If implant massage is advised, this involves moving the implant up, down, and side to side at least a few times a day to keep the pocket slightly larger than the implant. This usually starts a week or two after surgery and may continue for a couple of months.
Once you have clearance from your surgeon, we recommend massaging your breasts two to three times a day for the first couple of months. Complete this practice for about five minutes each time. After the first two months, massage your breasts five minutes once a day, or as often as recommended by Dr. Smart.
This could result in small amounts of blood forming around your implant, which is a potential cause of capsular contracture. Some surgeons still tell their patients to massage their breasts everyday so if capsular contracture occurs the surgeon is not blamed for it.
Be sure that you apply pressure to all sides of the implant. Supporting your breast with one hand, use the other hand to make small, circular movements around the entire breast. You should work in a clockwise motion starting at the top pole. This will keep the implant loose and soft.
Move your breast 360 degrees in a full circle. Repeat on the other breast. Rotate each breast two or three times a week. This simple massage can help keep the capsule around the implant flexible and prevent the scar tissue from becoming too stiff and thick.
For the downward massage, start by placing both hands on your one of your breasts and gently pull the breast tissue upward and push the implant downward. Hold the breast in this position for 10 seconds, then repeat the massage on the alternate breast. Continue alternating and massaging each breast 10 times.
It is never too late to receive a scar tissue release massage. You may just need a couple of sessions to feel confident and comfortable to do this on yourself at home.
While it is generally safe to experience chest wall tightness after breast augmentation, it should not last longer than six months. In some cases, this symptom can result from an overly tight closure around the implant pocket.
There are no non-surgical remedies for capsular contracture.
Various breast massage and implant displacement techniques are believed to reduce the incidence of capsular contracture and are commonly recommended after breast augmentation. Some of these techniques include varying methods of displacement, manual pressure, and massaging of the implant into the cavity.
A lack of implant drop and fluff, such as the lower breast seeming empty, could indicate that pocket has hardened and started to contract around the implant, which not only affects the appearance of your breasts but may also cause breast pain.
If your implants are taking longer than usual to drop, your cosmetic surgeon may advise applying a compression band to the upper portion of your breasts and/or massaging your breast tissue. However, neither of these techniques should be utilized without first consulting your surgeon.
Massaging your breasts can improve suppleness, help ease discomfort, and reduce risks for painful complications like capsular contracture. It can be done as soon as you feel comfortable doing it and it only takes about one minute per breast.
Capsular contracture symptoms include increasing firmness or tightness in the breast. Signs of the condition can start to appear as early as a few months after your breast implant reconstruction surgery or even years afterward.
Over time as the breast pocket stretches, your breasts implants will eventually soften, typically by 6 months after your surgery. Keep in mind, though, that every woman is different. If you have a friend who has had breast implants, she may have had her breasts soften faster than yours. This again is normal.
Early signs of capsular contracture may include a firm or tight sensation, pain, or asymmetry. As the condition worsens, you may notice more obvious symptoms, including: Breast pain. Asymmetry.
When you first wake up from your breast implants surgery, your new breasts will likely be high up on your chest and feel hard to the touch. Don't be alarmed; this is completely normal, and your newly augmented breasts will eventually settle and soften, typically within 6 months.
After surgery, the implants tend to ride hide and appear small due to the patient's skin tightness in the area. There is tightness because the implants increase dimension to breast tissue causing the skin to compress the implant's shape and size.
With fresh implants, you should limit lifting your arms. Dr Turner will advise you to keep your arms below the shoulder for about 2 weeks. This allows the capsule to form around the implant to secure it in place. Lifting your arms above shoulder level can cause the implant to move out of the pocket.
3 to 4 weeks post-op
At this stage, you should feel little to no pain or discomfort. Swelling and bruising in the breasts should have reduced and faded. However, it is normal to still have bruising depending on the type of surgery and if there were any complications.
If a patient massages their scar prematurely it could cause the wound to tear or reopen, risking an infection. It's therefore important to advise them to not begin massaging until the wound is fully healed.
Physical Therapy can be useful for breaking up scar tissue around a joint. Learning joint exercises and stretches can help reduce stiffness and may alleviate some of the pain cause by scarring.
What does the research say about the effects of massage on scar tissue? Medical and scientific research has shown that manual therapy, such as massage, has the ability to break down scar tissue, reduce associated pain and increase the range of motion.
Expect it to take 3 to 6 months for breast augmentation results to fully take shape. It's easy to feel impatient about seeing your final results, but keep in mind that dropping and fluffing happens gradually. Your implants will continue to look better and better after the initial healing period.