Can it take longer for some people to "drop and fluff"? (photos)

Hello,Your implants were much too large for your anatomic capacity. When this is the case, either the surgeon 'lowers your fold' leaving you with a double bubble and pockets that need to be reconstructed, or not, leaving you with high positioned implants. You are latter category, fortunately. At six months, you should have a revision surgery to remove and replace your implants for smaller ones, by an ABPS certified/ASAPS member surgeon who specializes in revision breast surgery. Best of luck!

At 6 weeks, you are about 35 percent settled, shaped, softened, dropped and fluffed. "Drop and fluff" refers to the fact that as the skin stretches and the muscles relax, the implants move down and out slowly – about 1 percent a day. It’ll be about six weeks before they even begin to settle down, but they’ll be close to 80 percent settled and softened at three months. Watching their progress is like watching your hair grow. You don’t see a difference in your hair growth daily, but all of a sudden you need a haircut. 
Be patient after surgery. Give yourself a few months before making a judgment about your surgical results. You won't know the outcome until then. 
Dr. Ted Eisenberg, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and Author

Thank you for your question.  The dropping of the implants can take up to 6-8 months.  For some patients it happens a lot sooner, and for others it can take a little longer. I would recommend to continue massaging the implant and I would follow up with your surgeon to address your concerns.  Good luck to you. 

I have seen implants drop within the first week and I have also seen the process take several months.  For now, be patient but make sure that you are wearing your breast band and massaging at least 10x per day.  I often use BOTOX to help decrease the muscle spasm as well.I hope that helps and wish you the very best!Warmest regards,-Gregory A Buford MD FACSBoard Certified Plastic Surgeon and Author

Dear ckirk2212,Dropping of implants is part of the healing process and this occurs after the tissues surrounding the implants slowly relax, allowing the implants to settle into their final position. It can take about four to six months for the implant to drop down to their final position.I understand that you are worried about your implants are not dropping as expected. However, you are still in the early phase of the recovery period. Please do allow some time for the healing process to occur. If after six months, you are not satisfied with the appearance of your breast, you can visit your plastic surgeon and discuss your concerns.Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Sorry to learn of your disappointment thus far. While it is indeed still early, I am concerned that your implants are indeed too high, and perhaps larger than optimal. Based on your pre-op photos you would have been well served with a dual plane augmentation allowing for a lower implant position and better fill of the lower breast. At this point you may want to discuss with your surgeon the role of aggressive downward compression of the implants with the use of a bandeau, and massaging with a very specific set of instructions as to how and how often. If you are not satisfied with your surgeon's recommendations you can indeed seek a second opinion. If things do not improve after up to six months, you are likely going to need revision surgery to achieve the result with which you will be happy. Best of luck to you. 

Larger implants take longer to drop, particularly in smaller women.   Massage can help, but larger implants may take 3 to 6 months to drop to their final levels.Kenneth Hughes, MD, Board Certified Plastic SurgeonLos Angeles, CA

Generally speaking, breast implants will "drop" into the pocket that was created during surgery and massaging the implants and downward may assist in the dropping of the implants after surgery (for those patients who want to help with the settling of the implants).  As you mentioned, the rate of breast implant "settling" may depend on factors such as size of breast implant pocket dissected, tightness of the overlying skin/muscle layers, size of breast implant utilized, and concerns such as pre-existing breast asymmetry.
Normally, it takes about 3-6 months (for some patients longer) to see the final result. It is very common for one side to settle faster than the other.
Sometimes, one or both breasts implants do not settle as planned and revisionary breast surgery becomes necessary to improve the outcome. On other occasions, if the long-term breast asymmetry is mild (understanding that absolute symmetry is very rarely achieved), patients will need to decide whether proceeding with revisionary breast surgery is worth the potential downsides associated with additional surgery.
Again, best to follow your plastic surgeon for more specifics. Best wishes for an outcome that you will be pleased with long-term.

yes absolutely everyone is different.  The bigger the implants or the tighter the skin or chest, the longer they take to drop.  I tell patients 6 months, so 6 weeks is way too short of a time to worry.  Sometimes massaging helps but talk to your surgeon first.  

Hello,
I can see why you are so much concerned.
If I get into such looks for my patients not only I suggest vigorous massage specifically trying to mobilize implants inferiorly but also use a compression band in the upper half of breast at least 12 to 18 hours a day for several months until the look improves and the implant likes to its most inferior position.

Under the muscle implants may respond less to all this protocol.
I wish you all the best.