Your Expert-Approved Timeline to Bras After Breast Implants

When you’re planning to get breast implants, you want to jump straight to the ‘after’ picture. But the road to get there is all about following your surgeon’s instructions exactly during recovery. That includes wearing the right kind of garment post-surgery and transitioning to the correct bra when it’s time. Learn when to reach for a sports bra and when it’s safe to go back to underwire below.

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Immediately After Surgery

When you wake up from surgery, you’ll have a new set of implants and a surgical bra to support them.

“Immediately after a breast augmentation we provide our patients with a surgical bra which does not have an underwire, so it doesn’t dig into potential incision sites,” explains New York plastic surgeon Sachin M. Shridharani, MD. “It’s incredibly snug and supportive but without creating too much compression that it would decrease blood flow to certain areas especially the nipple and the areola.”

You’ll start out wearing that surgical bra basically 24/7, before transitioning to a soft supportive bra or a sports bra, per your surgeon’s instructions. For up to six weeks, you’ll only take this surgical bra off to shower and wash it, and that timeline depends on how you heal and what your surgeon recommends.

Soft Bras and Sports Bras

And it’s important to transition to the right kind of bra when it’s time to move on from your surgical bra. “I have our patients wear a soft sports bra with an opening in the front for the first three or so weeks after graduating from a surgical bra,” explains New York plastic surgeon Mokhtar Asaadi, MD.

There are even bras designed specifically for this transition period, which focus on comfort post-surgery while providing support and security. “Options like Athleta’s Empower Bra Collection ($54–$58) are created for post-mastectomy needs in mind and are a great option post-breast augmentation,” says New York plastic surgeon B. Aviva Preminger, MD.

The Return to Underwire

“So if the scar goes on the underside of the breast, the wire would be rubbing against the area,” says Dr. Shridharani. “That’s why we want there to be several weeks of healing, so it doesn’t irritate a fresh incision.”

Newport Beach, CA plastic surgeon Sanjay Grover, MD agrees, noting that most patients can expect to need a soft bra or sports bra for at least the first month post-surgical bra.

It’s important not to rush, especially around the three-week mark. “At that time, you look great and you start to feel great, so you start to do more,” explains Tuscon, AZ plastic surgeon Raman Mahabir, MD. “However, this is when the healing tissue around your implants is at its most vulnerable and at risk of bleeding. Commit to the recovery and just take it easy for the full recovery period.”