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How Much Does Skin Retract After Implant Removal?

I had my implants removed after 5 weeks. They were 286cc. I was a tight small a cup before augmentation. Although my breasts look good when I am standing, they fall over into a "puddle" of loose skin when I lie on my side. I am 6 weeks post op. I am 47 years old. How much skin retraction can I expect? Do I have any hope?

Doctor Answers 4

Skin Retracts after Implant Removal

September 13th, 2012
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While you are in the healing phase, be sure to wear a tight sports bra to help the skin retract.  It takes 6 to 9 weeks to heal .  If you are left with excess skin, consult with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, certified by the American Society of Plastic Surgery (ASPS) to discuss if you are a candidate for a Breast Lift ( Mastopexy).

Robert E. Zaworski, MD
September 13th, 2012

Skin Retracts after Implant Removal

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While you are in the healing phase, be sure to wear a tight sports bra to help the skin retract.  It takes 6 to 9 weeks to heal .  If you are left with excess skin, consult with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, certified by the American Society of Plastic Surgery (ASPS) to discuss if you are a candidate for a Breast Lift ( Mastopexy).

Robert E. Zaworski, MD

How Much Does Skin Retract After Implant Removal

September 10th, 2012
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How much the skin will retract is hard to predict. If you haven't seen any improvement to date it is still possible but not terribly likely that there will be any more.
Age and skin elasticity are predictors. How much stretching occurred at the time of implantation, and how long they were in are other factors.There is not much to do about any of these factors. 

SIx weeks is early, so don't give up. 

Jourdan Gottlieb, MD

Jourdan Gottlieb, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon
4.6 out of 5 stars 45 reviews

September 10th, 2012

How Much Does Skin Retract After Implant Removal

{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

How much the skin will retract is hard to predict. If you haven't seen any improvement to date it is still possible but not terribly likely that there will be any more.
Age and skin elasticity are predictors. How much stretching occurred at the time of implantation, and how long they were in are other factors.There is not much to do about any of these factors. 

SIx weeks is early, so don't give up. 

Jourdan Gottlieb, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Skin Retraction after Breast Implant Removal?

September 10th, 2012
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Thank you for the question.

Yes, there is still “hope”; it may take several additional months ( and even up to one year) for full skin contraction to occur.

Generally speaking, what breasts look like after removal or down sizing of breast implants will  depend on several factors such as: the quality of skin elasticity (the better the elasticity the better the skin will bounce back),  the size of the implants used (the larger the implant the more trouble you may have with redundant skin), and the amount of breast tissue present at this time (which may have changed since the time of your breast augmentation). 

Life experience since your breast augmentation procedure, such as pregnancy or weight gain weight loss, will  potentially influence the factors discussed above. If you take these factors into consideration and apply them  to your specific circumstances you may get a better idea of what to expect after full skin contraction has occurred.
  

 Best wishes.

Web reference: http://www.poustiplasticsurgery.com/Procedures/breast-implant-removal.htm

Tom J. Pousti, MD, FACS
September 10th, 2012

Skin Retraction after Breast Implant Removal?

{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

Thank you for the question.

Yes, there is still “hope”; it may take several additional months ( and even up to one year) for full skin contraction to occur.

Generally speaking, what breasts look like after removal or down sizing of breast implants will  depend on several factors such as: the quality of skin elasticity (the better the elasticity the better the skin will bounce back),  the size of the implants used (the larger the implant the more trouble you may have with redundant skin), and the amount of breast tissue present at this time (which may have changed since the time of your breast augmentation). 

Life experience since your breast augmentation procedure, such as pregnancy or weight gain weight loss, will  potentially influence the factors discussed above. If you take these factors into consideration and apply them  to your specific circumstances you may get a better idea of what to expect after full skin contraction has occurred.
  

 Best wishes.

Learn more: http://www.poustiplasticsurgery.com/Procedures/breast-implant-removal.htm

Tom J. Pousti, MD, FACS

Skin retraction after implant removal

September 9th, 2012
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Skin retraction after implant removal really depends upon your agae, quality of your skin, genetics, how long the implants were in, what you started out at, how large the implants were, and how long sicne the surgery.  Six weeks is still early, give it more time.

Steven Wallach, MD
September 9th, 2012

Skin retraction after implant removal

{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

Skin retraction after implant removal really depends upon your agae, quality of your skin, genetics, how long the implants were in, what you started out at, how large the implants were, and how long sicne the surgery.  Six weeks is still early, give it more time.

Steven Wallach, MD

These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.