How can you tell if a sports bra is too tight after a lift?

It is normal to have some shooting pains after surgery. I have my patients wearing a bra that is snug but not hurtful. Always a good idea to check with your surgeon's protocol.Dr. Ted Eisenberg, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and Author 

Thanks for your question! This is a common one for my patients. The issue, like you described perfectly, is the dramatic changes to breast volume that swelling causes. I would recommend you wear something snug, not tight. The bra is providing some support and does help the healing process to some degree, but it isn't that important to the end result. If you stopped by your PS office and let the staff assess the bra you are wearing I am sure you would get all of the information you need from them. Best of luck!BHPS: the shooting pains probably have nothing to do with the bra. Those type of pains are very typical regardless of the bra. 

Ideally, sports bra fit after this type of surgery would be what I consider to be comfortably snug.  Basically, you want the bra to be snug enough to provide support to the breasts while they are healing, but you dont want it to be so tight that it rubs/irritates incisions or even reduces blood supply to the skin and tissues.  Try to find a comfortable balance. Often times it is beneficial to bring a few potential bras to your follow up appointment so your surgeon can help you to chose one with the best fit.