Do bigger implants take longer to drop?

Question

I am 4'11" weigh 110lbs was a 36b and got 550cc hp silicone implants. They are sitting quite high due to me only being 4 days po . I was just wondering if the dropping and fluffing will take longer due to bigger implants .

Jaime S. Schwartz, MD, FACS · Answer

I appreciate your question.

You are very early on in the post op recovery period and likely still quite swollen.  No, larger implants do not take longer to drop.  It depends on placement.  It will take you 3-6 months to feel comfortable having implants in your body and for them to settle.  This time allows for you to physically and psychologically adapt to your new body image.  Rest, recover and heal.  Please express your concerns to your Surgeon and follow their post op instructions in detail.

The best way to assess and give
true advice would be an in-person exam.

Please see a board-certified
plastic surgeon that specializes in aesthetic and restorative breast surgery.

best of luck!

Dr Schwartz

Tom J. Pousti, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. Your plastic surgeon will always be your best resource when it comes to an accurate assessment of your situation, advice, predictions, and/or meaningful reassurance.

Generally speaking, breast implants will "drop" into the pocket that was created during surgery and massaging the implants downward may assist in the dropping of the implants after surgery (for those patients who want to help with the settling of the implants). 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, and size of breast implant utilized. 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.

Azita Madjidi, MD, MS, FACS · Answer

No, larger implants do not take longer to drop compared to smaller ones. It depends on where they are placed: under the breast or under the muscle. If they are under the breast, they drop faster because they are only supported by the skin. If they are placed under the muscle they drop slower because they are supported also by the muscle. Gravity will make them drop sooner or later.

Michael J. Brown, MD · Answer

Thanks
for posting your question. I am happy to try and help you. It is important to
remember that a board certified plastic surgeon will be your best resource when
it comes to an accurate assessment of your situation, and concerns.

Having said that, it is common to have different women's implants settle at
different rates over different periods of time. They will remain high for at
least a few weeks. If your pre-existing anatomy has your breast creases or
breast folds at different positions, they implants will settle to different
places. So your preoperative anatomy has a lot to do with a final result. So
does the skill of your plastic surgeon, size of breast implants, saline and
silicone settle differently, skin quality and activity levels. You are still
early so give it some more time. It may take 2-4 months to really see where you
are.

Best wishes,

Dr. Michael J. Brown 
Northern Virginia Plastic Surgeon

Sugene Kim, MD, FACS · Answer

Hi, Yamilet123.  Bigger implants will take longer to drop.  Given your petite frame, your muscle and skin have to accommodate and stretch to allow the implant dropping.  Please be patient and follow your plastic surgeon's post-op instruction.  Good luck with your recovery!

Do bigger implants take longer to drop?

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Do bigger implants take longer to drop?

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Answer: Breast implant settling after breast augmentation

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Answer: Do bigger implants take longer to drop?

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