Breast reduction - 1. When is it safe to wear an underwire 2. How long after reduction will bra 'size' be final.

Each surgeon has a different protocol when it comes underwire bras after a breast reduction. Typically, I think patients should wait for about 6 weeks before transitioning to an underwire bra. If you start wearing an underwire bra before scarring has healed, there is potential for irritation of the incision. The bra should provide comfort and support after a breast reduction.  If you are uncomfortable wearing an underwire bra after the first 6 weeks, you may continue to wear a sports bra or soft-cup bra. Your final bra size will be evident after swelling goes down, which is usually within a couple of months. 1-month post-op may be slightly early to begin making conclusions about your new size.

In most of our patients, we allow underwires between 1 and 3 weeks, depending on their healing.  This varies by surgeon, so be sure to ask your own.  We take photos at 3 months, since the results are mostly completely, but I tell my patients that breasts can continue to settle in for 1-2 years sometimes.

Thanks for your very good questions. As far as waiting to wear an underwire bra, the primary reason for that restriction is to save the incisions from undue fretting and irritation, which could impact the healing and post-operative scarring. The time frame varies from surgeon to surgeon, based on what they have experienced with their own patients. Some allow patients to wear them after just one week, while others recommend waiting up to six weeks to allow the incisions ample time to heal completely.
Your breasts may remain swollen for many months after breast reduction surgery and will continue to “settle” for a period after that in many cases. With the changes that the breasts can undergo for up to one year or more, it is best to wait to be fitted for new bras until you know the breasts won’t be changing significantly. Your surgeon will be able to advise you on this as well. If you are okay with changing your bra size a few months after your initial fitting, it is completely acceptable to purchase new undergarments whenever you are ready. Best wishes on a healthy and speedy recovery process!
- Edmund Ek, MBBS

Hello,There is no standard as to when it is “safe” to wear an underwire bra. I don’t like underwire bras in the first 6 months because they tend to dig into the skin at the newly created suture lines and I have seen problems along the suture lines from the bras.  Final bra size will be able to be seen after swelling goes down, which is usually within a couple of months. I would recommend discussing these questions with your breast reduction surgeon. I usually tell patients that they must wait at least 6 months before one can say that the result is “final.”  Best of luck!

Usually after a week patients are allowed to wear bras with underwires. However, this depends on the healing rates for each person. Be sure to consult first with your own surgeon as each has his/her own protocols to be followed.

With a lollipop technique ( no transverse scar)  also called a vertical mammoplasty, I allow my patients to use a underwire bra after the first week if they want.  It can help to shape the breast if there is a lot of swelling postop.  The "size" of the new breast is most dependent on the immediate postop swelling.  The swelling is usually mostly resolved by one month, but each patient is different.

I allo most of my patients wear an underwire bra by about 6 weeks. The final volume might fluctuate a bit for a few more months after that.

Congratulations on having undergone the breast reduction procedure; this operation tends to be one of the most patient pleasing operations we perform.There is no “standard” when it comes to the use of specific bras or garments after breast surgery. In other words, different plastic surgeons may have different practices when it comes to postoperative dressings/bras. 
In my practice, patients wake up with a surgical bra in place. This surgical bra, although not attractive, is supportive and used for about one month after surgery (some of my patients have been known to burn the bra ASAP). Then, patients transition to a soft sports bra. Wired bras are used when breast have reached their “final position” and patients have full sensation along the breast skin.  In my practice, I recommend patients going shopping for expensive bras about six months after the breast reduction procedure; the breasts are undergoing changes until about that time and beyond.
Generally, the longer I have been in practice, the more I appreciate the long term use of supportive bras after all types of breast surgery.  This additional support may be especially helpful when patients are lying down and/or engaged in strenuous exercise. Best wishes for an outcome that you will be very pleased with.