Exercises Following Breast Augmentation
Published on April 11, 2019 by Andrew Barnett
Breast augmentation involves placing breast implants, either silicone gel filled or saline filled implants, through an incision located in one of three locations – under the breast where the breast hits the chest wall, around the areola, or through a small incision in the axilla or under arm. The implants can be placed on top of or under the main chest muscle called the pectoralis major.
Regardless of the type of implant, the skin incision, or the location in relation to the muscle, post-surgery breast exercises are important to obtain the best, most natural result. Your breasts following augmentation should be natural and soft, with beautiful fluid motion as you move. It is also important to reduce the chance of capsular contracture, where scar tissue forms around the breast implant. Breast exercises following surgery are a very important part of the overall procedure.
The purpose of the breast exercises is to move the implants once they are in place to make certain that the breast implant pocket is larger than the implants. This is called a displacement exercise. This provides all the benefits listed above, and prevents the unnatural look that all women wish to avoid.
In the video on my website you can see the basics of the post-surgery breast implant displacement exercise. This should be started the day of your surgery, or no later than the first day after your surgery if you are sore following surgery. Delaying the exercises reduces the effectiveness and may result in the tight breast that you are trying to avoid.
The pinky side of your hand is placed against your chest wall just below the breast, and then you roll the palm against the lower half of the breast (stopping below the nipple). It’s ok to push hard – the harder the better – and you won’t damage anything. The implant will then move upwards, keeping the implant pocket open. As you remove your hand, the implant will drop into its ideal position.
I recommend a minimum of 50 compressions on each breast each day. It’s best to perform 5 sets of 10 compressions throughout the day. After your first week, I’ll increase that to 150 compressions a day, and continue the exercises for 6 weeks. There may be a few other exercises that I’ll show you if it is appropriate for your breast size and shape.
Please review the video and attempt to duplicate the movement. We will coach you on these exercises both before and after surgery. A natural, soft, beautiful breast is the goal!