When Does Swelling After Breast Augmentation Begin to Subside?

Yes, you are still swollen.  This swelling may persist for  a couple to a few weeks.  Your implants probably seem "high" to you as well.  This is normal as people usually look great on the table, and when they wake up the implants rise up toward the collar bone.  They will usually start to move downward at about three weeks.  It may take 6 to 12 months for some implants to settle into final position.  Do not run out and buy a bunch of new bras anytime soon. 

Breast augmentation is the most popular aesthetic procedure year after year. Patients can have the procedure and be back to work within a week depending on their specific occupation. However, just because they can return to work, doesn’t mean the implants have settled and the swelling has resolved.

It typically takes three to six months to see your final result, however after two weeks most patients will see the breast implants settling and the swelling starting to resolve. The breasts have a high and square appearance initially after the surgery. There are several factors that contribute to this shape.

The majority of breast implants are placed under the muscle. The pectoralis major muscle swells which holds the implants high, and gives the additional swelling in the upper pole of the breast. As the swelling in the muscle starts to go down the implant will “drop” giving the breast a round, softer appearance. Also as the muscle swelling goes down the fullness in the upper pole will decrease and the breast will have a more natural appearance.

As the breast implant settles down into its proper position and the swelling resolves the breast will have a perky perfect position! The process of the swelling decreasing and the implants “dropping” starts a week after surgery and will continue for several months. The majority of the swelling will be gone after about two months. However, patients can still see some swelling for an additional couple months after exercise or extreme activity.

There are several other factors that can prolong the swelling and settling of the breast implant. Some of these items include the size of the breast implant and if the breast augmentation is done in combination with a breast lift.

Please discuss your specific breast augmentation recovery with your Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon!

Hi, thank you for your question. 
It is normal to have swelling after BA for many weeks. It is difficult to say if the size discrepancy you are describing is due to normal post-op swelling or something more concerning. I recommend that you speak with your plastic surgeon and consider going in for an examination so that you can have a definitive answer and some added peace of mind. 
Typically, after breast augmentation, the breasts are maximally swollen during the first 2 weeks. As the inflammation and edema resolve - which can take up to 6 weeks - the breast will take on its new shape and position on the chest. This is the best time to determine the appropriate bra to wear. I recommend that my patients wear a surgical bra for 4-6 weeks post-op. 
I hope that you have had resolution of your concerns. 

Swelling less than a week after breast augmentation surgery is expected, which is one reason why I advise patients to wait before spending a lot of money on new bras. Healing varies from patient to patient, and breast implants typically sit high on the chest in the first few weeks after the procedure. In general, most women have a pretty good idea what their new breast size is about 6 weeks after surgery. Even then, the final results could take several more months to fully appear.

At 5 days you are very early after surgery.  In fact, I don't prefer that my patients even wear a bra at that point.  The bra size will change over the next 6 months.  I would not worry about your cup size this early after surgery.

Initially after surgery, the implants are high due to the muscle holding the implants in an elevated position. Of course, there is also swelling present contributing to the increased size. The implants don't move and the breasts feel vey firm. I think that icing the breasts, especially the upper breasts, helps with the swelling and the post-op discomfort. The swelling begins to subside after the first week. At that time things will begin to improve, soften and look better as the implants drop. Most women look good in a month and you will continue to see changes for three months. Good luck!

Tissue swelling after surgery can take 6-8 weeks to resolve. There is likely still some subtle swelling that may take several additional month or two to settle out but it's pretty minimal. 
2 months is a reliable time to go bra shopping. 
Have fun.

In general, the post op swelling is worse in the first 5-7 days after breast augmentation before it starts to subside over the following 4-6 weeks. The final shape and size will usually take place at 2 to 3 months post op and this is the time when you'll have a more accurate assessment of your bra size.

Hope that helps.

Ellis Choy

Thank you for your question.You need to wait at least 6 weeks before sizing yourself into a bra. You may be a C cup with some bra manufacturers but a solid D cup in others (like Victoria Secret). Congratulations on your recent surgery.- Dr. Bryson Richards (Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon)

Thanks for ur question! In my experience of doing thousands of these surgeries, I find that usually most of the swelling is gone 3-4 weeks after surgery. Most of my patients (although there r outliers) don't really have much swelling after this surgery. I believe that a lot of swelling after breast augmentation is associated with post surgical bleeding, which is NOT a good thing as far as infection and scar contracture is concerned. Best of luck with ur long term results!

Final results after breast augmentation surgery can take a
number of weeks or even a few months for the implants to fully settle and for
all scarring to go away so judging breast size after five days is too early. In
general, cup sizes are a very inaccurate measurement and as a result, the cup
size may vary depending on which brand bra the patient buys. I definitely would
suggest the patient not worry too much at this time because things will change
quite a bit with regards to the implants looking more natural and some of the
swelling going away. Also, in some cases the breasts can look very large to
patients at first because they are not used to having extra volume and over
time their brain adjusts to the new shape and size and the breasts look and
feel more like a part of their body as opposed to a foreign body that feels
unnatural. Ultimately, if the breasts look shapely and proportionate I
would not focus too much on the cup size, as once again these measurements can
be very inaccurate and vary between manufactures.