Questions on if you can go tanning inside after breast augmentation 2 months post op?

Question

Lane Smith, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question.  In our practice we advise our patients to keep any incisions protected from
tanning for two months after surgery. With kind regards,Lane F. Smith, M.D., F.A.A.C.S., F.A.O.H.N.S., F.A.B.F.P.R.S.Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon

Mark K. Markarian, MD, MSPH, FACS · Answer

Tanning booths or outdoor tanning both pose risks to your skin, cause premature aging, and increase the risk of skin cancers.  So, in general, I recommend against tanning -- if you had to pick, spray tanning would be safer.  With that said, if you are going to tan in a tanning booth, I would cover the incision with a bandaid or at least place a strong UVA and UVB protective agent on the scar like Zinc Oxide.  Note that, in general, healing skin absorbs more sunlight than the surrounding skin so even with regular sun exposure, the incision line (when exposed) could preferentially tan, relative to the surrounding skin, making it look darker and like a worse scar than it actually is...Good luck.
Mark K Markarian, MD, MSPHHarvard-trained Aesthetic Plastic Surgeon

Jeffrey M. Darrow, MD · Answer

While you CAN tan your skin 2 months after a breast augmentation, the questions is SHOULD you tan.  Regarding the scars from your breast augmentation, they are more sensitive to the solar radiation and may get redder and raised if exposed.  A bandaid or zinc oxide is a complete sun block and either could be used to protect the scar.  However, the rest of your skin will be adversely affected by tanning booths and this puts you at increased risk for skin malignancies, early wrinkling and premature aging.  Spray tans are likely a better option.

Emmanuel Mallol Cotes, MD · Answer

Thanks for the question. Its early to talk about final results.In my practice, after performing a BA I recommend to my patients to limit the movement of the arms for two weeks. After that, you can move your arms taking care and always with common sense. In this regard, it's not advisable to carry heavy weights to prevent the implant out of position, and allow the formation of the physiological capsule around the implant, also to avoid pain and breast swelling.Kind regards,Dr. Emmanuel Mallol.-

Ajay Mahajan, MD, FRCS (Plast) · Answer

It is a bad idea to use tanning booths... it is the same as being exposed to harsh sunlight. It does take it's toll on the skin in the long term and increases your risks of sun damamge to the skin. Fresh scars are more prone to sun damage and I advise my paients to hide the scars from direct sunlight / tanning booths for atleast 6 to 12 months.

Questions on if you can go tanning inside after breast augmentation 2 months post op?

Answers (9)

Answer: 2 months post op, some advices:

Answer: 2 months post op, some advices:

Answer: Tanning booths and surgical scars

Answer: Tanning booths and surgical scars

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Everything you need to know about Breast Augmentation

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Questions on if you can go tanning inside after breast augmentation 2 months post op?

Answers (9)

Answer: 2 months post op, some advices:

Answer: 2 months post op, some advices:

Answer: Tanning booths and surgical scars

Answer: Tanning booths and surgical scars

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Breast Augmentation

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.