As plastic surgery trends begin to shift toward more natural-looking enhancements, many individuals are swapping out previously popular procedures for those with more subtle results. For example, instead of traditional breast augmentation, many women are turning to breast lifts to enhance the appearance of their breasts. According to one study published by Statista, an online platform specialized in data gathering and visualization, over 780,000 women worldwide received a mastopexy, also known as a breast lift, in 2021.
The Difference Between a Breast Lift and Breast Augmentation
It is important to note, there is a distinct difference between a breast augmentation and a breast lift. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), breast augmentation is a surgical procedure that involves enhancing the volume and shapeliness of breasts via saline-filled or silicone gel-filled implants. A breast lift entails reshaping breasts to correct sagging, drooping, or lack of firmness. Unlike breast augmentation, breast lifts do not increase breast size. That all said, the two cosmetic surgeries share commonalities relative to healing and recovery afterward.
The Truth About Breast Lift Recovery
Like breast augmentation, breast lifts are outpatient surgical procedures, so women immediately return home at the end of the 1 to 3-hour-long surgery. Upon returning home is when the recovery recovery journey begins. Before going home, however, women will have their breasts wrapped with gauze, and small tubes will be inserted at the incision sites to help drain excess blood or fluid.
During the first 1 to 2 weeks after surgery, most women experience discomfort, swelling, and bruising around the incision site, not to mention numbness that affects their nipples, areolae, and breast skin. To combat these post-surgery symptoms, physicians generally advise women to wear a surgical support bra and to take prescription-based pain medication as prescribed. A follow-up appointment is usually scheduled ten days after surgery. During that appointment, a physician will remove the small drain tubes at the incision sites before changing or replacing the bandages around a woman’s breasts. They will also let them know when they can switch from wearing a surgical support bra to a soft support bra.
The Final Weeks of Recovery Following a Breast Lift
Most women are more or less pain-free 4 to 6 weeks after undergoing a breast lift procedure. During week 4, some women may even heal to the extent that they can resume most normal exercises, except for movements that place specific strain on the muscles in the chest. The same applies to most day-to-day activities. By week 6, bruising, swelling, and discomfort around the breasts are virtually nonexistent, and the results of a woman’s breast lift surgery become more apparent. However, it can take up to 12 weeks for some women to see what their breasts look like after surgery. Numbness and lack of sensation around the scars and nipples may persist for up to several months, but will gradually return.
Schedule a Consultation
One should expect for it to take about six weeks to heal and recover from a breast lift and up to 12 weeks to see the final results. According to most women who have undergone the procedure, the recovery is well worth it when taking into account their shapelier and all-around better-looking breasts. To learn more about breast lifts and the associated recovery afterward, schedule a consultation with Landsman Plastic Surgery, a premier surgery center certified by the American Association for the Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgical Facilities serving the Smithtown, Long Island, NY areas.
