After breast augmentation, should I massage regardless of pain?

I would encourage to follow your plastic surgeon's recommendations, but also use common sense. If any area is too tender then calling your plastic surgeon and checking with them makes sense. Massaging techniques are variable, but they do help round breast implants to "drop and fluff" better in most cases. Best, Dr. ALDO

I do not recommend massage after breast augmentation in most cases, but plastic surgeons will have different recommendations.

HERE ARE SOME BASIC POST-OP HEALING TIPS AFTER BREAST
SURGERY, AUGMENTATION, LIFTS:

1.   
pain is variable

2.   
it takes 2-3 months for implants to settle and muscles to relax

3.   
celebrex, motrin, and muscle relaxers can help

4.   
massage and stretching may help

5.   
everyone heals differently

6.   
4-7 days off from work is common

If you find that you are concerned or worried at all about the healing process it would be best to visit your surgeon for a follow-up to have the implants examined and make sure that healing is progressing as it should. Best of luck.

Thank you for your question. Every surgeon will have his/her own preferences as to recovery for specific procedures.  I have patients wear a soft bra after breast augmentation for a few weeks to splint everything, and at that point the scars are generally very stable and we move to normal bras (or none) and long term scar management. No massaging is really needed.

The best person to advise you on this is your specific surgeon.  

Thank you for sharing your excellent question.  This is a widely debated topic on forums amongst plastic surgeons and as each of us has our own respective recovery protocol I would follow the instructions given to you as your surgeon feels they are appropriate.  No studies have ever been done that demonstrate either harm or efficacy of implant displacement exercises.  Hope this helps.