Going Braless with Implants: Good or Bad?

By ALLISON GOODLIN

breastimplants

It is part of the morning routine: wake up, shower, put on that bra. As women putting on a bra is something we do every day, rain or shine. Is it really necessary? After breast implants your breasts may be perkier than they were before surgery. Do you actually need to wear that bra every day?

While skipping your bra for the occasional backless cocktail dress probably won’t ruin your implants, going braless long term isn’t recommended. Your breasts are fighting a battle with gravity. The extra support of a bra might be the secret weapon they need to win. Don’t skip that bra!

Weight Matters- Are Your Implants Saline or Silicone?

The weight of your breasts can contribute to the amount they sag over time. Larger natural breasts are heavier than smaller breasts and tend to droop and sag more. Your fat and mammary tissue ratio also makes a difference (fat is lighter than breast tissue). The same holds true for breast implants. Larger implants are heavier and you’ve got to be more careful. The type of implant you select also impacts the weight of your breasts. Saline implants are heavier than silicone.

Dr. Erika Sato, a respected Houston area plastic surgeon, explains, “There are several factors that cause breast sagging including age, genetics, breast size, bra wearing habits, smoking status, and pregnancy/breastfeeding. Ptosis, or breast sagging, is more likely in patients with large breasts or large breast implants. Wearing a bra regularly can relieve some of the weight from your breasts helping to support the tissues that hold the breasts up. While bra wearing can’t completely eliminate breast sagging, it can make a noticeable difference in how quickly it occurs and how severe it is.”

In fact, many women first get breast implants to combat some of the sagging that occurs with age and their post-pregnancy bodies.

What Can You Do to Reduce Breast Sagging?

While many of the factors that contribute to breast sagging are things you have no control over, there are a few things you can do to keep your breasts perkier. Here are some easy options to try:

  • Try a Sleep Bra- The jury’s still out on whether or not a sleep bra can make a difference in breast sagging after augmentation, but the general consensus currently is, “It can’t hurt.” If you have large implants, loose breast tissue, or are otherwise worried about breast sagging, consider a sleep bra. These bras provide less support than a day-use bra and can be quite comfortable to sleep in.
  • Stop Smoking- Smoking is one of the biggest factors that influence breast sagging and it is something you can have complete control over. If you smoke, stop; your breasts will thank you.
  • Wear a Supportive Bra- Give your implants the support they need with a high quality supportive bra. This guide from Lingerie Briefs will help you select quality bras post-breast augmentation. It is a helpful resource for all women with implants, whether you’ve had them for just a few months or years.
  • Follow Your Surgeon’s Recommendations Post-Surgery- The first few months after breast augmentation are a critical time for your breasts. Following your surgeon’s recommendations to the ‘T’ after surgery will help your breasts to heal properly which can lead to better implant placement for years to come. Skipping your bra for a day or two once you’re fully healed from surgery isn’t going to lead to massive breast sagging, but skipping your post-surgical bra for a few days right after surgery might.

When you’re faced with the choice of bra or no bra with implants, opt for the bra when you can. Plastic surgeons recommend patients that have implants should get them re-adjusted every 10 years, however, this one simple step can help your implants stay in place longer. With all the wonderful options that are available, why would you want to skip it?

 

 

 

 

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5 Discussion to this post

  1. Jules says:

    Having them “readjusted” every 10 years, whether you need to or not, is BAD advice! If your implants aren’t broke, why fix them?? All you will be doing is opening yourself up (literally) to increased risks of infection or other problems. If they are slipping, bulging, hardening, leaking, or otherwise in need of repair, then, by all means, have them “adjuated”! But no one should be advocating for needless surgical procedures.

    • madison says:

      because as a foreign substance in your body, they MAY be “broke” or on the verge of being broke so its best to just change them out every 10 years. Why wait until they implode randomly to then go get them fixed? You wouldn’t wait for your car’s check engine light to come on to get your car checked out would you? lol – your boobs need maintenance even if they appear “okay” – that simple.

      • Cat says:

        I had breast implants for 30 years with no issues…they did rupture after that and my INSURANCE! PAID to have old ones removed n new ones put in!! Happy I didn’t choose to unnecessarily have surgery every ten years!

  2. aboywithgirls says:

    I found a couple of points in this article that I could relate to even though a am a 40 year old man who does not have implants. I do however have natural, feminine appearing breasts. I do wear a bra daily since I was 14. I was thinking to myself as I read the part about the morning routine of most women showering and putting on a bra for the day. I said to myself “hey that’s my morning routine as well”. I don’t wear a bra for kicks or thrills. I wear a 38 F / G in most of my bras and I fill the cups without forms or enhancements of any sort. I have a condition known as gynecomastia. This basically means I’m a man with women’s breasts. This can be caused by a few different factors from genetic make up, hormonal imbalance, and medications side effects. In my case I have all 3. I’m not complaining or ashamed of my breasts. I just know that wearing a bra every day is a way of life for me. I do everything for my breasts just as most women do. I have regular breast exams and mammograms. This brings me to the second part of the article that made me giggle. At a recent bra fitting. Yes, I like wearing a proper fitting bra so I have them professionally fitted. The woman who was helping me asked me what size I was wearing and asked me to take my top off so she could measure me. She saw my breasts in my bra and said “with implants that big, you definitely need a good bra that will support you”. She asked if I was transitioning as in becoming a woman I said “no?”. And then she asked why I have the implants. I told her that my breasts were 100% natural. She was so apologetic. She had no idea that a man could actually have breasts as large as mine without having implants.

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