to expect soft breast implants. So, when do breast implants feel soft? Read on to learn what to expect during breast implant recovery and more.

Breast implant recovery

Patients are sent home wearing a medical compression garment almost immediately after breast augmentation. Your breasts will be swollen, but swelling after breast implants is normal. They will feel hard and appear high up on your chest. This is all part of the healing process. Within several weeks, the swelling should begin to dissipate. It is critical to rest and avoid strenuous activity for the first 4 – 6 weeks. The staff at Ellsworth Plastic Surgery can review recovery tips in more detail for patients who live in Houston, West Houston, and Katy, TX.

When do breast implants feel soft?

Once the swelling subsides, your implants will still feel hard to the touch because the breast pocket is tight and the implants haven’t yet dropped into the ideal position. So, when do breast feel soft? The relaxing process generally happens over the first 3-6 months following the procedure, and it is possible for one breast to soften before the other one does. Your breast implants are sometimes placed behind a muscle wall inside your breasts, which has to stretch to provide enough support for the implants. Once this pocket expands, your breasts will drop down into a lower, more rounded and ideal position. Your soft breasts should then feel more natural.

Can I help my breasts soften faster?

To help the softening process, Dr. Ellsworth recommends that patients carefully massage the breasts several times every day. Not only will this help your implants relax into ideal position, but it can also aid in preventing complications during breast implant recovery. You can do this by massaging your breast implants upward, outward, and inward. Some soreness and tenderness are possible at first, but this should improve over time. We can provide you with specific post-operative guidelines and let you know when it is safe to begin massaging your breasts.

Learn about breast implant recovery

If you want to attain fuller breasts and a more youthful shape, breast augmentation is an ideal option. Although your breast implants may feel hard following surgery, you will be able to see and feel your softer, natural-looking results within a few weeks. At Ellsworth Plastic Surgery, Dr. Warren Ellsworth and our support staff assist patients during recovery and help them achieve the physique they have always wanted. If you have questions about soft breast implants and live in Houston, West Houston, or Katy, TX, we invite you to come to our office for a consultation.

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