When the weather is hot and the sun is out, swimming is the go-to way to stay cool and enjoy some time outside. However, if you recently had a breast lift, you do not want to dive in just yet. It is always best to wait and follow the advice of your surgeon before you head into any large body of water, be it the ocean or a pool.
Infection
A breast lift procedure involves the delicate process of tightening the tissues and skin that surround the breast to give them a more uplifted appearance, better contour, and fuller appearance.
However, more importantly, the only way this outcome can be achieved is through an incision on the underside of the breast. Not only is this incision the reason you were able to achieve such great results, but it is the reason you should not swim too soon.
Until the incision is healed, bacteria can easily get inside your body and cause a severe infection. An infection can target the tissues around your breast, but also spread around your body. A swim is not worth you jeopardizing your health.
Increased Pain
Every person's pain tolerance level is different, but no matter the person, some level of pain is normal during the weeks of your recovery. There is no need to make it worse. When you swim too soon, you will only make this pain worse.
You may not realize it, but when you swim, you use a lot of the muscles in your upper body, including those around the chest area. When you use these already sore and strained muscles, you overexert them, which can be extremely uncomfortable. It is also worth noting that overexertion in the chest area could cause tearing and stretching, which will only intensify the amount of pain that you experience.
If you just want to enjoy some time in the ocean and you do not plan to swim, it is still not recommended. Each time the waves crash against your chest you will feel the pain and there is a large chance that you will damage the lift and put yourself in a position where you require a revision procedure.
Again, make sure you have a conversation with your surgeon before you get in the water. The surgeon will let you know whether it is safe or not and let you know about any concerns you should keep an eye out for. Speak with a medical center such as Center for Cosmetic Surgery: Sassan Alavi MD to get more information.
