How May Times a Day Are You Supposed to Massage Your Breasts After Augmentation, and for How Long Each Time?

The displacement of breast implants is recommended to reduce the risk of capsular contracture. Displacement of breast implants is done for smooth surfaced saline- and silicone gel-filled implants; it is not recommended for breast implants with a textured surface. Smooth breast implants will move freely within the pocket, while textured surface implants do not move either because of increased friction caused by the texturing, or tissue in-growth into the textured surface.

I have my patients begin implant displacement exercises one week following surgery. The acute pain of surgery has subsided by then so the displacement can be done a bit more comfortably.

>> Place your hand flat over the central breast and press the implant inward towards the chest wall. Hold it there for a few seconds.

>> Lift each implant up; with your hand under the implant, slide it up the chest wall slowly, pushing it up towards the clavicle. Hold it there for a few seconds.

>> Push the implant medially; with your hand on the lateral part of the implant, slide it towards the sternum. Hold it there for a few seconds.

>> Push the implant laterally; with your hand over the medial breast, push the implant laterally. Hold it there for a few seconds.

The right implant can be displaced with the left hand, and vice versa. The displacement should be performed slowly and steadily with moderate force. Each displacement should be performed ten times.

Initially the displacement of the implant will be somewhat limited. But as swelling subsides, the tissues stretch, and the implant settles, the implants will move more easily in the pocket. Pain may limit your ability to move the implants initially, but as this subsides you will be able to displace the implants much more readily.

I only have patients push implants down if I feel they are not settling as intended.

Perform these exercises three times daily for six months following surgery, then two times daily for the next six months, and then once daily thereafter.

Best wishes.

Massaging breasts is an old ritual that has never been proven scientifically to help.  The concept was that it would somehow help to prevent capsular contracture (firm scar tissue squeezing the implants and making them feel hard).  Capsular contractures were prevalent 30 years ago, but fortunately not quite as common today (possibly because of  the use of saline implants, going under the muscle, and also better silicone implants that leak much less).  I tell my own patients not to massage their breasts and our capsular contracture rate is low, certainly no higher than the norms.  I am not completely convinced that breast massage is not counterproductive.  I don't want the pocket stressed early in the healing process.

Not every plastic surgeon recommends implant massage following breast augmentation, but the vast majority of surgeons believe it's extremely important. Implant massage is also known as implant displacement and is designed to stretch the implant pocket to avoid the development of capsular contracture.Implant massage is started one week following surgery and is typically performed approximately three times per day. Each session typically lasts about two to three minutes. The implant is displaced superiorly, inferiorly, medially and laterally. This is done for at least one year following surgery.Variations in implant position, type of implant, and patient anatomy make every patient unique. For these reasons, implant massage isn't indicated for every breast augmentation patient. Before proceeding with implant massage, discuss this issue thoroughly with your plastic surgeon. He will teach you the proper technique for implant displacement and monitor your progress.

Thank you for your question.If you find that your breast is tight and particularly if you went up a few cup sizes, then breast massage will help your implants settle. I typically recommend waiting a week as it sooner may be too uncomfortable. However, if you can tolerate it earlier, then you can do so. I also recommend lymphatic massage as this helps to reduce swelling much faster in the breast.As far as how to massage, I recommend displacing the implant in all four directions (up, down, left and right). Example, pinch the breast on the top to displace the implant downwards. For the lymphatic massage, it is much more of a light gentle touch. We often recommend a massage therapist to help with this or we show patients how to do this at home.  I generally recommend doing this a few times a day.

I do not regularly recommend breast massage and if I do, it would be from about a week to 10 days after surgery because your body is still recovering from surgery. Massage may cause bleeding, increasing the risk of capsular contracture.

This is a controversial topic since some surgeons dont even believe it is necessary to perform any massage at all. I advise my patients to start implant massage a couple times a day, only in the occasioanl case where I think one or both implants are slitghly too high after surgery and this to help gravity settle them down. In patients with well situated implants i do not necessarily recommend any massage of the impants and pocket.

Massaging breast post a breast augmentation surgery is physician dependant. I prefer my patients start gently massaging their breast at 2 weeks post surgery for 2-3 minutes at a time, 2-3 times a day.

Massage is the wrong term--Implant movement exercises help keep the surgical pocket bigger than the implant.

As seen in the replies, some plastic surgeons feel that breast "massage" is not necessary, but most experienced breast surgeons feel that implant movement exercises help to keep the submuscular pocket (created to enclose the implant) larger than the implant, reducing the likelihood (or severity) of capsular contracture.

Capsular contracture is tightening of the scar capsule around the implant, making the breast(s) feel firm. Without implant movement "exercises" or "massage," the scar your body forms around your breast implants is exactly the same size as your implants--if your capsule contracts even a tiny bit (and most scars tend to contract as time goes by, perhaps stretching later as they mature), you get firmness that ranges from slightly firm to "rock-hard." Baker 1 capsules are somewhat firm; Baker 2 capsules are more firm; Baker 3 capsules are quite firm but without visible distortion; and Baker 4 capsules are hard and visibly deformed.

BTW, this answer assumes smooth implants (saline or silicone), since textured implants, like the teardrop "anatomic" or the "gummy bear" implants, are designed to adhere to the tissues and NOT move. This is because shaped implants rely on being in a specific position to look "normal" or "anatomic" and would look silly if upside down, for example!

BREAST IMPLANTS DO NOT HARDEN, EVER.

However, the scar capsule around your implant(s) can thicken or tighten (caused usually by bleeding or bacteria), making your breasts firm or unnaturally-shaped. Careful surgery, in my opinion, is important to avoid bleeding or bacterial contamination that can lead to excessive capsule formation (capsular contracture), and keeping the surgical pocket mechanically open with careful implant movement exercises can reduce both the incidence and severity of capsular contracture, should it occur.

I have my patients begin gentle implant movement exercises every three hours (when they take their muscle relaxant) while awake, simply pressing on the lower pole of the breast to force the implant to slide upwards in the already-created pocket. I have patients go braless until the implants have dropped into position, after which a bra is worn to prevent further drop or bottoming out. I believe implants should be moved in their pocket until complete healing has occurred (several months), and after a few weeks, can be done while showering or through clothing in the restroom.

(My partner does not have his patients do implant movement exercises, which is why our website information does not include my personal recommendations). Neither of us is "right," and neither is "wrong," but we both (as do our colleagues also answering this and similar questions) strive to have our patients obtain the best possible results. BTW, our incisions are completely covered by adherent Tegaderm dressings, which keep any finger or hand bacterial contamination away from the incisions until completely sealed, while allowing complete visibility of the healing incision (all under-the-skin dissolving sutures).
 

I generally recommend breast massage for 10 minutes each morning and evening starting one week after surgery.  I ask patients to continue this for the first three months.  After three months, the initial healing reaction is gone, so the chances of developing scar tissue at that point are lower.  I also encourage my patients to lay on their stomach for 5-10 minutes before they go to bed if they are not natural stomach sleepers.  The weight of their body does the same thing as direct massage.  All surgeons are different, so it is best to check with your surgeon before proceeding, but you should be good to start since you are two weeks out from surgery.  I hope this helps.

Hello Singlemomof3,

Breast implant massage is an out of date and scientifically proven useless manuever, regardless of the implants shell character: smooth or textured.  Evidence based medicine suggests that what is done at the time of surgery has the biggest impact on your risk to capsular contracture.

For some individuals though, pushing the implants together and up feels good and makes women feel more supple in the first few weeks after surgery.  There is no effect on the result by doing this, and is purely to make you feel better.

Relax and enjoy.