How Long Does It Take for Skin and Tissue to Shrink After Explantation?

I've only had the implants for a month. I had my implants explanted because of an infection and blood clot.

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5 Doctor Answers | Asked by zuelkea in fdl, wi. usa

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Time is required after implant infection

A breast infection after augmentation clears rapidly after implant removal and appropriate antibiotics are taken. Inflammation and stiffness can remain in the breast tissue for many weeks after. Bleeding into the breast or hematoma can cause even more bruising and inflammation making the process even longer. We recommend a wait of three to six months before replacement of the breast implant if an infection occurs. This is a very difficult time, especially if you still have an implant on the... more

Tissues return to normal in a few weeks after breast implants removed.

Hi. Answered another of your questions. Since you only had breast implants for one month, things should look normal pretty quickly. Women who have had implants for a long time sometimes need a breast lift.

Shrinkage after implant removal

The concept of shrinkage is very variable. It depends upon how long the implants were in for, how big they were, the quality of the skin to name a few. I would give it a good six months.

Steven Wallach, MD

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Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Skin and tissue shrinks, on average, a few months after explantation

Hello, Sorry to hear of your infection and need to remove your implants. If you only had them for a short period of time, the tissues should shrink back over a month or two. You may need to wait up to six months if you plan on having them replaced however.

Initial skin quality matters in explantation

The speed with which skin shrinks and recovers following explantation of breast implants is very much dependent on the quality of the skin prior to surgery. I take it from your question that you are not planning on having the implants replaced. If that is the case, you should see gradual shrinkage of the expanded skin over a period of several months. It may not, however, return to its initial appearance since there has been a period of time during which the skin has been stretched and... more