So you have had your breast augmentation, congratulations! Whether you have chosen saline, silicone, or those yummy tear-drop shaped “gummy bear” anatomic breast implants, now is the time in this post-operative period to care for your new implants. You have spent a pretty penny on this investment and you want to listen to the post-operative instructions provided by your board certified plastic surgeon.

Generally we recommend wearing a sports or surgical bra for 4 weeks 24/7. It’s not always that comfortable to wear consistently but neither is sleeping on your back if you’re used to sleeping on your stomach but it is just part of what we sign up for when we want a breast augmentation. That being said lets talk about how to buy the right size sports bra.

There is no perfect way to determine the exact size you will need because as swelling reduces over the next 4 weeks you might need a different size. That being said there are a couple questions to take into consideration:

  • Is your cup size changing significantly (A cup to DD cup)?
  • Is the sizing system a numerical (32, 34, 36) or letter (S, M, L)?

If you are going up one or two cup sizes, go one size up from what you normally wear and bring the non-padded bra with you to your pre-operative appointment to confirm snugness with the use of our sizing system. If your augmentation is more significant purchase two different sizes, one that is two or three sizes up from what you normally wear and one a step down.

We don’t have a favorite brand but our patients love the front closure because it’s a little easier to get on post-operatively and Fruit of the Loom and Under Armour seems to be most popular. Front closures can be found on www.amazon.com, Target, Walmart, or at a higher retail cost through www.adoriwear.com. The key is to Remember… snug NOT excessively tight.

The rationale behind wearing a sports or surgical bra is to provide support and compression- not to push them up. Pushing them up in that critical healing time could result in additional surgery to bring the pocket back down. That’s why it is imperative that no underwire or regular bras are worn until after the 4 weeks have elapsed. Then… it’s time to shop for you’re new bra size, which can be measured at your local intimacy boutique, my suggestion: Jolie Femme in Del Mar.