Breast Augmentation: Life after the procedure

Posted on May 20, 2019

By: Dr. Asaf Yalif

When our breast augmentation patients from Atlanta and Alpharetta GA come in for a consultation, many are concerned with life afterward and how things may be different. From exercise concerns to implant sizing—too large or too small, many have very good questions that need to be answered. Today’s blog is designed to help you prepare better for your initial consultation and to help those that have already had surgery by addressing some of these common concerns.

Will everyone know I had a breast augmentation?

This is a very common concern and genuinely depends on your body shape and size before the procedure and on the size and shape of implant you choose. For example a 4’2” patient who chooses a 400cc implant will not look the same as the same implant placed in 5’3” patient. This is why it is especially important preoperatively to spend a lot of time making sure you choose the right size, shape and profile to get you to the desired result. This is done in conjunction with your surgeon and they can help guide you to a good match based on your expressed desires and body shape and size.

That being said, initially the implants may feel very large to you immediately after breast augmentation, as they are new and the skin and breast may be tight. This may make you feel like they are visible to everyone! But rest assured the breast/skin envelope will soften and the implants will “drop” a bit to look more natural. This will make it harder to tell you’ve had surgery done. Also, as you become more comfortable with your new body it will just become your self-image and you won’t separate the implants from your personal image. It will also be more or less obvious based on the clothing you wear.

Will I be able to exercise?

You will be able to return to exercise in time. We expect patients to be walking the day of surgery and most plastic surgeons will allow patients to return to aerobic type exercises within 2-4 weeks and then strengthening after 6-8. Watch the following video to hear what Dr. Yalif has to say about when you can return to activities such as swimming:

Depending on the implant type and size we may ask you to wear a sports bra with exercise. Some physicians may discourage chest/pectoralis muscle work though, especially if the implant is placed behind the muscle. This will exacerbate motion off the implant and potentially push the implant laterally (towards the armpit).

Will I experience significant back pain (or other symptoms) women with overly large breasts?

All things being relative, it is fairly unlikely that there will be any neck/back/shoulder pain as a result of a routine breast augmentation. That being said it is possible if a large enough implant were placed that it could cause some symptoms similar to those seen in patients who are candidates for breast reduction. We usually spend a fair amount of time with patients in the consultation process making sure that we pick an implant that will not be overly “heavy.”

Will I be able to dress conservatively if need be?

I cannot assume to counsel a woman on fashion do’s and don’ts but there are literally countless options to appear more conservative or risqué, depending on personal desires. We hope that having larger breasts would not negatively impact your fashion decisions.

In summary…

The answer for each of these questions is along the same theme: Just as breast reduction brings overly large breasts into proportion, the right breast augmentation adds volume in a way that achieves proportionate results. Yes, there will be a recovery period, and your body will have changed, but the results will be worth it! Visit our gallery of primary breast augmentation to see examples of patients with multiple different sizes and styles of implants.

We’re always happy to help you explore your breast augmentation options. You can request a consultation using our online contact form or by calling us at one of our offices at (404) 476-8774 (Alpharetta & Atlanta) to schedule an appointment.

Remember to write questions down so when you come in for a consultation we can address all of your concerns! Of note, we also utilize a sizing system during the consultation to provide a rough visualization of what a volume of implant will provide.

Thanks again for all of the wonderful questions and please keep sending them in – we are happy to answer them!