How Do Breast Augmentations Change With Time?

Added on 21st May 2020

Where am I likely to feel discomfort?

Following breast augmentation surgery, you are likely to see the breast augmentations change with time. In the early stages, you’re likely to feel a sense of discomfort in the chest. This is due to the breast tissue expanding due to the implants. In particular, you may feel this in the following areas:

– The middle of the chest

– Underneath the breast where the stitches are on the fold of the breasts

– Stretching pain on the outside of the breast

Case Study 1: How breast augmentations change with time

In the first case study shown in the video above, we can see how a patients’ breast augmentation changes with time. The first two photos indicate how the patient looked before the surgery and then after a week later.

You can see the breasts have swollen significantly with the breasts sitting high on the chest and looking extremely round. Overall they look extremely tense. This is expected and common in many patients following breast augmentation surgery around 1-2 weeks after. The stiffness of the breasts will be more for patients with larger implants and with high skin pockets. 

What happens after this period?

Following this period, patients should expect the breast to ‘fluff and drop’ which is considered a technical term. All this means is that the implants will soften and stretch the lower parts of the skin which provide a more anatomical result that you tend to look for in the surgery.

 Case Study 2: Results after 5 years

In this case study we can see how the patients’ breast augmentations change with time after 5 years. She’s chosen to have an anatomical implant and as we can see, she’s had good results from the surgery. The differences she has initially are what we’d expect to see.

Again after having her family, we can see the results after 5 years that there are some differences which we would have expected to see. She’s lost a little weight and her left breasts does have a slightly lower nipple and the breast is slightly higher. However, the results are still very pleasing. It also highlights how the breast augmentation changes over time. 

Case Study 3: Results after 7 years

This patient at the beginning just requested a breast augmentation surgery. However, there were differences in her nipples, which made her question whether to have a breast lift too. In the end, she chose to just have a breast augmentation as she hadn’t yet completed her family at the time.

From the year results, we can see she’s achieved a lift in the nipple areola complex but there is still a slight difference with the other breast. What’s great to see is after 7 years when she’s completed her family, she’s been able to maintain her results. The nipples are still indifferent but it’s provided her with results where she didn’t have to have a breast lift later down the line.

Case study 4: Results after 7 years

For the final patient, we can again see how the breast augmentations change over time. Pre-operatively, her breasts are quite small but appear symmetrical in appearance. Postoperatively, the breasts remain relatively symmetrical in appearance despite the slight over projection of the left nipple. 

Once she had her children, after 7 years changes have still occurred from her results. She remains happy – the left breast has dropped slightly whilst the eight has ridden up slightly. The results many down the line are still reflective of what she originally had. The fold is still low on the left and the breast is slightly higher on the right.

Result differ between patients

The case studies provided in the video outline how breast augmentations change over time differently in patients. Generally, you’ll find that your breasts will feel swollen and they’ll need time to settle over a 6-week period.

Your final results will appear more between the 6-12 month period but changes can still occur for the skin, implants, and breasts. Any questions or queries that you have about your breast augmentation surgery can be easily discussed through your consultation.

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