5 Things To Avoid After Toronto Breast Augmentation

Keeping track of all the instructions your surgeon gives you may feel a little daunting, but don’t worry- there’s plenty that you CAN do after your procedure. For instance:

• You can return to light, office work after only 4-5 days if you feel up to it.
• You can eat whatever you want! Many people expect a special diet or restrictions after surgery, but there aren’t any. Of course, avoid supplements and medications not approved by your plastic surgeon.
• You can move your arms. You’ll be expected to avoid rigorous, jerky movements for the first two weeks because this can increase your discomfort.
• You can take a shower- not a bath. Your surgeon will clear you to shower, usually the second day after surgery.

5 Things To Avoid

Each plastic surgeon has their own, preferred post-op protocols so you should follow the instructions given to you directly by your own surgeon. The following five tips are very common during recovery from breast augmentation.

1. Don’t take a bath, swim or sit in a hot tub. There are two good reasons for this with the most important being an infection risk. Public pools, and hot tubs especially, are loaded with bacteria that can swim their way into your un-healed incisions. Until fully healed, (usually 2-3 weeks) you’ll need to avoid these. Additionally, soaking for a prolonged period can slow down healing and macerate the incision. That may lead to issues like increased scarring, or higher risk of infection. Don’t take chances- shower only and pat the incisions dry gently afterward.

2. Pause all cardio activity. Many Toronto breast augmentation patients are active, busy people and they like to hit the gym. Unfortunately, aerobic exercise- including sex- will elevate your heart rate and blood pressure. In the initial stages of healing, this increases swelling and even bleeding risks. With more blood pumping to the breasts, you could have bleeding around the implant. Let your plastic surgeon advise you about when it’s safe to resume workouts, roughlythree weeks post-procedure.

3. Don’t wear underwire until you’ve been given the all-clear. Each surgeon will advise differently according to how they feel about the benefits or drawbacks of underwire bras, but in general, no push-up or bra with hard parts should be worn for roughly six weeks. That’s because you can affect the implant pocket and position before it’s properly healed, and because with potential numbness in the area, you may not feel damage occurring at the incision site. You’ll eventually be able to wear whatever beautiful new bras and swimwear you want but try to be patient.

4. Don’t smoke. Some plastic surgeons will not put smoking restrictions on a breast augmentation patient because the incisions used are quite small, so the risk of complication is low. The effects of nicotine on your circulatory system cause blood flow to be restricted and even for small incisions, sometimes that causes a delay in healing or more visible scarring. If you want the best results possible, don’t risk it.

5. Don’t lift anything heavy. While you will be allowed to return to the gym for lower body weights and aerobics after a few weeks, your surgeon will advise you to refrain from lifting anything over 10 pounds until the 6-8-week mark. That can be tough for moms who frequently pick up their children. Ask your plastic surgeon to show you how to safely engage in modified lifting techniques that put as little strain as possible on your pectoral muscles. With implants placed partly under the strong chest muscles, it’s not desirable to flex them hard while the implant position is still being established.