Choosing a Breast Augmentation Bra

Breast augmentation surgery, however common, is still major surgery. One of the most important things after any type of breast surgery is to ensure you have an adequate post-surgery bra to help and support healing and recovery. Whether you had breast augmentation, breast reduction, or breast implant removal, proper after-care and support are extremely important.

In the earlier days of breast augmentations, surgeons required patients to wear thick gauze dressings and an elastic bandage or support bra to combat swelling and support the breasts as they heal. These wraps and bandages were not only cumbersome but, in some cases, caused patients even more discomfort. Luckily, there are excellent after-care bras available today.  These options, however convenient, pose some more questions, “Why do I need to wear a breast augmentation bra?”, “What bra should I wear?”, “What should I look for in a breast augmentation bra?”, and “What do I need to avoid?”.

Benefits of a breast augmentation bra:

The recovery process after the surgery happens much more smoothly with the right type of breast augmentation bra. The right bra helps with the final shaping and avoids any appearance complications. Comfort is also a very big issue after surgery.

Wearing a good quality breast augmentation bra offers many benefits such as:

• Reduced fluid retention to help minimize the risk of hematomas (collection of blood under the skin).
• Increase in blood circulation to decrease inflammation.
• Protection against infection around the incision area.
• Prevents implant shifting or swelling.
• Improve the quality of your sleep.
• Enhanced comfort

Initial Recovery: What to look for in a breast augmentation bra

It’s essential to find the best post-breast surgery bra that offers the unique support you need. You are required to wear your post-breast surgery bra day and night for the next 6 to 12 weeks. Here are some features to consider when choosing a breast augmentation bra:

Front closure

To minimize the movement of your chest and shoulders, a bra with a front closure offers an easy way to slip into a breast augmentation bra and remove it.  A bra with a zip is even easier than one with a clasp.

No underwire

Underwire is uncomfortable for women without breast surgery, and it can cause extreme discomfort to recovering patients. Underwire can rub against the incision area and cause irritation.

Breathable materials

Make sure the breast augmentation bra is made of quality, breathable, quick-dry fabric to keep your breasts dry, keep sweat away, and, avoid irritation and rashes.

Adjustable, elastic straps

During the recovery process, it helps to have adjustable straps to adjust the fit of your bra.

Cup

A cup that follows the curve of the breast is best for breast support.

Seams

A cup with no seam at the areola will ensure more comfort and less chance of irritation.

Back

A breast augmentation bra with a racer or v-back ensures free movement and comfort.

Thick elastic

Thick elastic at the bottom of the bra to prevent it from riding up is advisable.

Comfortable support

A breast augmentation bra should be supportive and comfortable, holding breasts in place firmly but without too much pressure. A bra with 3D shoulder support will give you that optimum support and comfort. You also need to sleep in your post-surgery bra to prevent bruising and bleeding, making comfort even more necessary.

We recommend investing in a LA TWIN compression bra, which has all the above-mentioned features.

Long-Term Recovery: Sports Bras

Instead of just wearing any old sports bra, you will want to protect your investment. You’ll need a high-quality, well-designed sports bra that offers both support and comfort. Many sports bras are compression style; elastic, stretchy fabric pulled over the head and down over the chest to immobilize the breasts against your chest. Compression may give the feeling of support as your breasts are pushed tightly together against the chest, but immobilization is not support. They do not fully support the ligaments and other connective tissues that hold the breast in position. Compression bras also don’t allow any extra room and can be uncomfortable for ladies with implants.

• No underwire – underwire can rub against or irritate the incision area.
• An encapsulation-style sports bra or one that uses both compression and encapsulation is highly recommended. These encapsulation-sports bras have deeper, shaped, or molded cups. They support each breast separately and hold them snugly in place. An encapsulation-style sports bra will protect your implants from being squeezed unnecessarily. They will also take the burden off the delicate breast ligaments and tendons.
• It is best to avoid S-M-L sizing and look for sports bras that have specific back and cup sizes like traditional everyday bras. This provides more sizing options to allow for your fuller breast implants.

What to avoid

Some things to avoid when choosing a bra.

• You should avoid underwire or push-up bras. These bras move your breast tissue, which means your breast implants are moved too. These bras stress incisions and lead to other problems, so let the underwire or push-up bras wait until you’ve fully recovered.
• Also, don’t choose a bra that you need to pull over your head. Your bra should be easy to put on and remove. A bra that can open and close at the front is optimal, especially if it has a zip.
• Don’t guess your size. Even if you are certain what your new size is, it’s probably a bit different than you think. Have your breasts sized by a professional fitter before you buy anything. It will make your breasts look their best and ensure they have the support they need.
• Avoid anything with seams on the cups as this can lead to irritation.
• The ideal fit for a post-surgery bra should be snug but not tight. The best indicator that your bra fits correctly is that it’s comfortable, and although you might feel some pressure, this isn’t excessive or painful. Signs that your bra is too tight include the straps or edges leaving marks on your skin, a feeling that it’s cutting off your circulation, the bra riding up your back, your skin bulging out under your armpits, and your breasts spilling out of the top of the cup.

What to keep in mind after you have bought new bras after recovery

Following your recovery, one of the highlights is to go shopping for new bras.  Taking care of your new bras is equally important so they last for as long as possible.

• Don’t wear the same bra two days in a row, as this will cause it to stretch out, lose elasticity and therefore not provide as much support.
• Wash your bras with cold water on the delicate cycle.
• Try to avoid drying them in the dryer.

Can I wear my breast augmentation bra after my recovery period?

This is a question a lot of women ask before purchasing a breast augmentation bra. The La Twin bra mentioned earlier is a great choice as not only is it one of the best breast augmentation bras available but it is also great for wearing as an everyday bra. It has all the features needed to provide you with the support needed after your surgery and it ticks all the boxes for a comfortable daily wear bra. It won’t show any seams underneath tighter-fitting clothing, doubles as a sports bra, and will continue to give the best support to your new investment.