Gentle downward pressure as advised by your surgeon.
It is entirely possible you have survived the operation, along with the initial days of your recovery. You are now simply waiting for your body to adjust to its new state. Implant-wise, you feel and look at yourself as if the breast implants are sitting too high and you see that the upper chest is very full, which is an unnatural sensation, while the lower portion of the breast seems empty or tight. What you have there is typically a high and tight appearance where the pectoral muscle, in a kind of protective spasm, is gripping the implant.
Having said that, at Lin Europe Clinic, we understand that it’s not easy to be patient when you can’t wait to see your end results. Patients often say “Is there something I can do?” And the answer is frequently implant displacement exercises or breast massages. If done in a proper way, these simple movements can delicately stretch the internal pocket and let the muscle relax, thus hastening the drop solution. That said, it is very important to get acquainted with the technique and the safety guidelines before you start to push and prod.
The Warning: Please, Consult Your Doc Before You Pamper Your Surgery
You cannot decide on how to massage before confirming if you are allowed to massage. Massage is not a part of the routine after all breast implant surgeries.
- The Textured Implants: Recently, a lot of implants (used in Europe and Turkey) have a textured surface which is meant to stick to your tissue like velcro. If you are too rough with the massage, you may harm the bond and cause your body to react by double capsule formation or fluid build-up. So, if you have textured implants, your doctor will probably say to leave them alone.
- Smooth Implants: This particular set of implants is meant to move freely inside the pocket, so a massage is frequently most recommended for smooth implants to prevent pockets from closing.
Note: Without your surgeon’s explicit go-ahead, don’t embark on these exercises at Lin Europe Clinic.
Why Massage?
Once the surgeon clears you for massage, it is mechanical stretching that you want to achieve with the massage. At this point, the breast pocket’s bottom part is very literally the area where your tissues are still healing and where there might be some filmy gluing going on. The implant can see this space and wants to just sneak into it, only the muscle is not allowing that to happen.
Two things happen when you manually push an implant downward:
- Stretching a Muscle: You are mechanically forcing your pectoral muscles to stretch, overcoming the guarding muscle reflex cramping.
- Expanding the Pocket: By doing this, you are letting the skin and other tissues at the bottom of the surgical pocket have a bit more room through gentle stretching, thereby making the pocket more implant-friendly.
Downward Push
It is the single most powerful implant dropping exercise. Taking a warm shower is the best time to perform this exercise as the heat will help melt the muscle tension, and if you wish, you can lay down on your back while doing this (this posture relaxes the pectorals).
- Hand Positioning: One of your hands should be placed horizontally across, that is, along the top slope of your breast (upper pole).
- Strengthening: Your second hand rests on top of the first hand to add power.
- Pressure: Slowly and steadily, you are putting pressure on a downward direction. What you are making an effort to do, is to move the implant toward the ribs and down toward the belly button.
- Hold: The breast (bottom part) should be strongly stretched. However, there should be no pain of any kind. Maintain this state of compression for 10 to 15 seconds.
- Let go: Release gently.
- Count: You can perform 5 to 10 repetitions of this per-breast.
“Pocket Maintenance” Squeeze
You want to make sure that the pocket is always soft and big enough to hold the implants, once the implants start to drop. And that is what you do when you “fluff”.
- Inward: To define the cleavage, put your hand slightly outside the breast and push the implant toward the center of the chest. Take a 10 second break before you release.
- Outward: Place your hand on the inner cleavage and push the implant toward the armpit. Hold for 10 seconds.
- Upward: Normally, we would not do this, but a gentle bottom-up breast lift really does help to keep the upper pocket flexible.
Frequency and Consistency
The result of this ‘therapy’ will be negative if you do it only once. Carsonity is of extreme importance. Generally, patients stick to the schedule of 3 times a day: early morning, lunchtime, and evening (after dinner) sessions day in, day out.
Most patients continue this regimen for a span of 3 to 6 months. You can gradually cut down on it as your implant settles and your breast becomes softer. Do not forget that you are molding your inner scar tissue that is still soft and flexible. When it gets hard, massage will not be so effective.
Why Stabilizer Band?
Massage is most effective when used together with the the breast stabilizer band. Think of massage as the active workout, and the band as the passive maintenance. After you face this implant displacement challenge, just wear the stabilizer band around your upper pole, tightened enough. That way, it will be impossible for the implant to go back up and the ground you have made with the massage will be held firmly.
Professional Help in Turkey
It’s an absolute headache trying to figure out post-op care when online sources give completely different instructions. At Lin Europe Clinic in Istanbul, Turkey, we are big believers in the hands-on approach to education. Not only do we give you a booklet, but during your post-op checkups, we will do the exact pressure and motion demonstration on your own body.
Our surgeons consider your implant type and assess your healing to design a recovery program just for you. If you are recovering in Istanbul, our nursing team can help you practice these techniques so that you are pressing properly and not causing yourself any harm. We keep you thoroughly informed and continuously motivated, so that you can transition from a passive “waiting game” into a very active and exciting journey towards your dream figure.
Frequently Asked Questions About Implant Massage
Put both hands on the top slope of the breast and press down firmly in a steady way, continue to hold for 10-15 seconds. Do this 5-10 times, typically 3 times a day.
Yes, for submuscular implants. Massaging the pectoral muscle mechanically stretches the tight muscle, while the lower pocket is expanded, hence the implant is able to settle sooner than if it was left alone.
One should not start immediately. It is a general notion that surgeons do not advise starting until the wound is completely closed and most of the swelling has gone, which is usually around week 2 or 3.
Most probably not. Massaging textured implants is likely to be detrimental, as it prevents them from sticking to the tissue in the way they are supposed to, which may lead to the formation of fluid (seroma). It is best to consult your surgeon first.
Generally, with your hands alone, it is not possible to physically damage the implant itself, however, pushing too hard may irritate the tissues that are healing, increase the swelling, or if the wound is not fully healed, the incision can be reopened.
Adams, W. P. (2008). The process of breast augmentation: Four phases of care. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
Spear, S. L., & Baker, J. L. (2011). Classification of capsular contracture after prosthetic breast reconstruction. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
Wong, C. H., et al. (2008). The effect of breast displacement exercises on the formation of capsular contracture. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.
