What bra should you wear after surgery? I don’t like most surgical bras. They tend to be expensive and poorly made.
I like an underwire, “sport” bra, that goes on like a normal bra (not pull over your head). It should have a size to it (like 34D, not a range like 34 C-DD or “large”). You will wear this 24/7 for the first 3-4 weeks after surgery. It should fit you well- good support, but not too tight or cutting into you.
How can I wear an underwire? Underwire bras are just better bras. They give good shape and support, and after surgery you will swell to the shape of whatever bra we put you in. Remember I do a short scar breast reduction technique, also known as the lollipop or vertical breast reduction. This does NOT have the giant under the breast scar. (If your surgeon does an anchor scar / inferior pedicle / Wise pattern breast reduction, you DO have a scar along the underwire. Again, this bra advice is for my patients and the vertical breast lift and reduction technique I use.)
My favorite brands are Natori or Wacoal. See photos from Nordstrom below. (They don’t have to be these exact ones- I just include photos so you can see what they look like.)
Other advice:
- If the band is cutting into you (the 34 feels too tight right after surgery), this is from swelling along the brastrap area which will go away. I do liposuction of the axillary roll (a fancy way of saying the brastrap area) for most of my breast reductions and lifts. This is the area that tends to hurt, swell, and bruise the most after surgery. Don’t worry. It will go away and soften up. Don’t let the bra band cut into your skin. Adjust the band up and down to help, so it isn’t hitting you in the same place all the time. Massage the area. You can use an “extender” if you need to loosen up the bra band, essentially making a 34 into a 36 bra band. (You can also hack up an older bra and use the hooks as an extender so you don’t need to buy one.)
- Buy a few sizes of bras and keep the tags. You can return the ones that don’t fit. We are never exactly sure what size you will be after surgery or how much you will swell after surgery.
- Good bras are good to wear as your everyday bra even after your surgery has healed. After your breast lift or breast reduction, you still have breast volume. You want to support it. Many of you were droopy prior to surgery, which indicates poor skin tone. Don’t let gravity try to stretch you out again. We want your breasts to stay high and perky as long as possible. Support them well.
- This includes wearing a soft bra for nighttime support. Once your skin is stretched out and sagging, there is no nonsurgical way of “retightening” or re-lifting them. Keep them pretty!
I am here for questions.