Many of our patients want to know if there are ways to make their breast implants last longer. While lots of factors determine when or if you will need to replace your implants, taking great care of them can help to prolong your breast augmentation results. Here are our plastic surgeons’ top tips for caring for your breast implants long-term.
Maintain Healthy Diet and Exercise Habits
Major weight fluctuations can cause breast tissue to stretch and/or contract, leading to premature sagging and impacting how your implants look. By eating a balanced, nutritious diet and staying active, you can work to avoid significant weight fluctuations and help to preserve the shape and position of your breasts. Regular exercise not only promotes overall health but also supports skin elasticity, which also benefits the look and feel of your implants.
Take Care of Your Skin
Over time, UV exposure from the sun or tanning beds can weaken collagen and elastin, leading to premature aging and sagging skin. This can affect the appearance and position of your breast implants, causing a drooping or wrinkled effect.
To help keep your skin looking and feeling healthy and youthful, apply sunscreen on a daily basis, wear sun-protective clothing and avoid deliberate tanning. A regular skincare routine that includes moisturizing your chest can also help to maintain skin firmness and elasticity.
Wear a Supportive Bra
Because implants add extra weight to your breasts, they can place extra strain on the skin and underlying tissue. Wearing a good-quality supportive bra can help to support that extra weight and help to prevent premature sagging or drooping.
This is especially important when performing high-impact physical activities like running, jumping or playing sports, as the added motion can increase the risk of stretching the skin and breast tissue. Even on days when you’re not active, however, wearing a supportive bra can help to preserve the positioning of your implants and prevent sagging over time.
Keep Up with Implant Screenings
Getting regular implant screenings starting at 5 years after your breast augmentation, then every 2 to 3 years after that is an important part of ensuring the integrity of your implants and detecting any potential issues early. Here at The Natural Result, we offer high-resolution ultrasound (HRUS) screenings so you don’t have to go through the hassle of getting MRIs, yet can still rest assured that there are no complications with your implants. In fact, plastic surgeons around the world believe that HRUS will soon replace MRIs as the default protocol for breast implant monitoring.
Whether you are just planning your breast augmentation or have had implants for years, following these tips can help your breast implants to ultimately last longer. If you have additional questions or would like to schedule a consultation or a HRUS screening, please call our Sacramento office at 916-983-9895 or contact us online.
