How to help your Breast Surgery Results last longer
Many patients want to know how long their breast surgery results will last. They want to know the lifespan of their Breast Implants (about 10+ years) and how much their breasts might droop or sag over time.
Some reasons your breast surgery results might NOT last as long as you had hoped for include:
- Significant weight fluctuations
- Becoming pregnant
- Breastfeeding
- Hormonal and skin changes
- Poor lifestyle choices like smoking or sun damage
- Skin laxity due to ageing
- Suffering illnesses
3 tips that can help keep your Breast Implant Surgery Results looking good for longer
First, when you’re having surgery make sure you choose an experienced surgeon with surgical techniques that are proven over the long term. Be sure to learn about any potential complications – and how you can help avoid them.
Avoiding complications that are preventable can go a long way towards having a breast surgery result that will last a long time.
1. For longer-lasting breast surgery results – avoiding Smoking and be sure to live a healthy lifestyle
- Smoking harms your skin and every other organ.
- It can lead to poor surgery results and wound healing complications as well as excess bleeding (seromas) and other problems.
- Scarring is always worse in someone who smokes because the body’s healing and skin repair processes are deficient; so is your body’s ability to use the helpful nutrients provided to you in the Rapid Recovery Pack – they simply won’t absorb properly if you smoke.
So don’t do it – quit smoking at least 4 weeks before surgery and NEVER pick it up again.
2. Wear the RIGHT support bra, 24/7
- If you exercise, it’s even more important to wear the right bra.
- But the best advice our Surgeons give patients who are having augmentation surgery using breast implants is to WEAR the RIGHT support bra – and they mean NIGHT and DAY.
3. Choose the right SIZE Breast Implants for better, longer-lasting results
This also means choosing implants that you WON’T want to swap out for a different size or are too large which may cause problems
- Know your skin limitations
- Listen to your Surgeon’s advice
- Remember, big breast implants can lead to short-lasting results and potential complications
- Try to get the right size for your skin and body the first time; avoid revision surgery and size changes or size change envy
Aim to choose the right implant size for your skin condition, lifestyle and body proportions.
Size changes are one reason people seek removal and replacement of implants.
- Sometimes there might be a revision surgery request due to a size preference change after having surgery
- Other time, revision breast surgery requests relate to the fact that uneven breasts will be more noticeable after having implants.
- Don’t go too large when choosing breast implants.
For example, discuss uneven breast tissues or nipple size differences with your Surgeon in advance.
- If you want this corrected in a primary surgery, discuss your options.
- It might mean more complex surgery is needed, but if it’s a concern, you’re better off getting it addressed during the first augmentation surgery (if possible) than in a revision within a few years’ time.
- Be patient, too, about how long it takes the breasts to settle after surgery.
- If there’s no complications, but you just want a size change, think long and hard about the pros and cons of going bigger or smaller – and give it a year before doing a revision.
So in summary, it’s not just getting breast implants, but what you do, as you’re healing, that impacts your results after cosmetic surgery.
No matter how good your Breast Enlargement Surgery results are, however, life changes – or being careless about bras or proper breast support garments – WILL have an impact on your long-term satisfaction with your breast implant results.
So will pregnancy, breastfeeding, time, gravity, weight changes, exercising without a bra, menopause and other life events or activities that affect the skin and skin quality of the body and breasts.
Additionally, if you want a really experienced Surgeon, it’ll be valuable to know the difference in training between Cosmetic Surgeons (nearly any Doctor can call herself or himself a Cosmetic Surgeon) and a FRACS (Plas) qualified Plastic, Cosmetic & Reconstructive Surgeon (a Specialist Plastic Surgeon).
Plastic Surgeons who are FRACS members are also likely to be affiliated with ISAPS, ASPS, ASAPS.
You will want to plan your recovery and healing after Breast Implant Surgery.
- Find out about recovery after having breast augmentation by asking us for our Guide on healing after breast augmentation surgery.
- Recognise you WILL need to take a few weeks off of normal activities and up to several weeks off of some sporting or high impact activities if you have breast surgery
- We can help you heal as rapidly as possible with our Rapid Recovery Packs and Healite II treatments.
Not ALL Cosmetic Breast Surgeons are alike. Only a few are FRACS qualified Specialists who have years of training and experience (some are just GPs or skin doctors).
Ask us about the different types of Surgeons who perform Breast Augmentation – and why you’ll want an experienced Plastic Surgeon with FRACS rather than just a GP or Skin Doctor who calls himself or herself a “cosmetic surgeon,” but who doesn’t hold the right qualifications to be classified as a bonafide Specialist Plastic Surgeon according to APHRA.
For more information contact our Patient Care Advisors
