Wearing a Bra After Breast Lift in Orlando
A breast lift can bring a real sense of freedom in the way it makes your body feel. The relief from sagging, disproportion, and heaviness provides a renewed sense of energy. You can, at last, wear the clothes you enjoy and participate in the activities you want.
Except, there are some caveats. One of these concerns a bra, because the truth is that all breasts – even those newly lifted – must contend with the effects of gravity. This means you need to continue wearing a bra, despite how light and carefree you suddenly feel.
Why You Need a Bra
It seems counterintuitive that after a breast lift, you still need to wear a bra. We get it. But it’s important that you remember all body tissues are subject to aging. Reduced levels of collagen and elastin can continue to diminish the skin’s natural elasticity. A breast lift certainly helps to combat this, particularly as it removes excess skin and repositions the breasts in a way that allows you to “start over.”
But you must do your own due diligence and help protect these results. Wearing a bra can do this by providing support to keep the breasts in place, protect tissues from sagging, and help mitigate the effects of gravity.
Breast Movement
Breast composition is pretty straightforward: fat and glandular tissue. The only elements holding breasts in place are the Cooper’s ligaments and skin. Routine daily motions – like bending over, lifting, and even walking fast – cause the skin to pull as breasts sway and bounce. Any movement that puts stress on the body – including most exercises – only causes breasts to move with more vigor.
The skin near your bust is mechanically weak. So are the Cooper’s ligaments. Neither is designed to give breasts a great deal of support, which is why your bust can sag even at an early age. In addition, the breasts move independently of the body. They contain no muscles, so very little tissue is available to hold them firmly in place.
Startling Numbers
The breasts can independently move up to 8 inches when the body is in motion. During regular exercise, including jogging, breasts typically move around 6 inches. Day after day, this force wreaks havoc on the body. When you compound this by the fact that an average breast weighs around 2 pounds, you can see the potential for damage.
Women can tell when skin and ligaments stretch beyond their limits because they feel pain. But that pain is just one symptom. The other is this: overstretched ligaments become weak ligaments. They lose the ability to support the breasts and can, in turn, cause sagging.
Additional Body Consequences
Just as ligaments stretch, so too does the skin. Once pulled beyond 80 percent of its normal length, skin loses its ability to bounce back. That is, it stays stretched. It’s interesting to further note that as the breasts move, muscles in the upper body work harder to provide them with support. This means that during exercise, chest muscles are not focused on the activity but on trying to balance your weight.
As breast movement increases, so does a woman’s rate of breathing. Her gait changes – both when walking and running – in ways that promote backpain. Finally, uncomfortable and uncontrolled breast movement can make women feel self-conscious.
Support Is the Answer
The solution to these problems is supporting the breasts in a comfortable manner – especially after a breast lift in Orlando. We say it’s particularly important after this time because the skin around your breasts is once again pulled tight. This means a bra can help increase the longevity of your surgery results.
We recommend you wear a bra every day. Immediately following your procedure, a compression bra can help safeguard the incision areas. These bras are generally softer than everyday garments and stabilize breasts in a more controlled manner to reduce movement. We provide additional considerations below.
Underwire-free
Although the support of underwire bras is beneficial, they can actually be harmful after surgery. The wire, even when protected by material, can irritate incisions. If that wire pokes out, it can do far more than irritate. Choosing a bra without an underwire may therefore be the best bet until you fully recover.
Front-closure
Fresh out of surgery, a bra that closes in front can simply be more convenient. As you heal, you want to minimize movement and strain. A front-closure bra will help in this regard and still provide compression to keep swelling at bay.
Keep in mind a front-closure bra can have zippers or clasps. A zipper might be even more convenient, but opt for what feels more comfortable to you.
Thick Bands
Although bras with thin straps might be considered cute and flirty, those with thick bands are more appropriate for the time when you’re fresh out of surgery. They provide additional support to help you heal and can be easily adjusted as swelling subsides and your breasts start to reveal their new shape.
Sports Bras
Unlike more traditional bras, sports bras provide firm support that can all but eliminate breast movement. But it’s important that these garments be selected in relation to the activity. In addition, you should shop for these garments in-store; trying to select a sports bra that fits well, provides great support, and is appropriate for your activity is impossible to do online.
While you’re shopping, try on a variety of options. Don’t assume that something will fit well because of the way it looks. Take the time to see how it molds to your contours and how it feels when you move a little. And remember that support is key.
Choosing the Best Long-Term Bra
The bra(s) you wear immediately after surgery will likely not be those you wear long-term. So, once our team tells you the time has arrived to start wearing the bra of your choice, you can go shopping.
Many women report that finding the perfect bra is the most challenging part of having a breast lift. The best way to find the undergarment for you is to ask for help. A professional fitting helps you skip the guesswork and allows you to buy a garment that properly fits rather than one that may ride up, droop, or even pinch your skin.
Benefits of a Professional Fitting
Professionals in this field are trained to find bras that work with your body rather than against it. They can look at your current bra and identify problems like bulging, loose straps, restrictions on the ribcage, and more. This knowledge makes trying on bras a much more enjoyable experience.
Because measuring a woman’s bust is not an exact science, it can be very tough for you to know your own size. It really does require another person who can measure you correctly and take the process seriously. With a discerning eye, they can also make recommendations you would never consider for yourself.
Peace of Mind
Your bra size might very well change more than once after your breast lift in Orlando. Asking for professional guidance can therefore save you time and money. You can buy one or two selections, take them home to be sure you like them, and then return to the store for additional options. If you don’t like what you take home, you can easily exchange it.
Even better, women understand women. Your fitter – whether she’s had breast surgery or not – has likely had previous difficulty in finding the right bra for herself. You can take her experience, combine it with her professional knowledge, and find a garment that is perfect for you. To maximize your surgery results, we recommend you have a professional fitting every six months.
Reasons to Wear a Bra
The purpose of a bra is twofold: to evenly distribute breast weight and provide support where the body neglects to adequately do so. This allows muscles in the shoulders, neck, and back to relax.
A bra that fits properly can improve posture, allow you to move throughout the day without worrying about the position of your breasts, and enhance your silhouette. After breast lift surgery, a well-fitting bra can protect your investment so your ligaments are not unnecessarily stretched.
Components of a Good Bra
A great bra should enable you to forget you even have it on. When you go for a fitting, remember that texture and fabric also play into the support you’ll be given. Components to look at – and you should look at each of them – include:
- Band
- Wires
- Cups
- Straps
- Bridge (center part)
- Feel
If you’re at home, and the urge to go braless is simply too strong to resist, do so for only a few hours. Anything more can make you unduly susceptible to the effects of gravity. In addition, establishing the habit to wear a bra will help increase your comfort level each time you wear one.
Other Ways to Increase Results
The point of a breast lift is to improve the position and shape of both breasts so they sit higher on the chest. As with any surgery, the longevity of your results depends on many different factors. Among these are your own personal habits, including caring for your skin. This means staying out of the sun and eating a healthy diet to naturally improve elasticity.
You should also avoid weight fluctuations as much as possible. Gaining weight will cause your breasts to grow, and losing it can cause loose, excess skin that contributes to sag. In this same vein, pregnancy and breastfeeding can change the shape of the breasts and also cause them to droop. We, therefore, recommend you be at your ideal weight – or close to – and be finished with childbearing when you have your surgery.
Take Care of Your Breasts
If you want to have the best results possible from your breast lift in Orlando, commit to wearing a bra that provides the proper support. You don’t need to wear it every hour of the day – including when you sleep – but establishing a routine is the best way to keep breasts high and firm.
We know how important it is to be proud of your appearance. A breast lift can help you achieve this, and results can be permanent. Call The Institute of Aesthetic Surgery in Celebration, FL, today, where we’re happy to answer all your questions.