How to Maintain Your Breast Reduction Results Long Term

Breast reduction surgery has a life-changing effect for women who experience pain, discomfort, and self-consciousness because of the size of their breasts. Post-operation, many patients can enjoy immediate relief from neck, shoulder, and back pain, and greater comfort in clothes and daily activities. However, great results can only go so far; a long-term maintenance program of healthy habits and post-operative self-care is required.

If you have recently undergone breast reduction surgery, or are considering one in the future, here is what you can do to preserve the results for many years:

Understanding Breast Reduction Results

During breast reduction, the breasts are reduced in size by surgically removing excess breast tissue, fat and skin so they are the right size and shape for you. The results will be long-lasting, but they will continue to evolve throughout the future with normal changes in weight, pregnancy, hormones, and aging. While surgery has provided you with a new body framework, your actions are a crucial part of maintenance.

Keep Weight Stable

One of the most important actions you can take to maintain the results of breast reduction is keeping your weight stable. Breasts contain fat tissue so gaining a significant amount of weight can lead to breasts returning to previous sizes while major weight loss can cause them to change shape, losing the definition from the surgery.

Weight Maintenance Tips

• Eat a healthy and well-balanced diet

• Exercise regularly throughout the week

• Do not go on crash diets and suffer dramatic weight loss or gain

• Keep a regular track on your weight

This will contribute to you maintaining your surgically defined shape.

Exercise Regularly

Exercise can be an effective part of post-operative maintenance. It is essential to maintain your body shape after breast reduction through exercise. It cannot influence breast tissue size, but it can improve your posture and body composition, thereby maintaining the look of your surgically sculpted breasts.

Good Types of Exercises to Incorporate

• Walking

• Swimming

• Cycling

• Strength training

• Yoga/Pilates

Exercise regularly and avoid excess weight gain, which can negatively impact your results.

Wear the Right Support Bra

Many patients underestimate the benefits that a correctly fitted and supportive bra can have. A supportive bra post-operation can help alleviate strain on your skin and surrounding tissues and can support breast tissue and shape long-term.

What You Should Consider

• Supportive everyday bras

• Sports bras during periods of exercise

• Professional bra fitting if needed to achieve a correct size and shape

Wear properly fitting bras that support your breast tissue as a means of prolonging the effectiveness of your surgery.

Protect the Quality of Your Skin

Your skin quality is key to preserving your new breast shape over the years, especially as natural processes lead to the decline of elasticity in the skin with age. If you take proper care of your skin, then some of the aging effects will be minimised:

Take Good Care of Your Skin With

• A regular supply of moisture

• Sunscreen whenever your chest area is exposed

• Hydration

• Sunblock if your chest area is exposed

High quality skin provides you with the best platform for long-term surgical outcomes.

Avoid Smoking

As well as being bad for your overall health, smoking dramatically affects skin quality and elasticity. This can lead to further premature skin aging and an increase in the risk of drooping. If you smoke it is recommended that you quit, to benefit both your health and your breast reduction. Those who quit smoking will find they will look better for longer.

Consider Future Pregnancies

It is important to understand that surgery cannot permanently alter breast size. Changes in size can occur due to hormone fluctuations in pregnancy and breastfeeding. It is possible to undergo breast reduction before having children; however this does not mean you can disregard future pregnancies if your plans include them. Your breasts will inevitably return to a larger size, whether you have surgery or not, as your body changes to accommodate a new pregnancy. If having children is something you foresee at some point in your life, it would be advisable to have the operation performed in a way that allows you to remain a good candidate for future reduction if you so choose.

If you have this in mind for the future, talk to your surgeon about it during the consultation.

Attend Your Follow-Up Appointments

Attend your surgeon’s follow-up appointments when invited, so he or she can track the progress of your surgical wounds. Visiting years later will also help you to check if there have been any concerning changes as you age. This is a useful and cost-effective way of taking care of your investment; it will monitor your scar maturation and breast shape and symmetry, assist you in making adjustments through changing lifestyle, and give you the opportunity to get the best advice from your breast surgeon.

Understand How Your Body Will Age

Cosmetic surgery cannot halt natural aging processes; therefore over the years, gravity, skin changes and hormone changes will naturally affect your breast shape. If you combine a successful operation with a healthy lifestyle, your body will age much slower and keep the results for longer. Patients will gain the maximum benefit of surgery if combined with a regular, healthy lifestyle.

Make Healthy Lifestyle Choices

When researching Breast reduction surgery in South Africa, many women will focus their attention purely on cost; however in many instances, post-operative well being depends on other factors such as surgery and having surgery with a surgeon in whom you have complete confidence; together with healthy living. Investing in your own health should be of the same value, at the same time, as your appearance.

Conclusion

Long-term results from your breast reduction surgery can be guaranteed with correct self-care, appropriate support from the clothing you wear and a careful assessment of your needs. It is only then that your body will maintain the shape surgery gave it and that you can feel comfortable for years to come. If you have decided that surgery will give you a greater quality of life and enhanced comfort, you may like to know more about it from an expert such as Your Breasts where you can discuss your options confidentially.