I instruct my patients to massage breasts after augmentation

Hello,

I am a fan of breast massage after implant placement, but it is debatable. You will want to ask your surgeon what he or she recommends.

Breast augmentation involves creating a pocket, either over or below the chest muscle. After your surgery, your body will try to absorb the impalnt, since it is a foreign material. Since it cannot, with time, your body will form a thin "shell" around the implant, essentially ignoring it. This happens with ALL foreign materials and is a normal process. Implant massage after breast surgery is important to maintain the pocket open, until the body has formed the shell around the implant. This typically takes 3 months. If massage is not performed religiously (especially during the first three months), there is a higher chance of the pocket tightening, causing the implant to look and feel unattractive.

I counsel women with breast implants that massage is useful for the following reasons: a) it is a biofeedback technique, in which the pain resulting from stretch on the muscle and breast flap is over ridden by the sensation of pressure from the massage; b) it allows displacement of the implant into the pocket; c) it reacquaints the woman with her breast and enables her to become familiar with breast self-exam; d) it may reduce the occurence of capsular contracture; e) it is a prelude to a woman's resumption of her personal life. 

In general, I instruct breast implant patients to start a week after surgery.  For those women who have both a breast implant and lift, we start at two weeks.  I generally don't recommend massage with textured implants.