Every woman is different than the next, especially when it comes to their breasts. The length of time it takes for your breast implants to “drop” following breast augmentation depends on the tightness of your pectoral muscles, your desired implant size, and skin and tissue firmness. The drop occurs as the muscles relax during recovery, causing the implants to shift into the right position over time gradually. This is also when the “fluff” occurs, which is the filling in of the lower breast region beneath the nipple that promotes breast projection and natural-looking breast shape.

Breast augmentation is an invasive plastic surgery procedure that requires a long recovery before you reach your final results, and implant drop occurs slowly, so don’t worry too much if you’re several weeks out and haven’t noticed a significant lowering of the implants and rounding of the lower breast. If you have any concerns, our board-certified plastic surgeon in Houston can answer your breast augmentation questions.

What’s Normal During Breast Augmentation Recovery

Saline and silicone breast implants drop in the same way, and the shape of the implants doesn’t change the timeline either. However, implant size and the coating of the implants do play a role. Heavier breast implants will shift faster with the help of gravity, and implants with texture may not drop as drastically because of the friction between tissue and implant.

Woman holding her arm in plastic surgeon's doctors officeBreast implants (particularly sub-muscular placement) sit high on the chest for the first few weeks following breast augmentation. Muscle tightness in the pectoralis causes the implants to shift upward, but as this muscle relaxes, the implants settle into their proper place and develop the “teardrop” shape.

You’ll notice the first signs of implant drop after a few days, and this process can be moved along by using a breast band and massaging your implants to promote faster dropping. (Silicone gels and sheeting may minimize your scarring as well.) Six weeks post-op your breast implants will be nearing their final destination, but it will take three months to reach your final results and placement. When the implants drop, it’s typically not symmetrical. Keep in mind that one breast may drop faster than the other, and one implant may sit perfectly while the other may not reach the ideal contour.

These timelines are not set in stone. Every case is unique. If you’re worried about your breast implants not dropping after 6 months, don’t panic. There are various factors playing into this process as mentioned above, such as the tightness of your pectoral muscles and the size and material of your implant. Your implants will continue to shift after the 6-month mark. And you should really only start to have concerns once you hit the 9 to 12-month mark and you notice no drop. Regardless of where you are in your healing journey if you have questions or concerns reach out to our Houston plastic surgeon today.

What’s Not Normal During Breast Augmentation Recovery

If your symptoms and results following breast augmentation concern you in any way, we can give you some peace of mind. Our board-certified plastic surgeon has performed hundreds of breast implant surgeries and knows what is normal during recovery and what is not. The main issue to look out for is capsular contracture. It’s normal for your body to form a pocket of scar tissue around the implant to isolate the foreign object and to protect you. A lack of implant drop and fluff, such as the lower breast seeming empty, could indicate that pocket has hardened and started to contract around the implant, which not only affects the appearance of your breasts but may also cause breast pain.

If you’re interested in breast augmentation, please contact our plastic surgeon in Houston today at (281) 313-0551 to schedule your consultation. Luxe Plastic Surgery serves patients in Houston, Katy, Sugar Land, and surrounding Texas areas.