Contents
Your recovery at a glance
- Off work
- Office work: 1–2 weeks
- Driving
- Driving: 1 week (only if off strong painkillers)
- Showering
- You can shower from day 1
- Exercise
- Gentle exercise: 4 weeks (wear support bra)
- Your garment
- Short flights (<3 hours): 1–2 weeks (wear compression socks)
- First review
- Week 1 (Day 7)
- Full recovery
- 6–8 weeks for full recovery
This is a general guide for the average patient. Your own instructions come with your discharge information and in your recovery guide in the Waterfront patient app, and they come first.
Before you leave the hospital
- Painkillers: Make sure you have your painkillers before you leave, the nurse looking after you will go through them with you.
- Surgical bra: At Waterfront we provide you with a Macom post-surgical bra, and our nursing team will fit it before you go home. Ensure you have it on properly and understand how to wear it.
- Follow-up appointments: You will be given a card with details of your first dressing clinic / follow-up appointment (usually week 1) and contact details for the ward if you have any concerns once you get home.
- Getting home safely: You must have someone to take you home and a responsible adult with you for the first night.
Week by week
Days 1–3 Early recovery
What is normal
- Breast pain and tightness
- Swelling and bruising
- Feeling tired
- Small blood spots on dressings
- Mood changes
What to do
- Take painkillers regularly (don’t wait for pain)
- Rest but walk around your home every few hours
- Sleep in any comfortable position
- Keep your surgical bra on
- Shower carefully – it’s OK if dressings get damp
- Pat dressings dry gently
- Don’t worry if outer dressings come loose
Days 4–7 Improving daily
What is normal
- Pain reducing
- Swelling starting to go down
- Feeling more like yourself
What to do
- Continue painkillers only if needed
- Increase gentle walking
- Can consider driving if not on strong painkillers
- Attend first follow-up appointment (usually day 7)
- Nurse removes outer dressings
- Paper tape stays on wounds
Week 2 Progressive healing
What is normal
- Feeling better, less tight
- Noticeable reduction in swelling
- Bruising fading to yellow/green
- Feeling much more like yourself
What to do
- Remove paper tape by end of week (use Vaseline if stuck)
- Return to work if job isn’t physical
- Most patients stop painkillers
- Continue gentle activities
- Light household tasks (no heavy lifting)
Weeks 3–4 Most swelling gone
What is normal
- 80-90% of swelling gone
- May feel shooting pains (nerves healing – this is normal)
- Significant improvement in appearance
- Feeling confident with results
What to do
- Start moisturising scars if wounds are dry
- Can resume most normal daily activities
- Light exercise may be permitted (with approval)
- Continue scar care with recommended products
- Can raise arms fully
- Protect from sun exposure
Weeks 4–6 Return to normal
What is normal
- Almost normal appearance
- Most swelling resolved
- Scars significantly faded
- Feeling completely normal
- Full range of motion
What to do
- Can wear normal supportive bras (avoid underwire for now)
- Full exercise with surgeon approval
- Continue sun protection on scars
- Regular scar care routine
- Follow-up appointment around week 6
Month 3 Final settling
What is normal
- Scars well-healed and faded
- Can try underwired bras (get professionally fitted first)
- Final shape apparent
- Complete return to all activities
What to do
- After 3 months you can try underwired bras (get professionally fitted first)
- Get professionally fitted first
- All activities permitted
- Regular exercise including upper body
- Continue long-term care as advised
- Annual check-ups as recommended
Wound care and scars
- You can shower from day 1
- Pat dressings dry gently
- Don’t worry if outer dressings come loose
- After first week, nurse removes outer dressings at appointment
- Paper tape stays on wounds
- At week 2, remove paper tape by end of week (use Vaseline if stuck)
- Watch for signs of infection: increasing redness, warmth, swelling, discharge, or fever
Comfort and pain relief
- Take your painkillers as directed on their labels, every medicine you go home with is labelled with its dose and frequency, and your nurse will go through them with you before you leave. Paracetamol and ibuprofen can safely be taken together
- Take painkillers regularly in the first few days – do not wait until pain is severe
- Dihydrocodeine: only if regular painkillers aren’t enough
- Some discomfort, tightness and swelling is expected
- Swelling and bruising typically peak at 48–72 hours then gradually improve
- A supportive / soft bra can help reduce discomfort during the first few weeks
Your surgical support bra
A well-fitting surgical bra made of soft, seamless fabric is essential during your recovery.
As a guide: wear it day and night for the first 3 months, then during the day up to about 6 months. These are typical timings rather than strict rules, your team will tailor them to you.
Bra Requirements:
- No underwiring
- Front opening (not over head)
- Adjustable straps
- Soft, seamless fabric
- Correct band size (28, 30, 32, 34, 36, etc.)
- Additional bras of your choice: High street: M&S, Tesco, ASDA. Specialist brands: Macom Signature Bra, Lipoelastic PI Ideal, Lipoelastic PI Relax (use code QUABA for discount).
Scar care
When to Start: Begin at 4 weeks if wounds are fully healed
The Routine:
- Tape (3–5 days): Apply Micropore tape to scars
- Moisturise (1–2 days): Remove tape, apply plain moisturiser
- Repeat this cycle for 4–6 months
- Products to Use, Tape: Micropore 3M (from pharmacy)
- Products to Use, Moisturiser: Aveeno, E45, or Bio-Oil
- Scar Timeline, 3 months: Scars still pink/red
- Scar Timeline, 6 months: Fading to lighter colour
- Scar Timeline, 1 year: Final appearance
Lifestyle guidelines
✓ DO
- ✓ Walk regularly
- ✓ Eat healthy foods
- ✓ Drink plenty of water
- ✓ Sleep well
- ✓ Take medications as directed
- ✓ Attend all appointments
- ✗ AVOID
- ✗ Smoking (delays healing)
- ✗ Alcohol for 3 weeks
- ✗ Heavy lifting for 6 weeks
- ✗ Underwired bras for 3 months
- ✗ Swimming until wounds healed
- ✗ Direct sun on scars for 1 year
Activity, driving and work
- Driving: 1 week (only if off strong painkillers)
- Office work: 1–2 weeks
- Physical work: 2–3 weeks (start gradually)
- Short flights (<3 hours): 1–2 weeks (wear compression socks)
- Long flights (>3 hours): 3 weeks (move around hourly)
- Gentle exercise: 4 weeks (wear support bra)
- Full exercise: 6 weeks (build up slowly)
- Swimming: 6 weeks (when wounds fully healed)
- Underwired bras: 3 months (check with nurse first)
- No heavy lifting for 6 weeks
- No smoking (delays healing)
- Avoid alcohol for 3 weeks
- Direct sun on scars: avoid for 1 year
Follow-up appointments
- Week 1 (Day 7): Nurse removes outer dressings. Checks your healing. Answers your questions. Paper tape stays on wounds. Wound inspection; Dressing removal; Healing assessment; Review of care instructions
- Further nurse reviews, as needed: You are likely to have further nurse reviews, wound healing after this procedure often benefits from more than one visit. The nurses will arrange these with you and will discharge you from nurse-led care once they are happy your wounds have healed.
- Around 6 months: surgeon review (final follow-up): Your surgeon will usually see you at around 6 months to assess your final result. Your surgeon is always available to review you sooner if required, and in some circumstances may wish to see you before your final follow-up.
Common questions
When will my breasts look normal?
Most swelling goes by 4 weeks. Final shape takes 6 months. They may drop slightly – this is normal.
Can I sleep on my side?
Yes, sleep however is comfortable. Your surgical bra provides support in any position.
When can I buy normal bras?
After 3 months you can try underwired bras, get professionally fitted first, as your size will have changed.
Why do I have shooting pains?
This means nerves are healing. It’s normal and will improve over several months.
What if paper tape won’t come off?
Soak with Vaseline for 30 minutes, then gently peel off. Never force it.
Your guide in the patient app
Your recovery guide in the Waterfront patient app is the personal, dated version of this page, with your own instructions, your appointments and the hospital’s contact details.
Download the printed leaflet (PDF)
Your discharge information and your recovery guide in the Waterfront patient app tell you who to contact and when. If you have any concerns about your recovery, contact the hospital using the details you were given.