How Long After Breast Augmentation Can They Be Touched?
Posted February 20, 2025 in Breast Procedures
Undergoing breast augmentation can be an exciting step toward increasing your confidence and feeling more comfortable in your skin. However, with any surgery comes questions about recovery, and breast augmentation is no different. One of the most common questions patients (and their partners) have is when it’s okay to touch their breasts again—whether for overall comfort or intimacy. In this blog, we’ll go over some of the factors that can influence how long it takes before your breasts can be touched after breast implant surgery.
5 Min Read:
Breast Augmentation: A Brief Recovery Timeline
The first two weeks after your breast augmentation is when you will likely feel the most discomfort. Swelling and tightness in your breasts, as well as an achy feeling (as if you’d had a challenging workout), are common as your body begins to heal.
During weeks three to four, swelling will continue to dissipate, and you’ll likely feel your energy returning. You can engage in light lower body exercises and get back to your regular daily routine.
Weeks five and six are when you’ll feel like you’re back to normal. Your breast implants typically begin to “drop and fluff” at this point in your recovery, meaning that they start to settle into their proper position on your chest. You can resume more strenuous exercises and activities as long as your surgeon clears you.
Factors That May Impact Your Breasts’ Sensitivity to Touch
As breast augmentation patients know, there are several decisions to be made prior to surgery. Implant type, incision placement, and implant placement are all essential parts of how your breasts look after the procedure, and these factors may also influence how sensitive your breasts are after surgery.
Implant Size
Any increase in breast size may cause discomfort, as your skin needs to adjust to the larger volume, and the implant can press on nerves in the area.
Implant Placement
Breast implants are placed either under the pectoral muscle (submuscular), under the glandular tissue (subglandular), or partially under the glandular tissue and partially under the muscle (dual plane). If you have submuscular or dual plane implant placement, your breasts may be tender longer because the necessary manipulation of the muscle takes a bit longer to heal.
Incision Placement
Incision placement also impacts how sensitive your breasts are after augmentation. Periareolar incisions (placed around the areola of the breast) may take longer to recover because of the nerves concentrated in the area. Inframammary fold incisions (under the breast) are less likely to cause prolonged sensitivity.
Reasons Your Breasts Are Sensitive to Touch After Breast Augmentation
Breast augmentation surgery affects the skin, glandular tissue, nerves, and muscles, so it’s expected that your breasts may feel extra sensitive as you heal. Key factors that influence touch sensitivity after breast augmentation include:
Nerve Healing
No matter what type of implant or incision you choose for your breast augmentation, nerves in your breasts will be impacted. There are thousands of nerves in the breasts, so placing an implant will disrupt and change the sensations of those nerves. Some women may experience temporary numbness, while others may have heightened sensitivity. Whether you have more or less nerve sensation after breast augmentation, it’s important to be gentle with your breasts.
Swelling
Breast augmentation results in significant swelling, which can translate to your breasts feeling tender and firm to the touch. Wearing a compression garment or surgical bra can help minimize swelling, support your new breasts, and make you more comfortable. As swelling decreases, sensitivity to touch will also decrease.
When Can My Breasts Be Touched After Breast Augmentation?
The short answer to this question is “whenever you are comfortable with your breasts being touched.” Your body’s healing process is unique to you, including when you feel emotionally and mentally ready for your new breasts to be touched.
From a medical standpoint, your breasts are usually ready to be touched about three weeks after surgery. At this point, your incisions should be healed, and swelling will decrease significantly. Light, gentle touch is encouraged so that you can familiarize yourself with how the implants feel and be aware of any changes (like hardening, which could indicate capsular contracture).
Three or so weeks after breast augmentation is also a good time to start massaging your breasts. If your surgeon clears you, you should gently massage your breasts two to three times a day for the first couple of months. Some of the benefits of massaging your breasts after augmentation include:
- Breaking down scar tissue in the area to keep scars soft and flat
- Keep your breast tissue feeling natural and flexible
- Increase blood flow to encourage healing
- Help drain lymph fluid from the treatment area
Your incisions must be completely healed before incorporating massage into your breast augmentation recovery, so again, make sure you receive clearance from your surgeon before starting.
Intimate Touch After Breast Augmentation
One of the essential rules of recovery after breast augmentation is “no strenuous activity for six weeks after surgery.” While you may not view sex with your partner as strenuous, it is still exercise and something that should be taken slow. While light fondling and touch are okay beginning at the three-week mark, make sure your partner doesn’t squeeze or roughly touch your breasts.
When you feel ready to have sex, make sure your breasts are supported and that you’re not engaging your upper body, at least for the first six weeks. Don’t let your partner’s body weight rest on your chest, and take things slow. If you feel any discomfort, stop—you don’t want to risk injuring yourself.
Learn More About Breast Augmentation in Beverly Hills
If your “new year, new me” resolutions include exploring the benefits of breast augmentation, it’s time to schedule a consultation with Dr. Josef Hadeed. His skill, expertise, and experience in breast procedures (including breast reduction and breast lift surgeries) ensure that your breast augmentation results are as beautiful as you envisioned. To make an appointment, call our office today at (310) 970-2940 or complete the online contact form.
