Will my bra size increase after my breast "drop and fluff"?

Two things happen and seem paradoxical. As as the swelling goes down there will be some shrinkage but at the same time as the muscle relaxes your breast projection grows. In general the breast shape and size proportionality improves..Breast implants initially after surgery when placed in a submuscular position often give superior fullness that corrects itself with time, the "fluff and drop" phenomena. In reality the pectoralis major muscle takes a while to adjust its size to accommodate the implant as well as occasional muscle spasm which keeps the implant projection higher than its final resting shape. Additional variables include:laxity of skin, size difference during prior pregnancies, position of implant,size of muscle, and size of implant.As the muscle relaxes the projection of the implant often increases and the breast shape improves. Massage and use of a superior placed elastic strap can often make this process go faster.

Thank you for your question.. Drop and fluff refers to post-operative period in which the breasts begin to descend and fills out the lower half of the breast. It may take several months for this to happen and can be encouraged with breast massage and compression. It may appear that the breast enlarges as the lower aspect of the breast fills out (at the expense of the upper portion of the breast).  I generally recommend that you wait until your breasts settle out as this can affect your bra size and style choices.  

I never use cup size as a gauge for breast size because there's no standardization at all. A C cup by one bra manufacturer can very well be a D cup by another manufacturer. Instead, look at your reflection in the mirror - do you like how you look? If you do, then your surgery was a success!

It really depends.  I find that if you're breast tissue was loose and lax before the surgery, you may not see a lot of a change in volume.  However, if you're chest was really tight, I sometimes see that as the breasts soften and settle, there is a volume re-distribution that occurs from the top of the implant to the bottom, and this can round out the bottom half of the breast giving it a larger appearance.  Hope this was helpful.

It is not uncommon to experience these feelings as the swelling from surgery is diminishing. The majority of swelling is typically gone between 3-6 weeks. Your cup size should not change dramatically at this point, without a physical examination it is impossible to tell for sure. At 3 weeks post op I would recommend to enjoy your new look for a few months and then reassess the size. All the Best.

I always warn my patients about using bra size as a way to determine desired results. Bra manufacturers don't standardize bra sizes, so there is some variation. Manufacturer A may have a slightly smaller C cup bra than Manufacturer B. That's why you shouldn't judge your breast size by your bra. It's more important that you like how you look. As you recover, your breasts may fluff out a bit more. If that happens, you'll look larger because you'll have more fullness. 

The phenomenon of “dropping and fluffing” occurs several weeks to several months after breast augmentation surgery.  The breasts MAY appear larger as the implants "settle" lower on the chest wall. The nipple/areola complexes may also appear higher on the breast mounds as this occurs. Best wishes. 

Estimating bra size after a breast enlargement is difficult.  There is no standard bra cup size.  Chest circumference does not correlate with cup size.  A crude approximation is 200 cc (for small chest circumference) and 250 +cc (for broad chest) per cup size.  I would estimate an implant size to go from an A cup to a D cup would be approximately 600g.  To go from an A cup to a small D cup would be approximately 500 g (close to 475g).  A sizing implant during the consultation before the surgery can give the patient an idea of the size following surgery.  The implant gradually stretches a tight chest muscle and may project more slightly over time (not a cup size).  3 weeks is too early to assess the final appearance of the breast.  Give it 6 months.  An implant that size in a woman that has breast fed 3 infants will require support to maintain the result.  Long term results are important.

Thanks for writing,The implant size will not change (425 hp), swelling will drop off over time but stabilizes in about 4-6 weeks.With you being 5'2" and 105#, please keep in mind that these implants about weigh 1 pound each. I would also guess that your breast skin is /was thin. As a result, over time and with gravity and weight working together there will be a tendency for these implants to possibly drop too far. Stick with your Board Certified Plastic Surgeon so he/she will help you keep these implants in the best position possible. Good LuckStephen M. Davis, MD, FACSBoard Certified Plastic SurgeonGreen Hills Plastic Surgery