How Do You Massage Breasts After Breast Augmentation?

Many of the other responders have mentioned that breast massaging is a controversial subject. I see no controversy; it is a total waste of your time. Breast massaging was invented back in the early 1960s when we knew very little about capsular contractions, their etiology, and their possible treatments. When I was at Stanford, I did a casual survey of women who massage their breasts and women who didn’t have the time to massage their breasts. I found that capsular contracture occurs in those who massage and those who don’t. Therefore, I believe this is the wrong modality to increase the chances of a soft breast.
Since the formation of a capsule around an implant is an immune phenomenon, the treatment of choice is to modulate the immune response biochemically and not mechanically. In 2003, Schlesinger et al, described the use of Accolate or Singulair to treat capsular contractures. Today, I give Accolate aka Zafirlukast immediately post-operatively to all my patients and I find it works very nicely to prevent capsular contractures.

I have had my round, smooth implant patients massage postoperatively for most of my 22 years of practice.  For a few years, I recommended no massage. Frankly, I did not see a difference in capsular contracture.  It is low risk either way. That said, it seems logical that displacing the implant to force a pocket that is larger than the implant makes sense.  I start displacement massage at 5 days and have the patient push below the breast and push the implant up toward the collarbone and hold for 10 sec.   The massage done 4 times a day for the first 3 months.  Textured implants, especially shaped textured implants are NOT  massaged.  Less maintenance! 

Great question!  Some data suggests that breast implant massaging post-operatively may help to reduce the risk for formation of scar tissue around the breast implants.  The development of scar tissue or breast capsule around the breast implant is the body's normal response to the foreign object, however, this reaction is typically so mild that the capsule remains thin and soft around the implant and you can rarely feel it. In unique situations, this normal bodily response is heightened. This causes the capsule to increase significantly in thickness and begins to constrict one's breast implant. This heightened response is called a capsular contracture.  Generally speaking, I often begin my patients on breast massages roughly one week after a breast augmentation procedure.  While massage guidelines do vary surgeon to surgeon, the point is always to displace the implant from top to bottom and side to side.  The ultimate goal of breast massages are: to get your breast implants moving around in the breast pocket, to stretch the pocket and prevent constriction, to decrease the risk of developing a capsular contracture, and to keep a patient's implants soft and natural feeling.  I would strongly recommend that you speak with your operating surgeon in regards to what their specific breast massage guidelines are.

Hi, thank you for sharing your question. Breast massages are not mandatory and will depend on your surgeon's preferences. Many surgeons feel that it is a waste of time and that there is no evidence to suggest that it lowers your risk of contracture after surgery. Those that believe in massages feel that the gentle movements can displace the the implant within the pocket and allowing it to sit within a more natural position. Discuss this with your board certified plastic surgeon to determine what he/she recommends. I hope this helps.

While some surgeons advocate for post-breast augmentation massage to potentially prevent capsular contracture and promote implant settling, it's important to note that there is no conclusive evidence supporting the benefit of massage. Techniques and recommendations can vary significantly among surgeons who recommend it. Any massage should only be initiated after receiving specific guidance and approval from your surgeon.

I don't recommend massage for my patients after breast augmentation. There's no enough evidence that it prevents capsular contracture. Capsular contracture can be minimized by sterile, no-touch technique when inserting breast implants. That's why I used the Keller funnel to place my implants. The implants are open and placed into the breasts within 1 minute, without the implant ever touching my gloves or the patient's skin.

There is no evidence that breast massage helps in any way in preventing capsular contraction. People who use smooth implants tend to advice breast massage. In my practice i sue nano textured implants and do not advocate breast tissue massage. this has a risk of implant malposition to rotation.
I recommend massage of the scar tissue once all wounds are healed. I advice applying monitoring cream from 3weeks and use of silicone gels from 4 weeks. The scar massage to be done twice a day 5-10 mins gently with moisturising creams . No fancy creams, even E45 can be applied and used for moisturising of the scar areas.

I highly recommend massaging your breast one week after surgery. Start by massaging all around and avoid to massage on top the wound.

There isn't any good evidence that massage helps with a breast augmentation per se. However, massage does help with scarring. So once healed (typically 2 weeks), I would advise massaging the scar after showering and before putting the bra on and the same before bed - twice a day for 2 minutes with Bio-oil, E45 or another suitable moisturiser. This is general scar advice. It won't prevent a capsular contracture, rupture, implant animation or malposition, etc. Massage in general does make someone feel good and lift's one's mood. So with its limitations understood, massage can still be useful.

Hello and thank you for this great question. I do a combination of gentle massage exercises with gentle stretching exercises. I call them yoga stretching where the arms are stretched in front of the body up to shoulder height and down and then on the side of the body up to shoulder height and down for approximately 2 mins 3 times a day. What this does is it moves the pec muscle over the implant (when the implant is under the muscle) which helps keep the pocket soft. The massages consist of moving the implant towards the midline and then displacing the implant downward for 2 mins, 3 times a day. Wish you the best of luck.