With a breast lift you can expect the following: to drive after you are completely off your pain medications, which is usually about 3 - 5 days; to resume normal activities after about a week; to avoid strenuous and/or upper-body workouts for the first 3 - 4 weeks after surgery; to visit your doctor\'s office post-operatively at one day, 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 1 year. (Plastic surgeons also recommend annual follow-up visits;) to perform monthly self-breast examinations; to see your final results at about 12 months, after your skin and tissues have relaxed and the scars subside. While recovery time may vary, you should generally expect to take one week off for an administrative or desk-type job.

There are several common questions that patients may ask. Can a plastic surgeon do a breast lift and augmentation at the same time? Many plastic surgeons usually prefer to do these surgeries at separate times to allow for better wound healing and minimize the appearance of scars (although there are some exceptions to this rule). In doing both a lift and augmentation at the same time, the blood supply to the nipple is sometimes strangled. As such, most surgeons usually do not feel that combining these procedures is safest for the patient.

When can I work out again after surgery? You can generally do low impact aerobics after about 3 weeks after surgery. You should not do higher impact aerobics for at least 3 months after surgery. Plastic surgeons do not want your breasts to be bouncing while they are healing.

How long after my surgery can I go in a hot tub or pool? When you immerse your scar into water, you lessen the tensile strength (e.g. natural skin strength), causing the scar to widen. With normal healing, your tensile strength returns to 70% after about 3 weeks and 90% after 8 - 10 weeks post-surgery. Plastic surgeons discourage swimming or hot tubs for the first 10 weeks after surgery. Other than getting in the shower, you should avoid any immersion in water during this time.

How long after my surgery can I sunbathe topless or go in a tanning bed? You should stay out of the sun and artificial tanning lights for anywhere from 6 - 12 months (and maybe even longer). When premature scars are exposed to the sun (or tanning bed lights), they will tan at a different rate than the surrounding skin and become redder or darker. This pigment can become permanent, like a tattoo. You should keep your scars out of the sun, until the scars are no longer red, indicating that the scar has matured. Again, this healing process typically takes anywhere from 6 - 12 months. Healing rates depend highly on skin thickness. The chest typically takes longer to heal since it is thicker skin.