Our Complete Guide on How to Prepare for Breast Augmentation Surgery


Breast augmentation is a surgical procedure that allows women to gain more volume in their breasts, resulting in the full, natural-looking curves they desire. Virtually all of our patients who have breast augmentation performed are extremely pleased with their results. With that said, it does qualify as major surgery and isn’t anything to enter into lightly.

There are some specific steps we’d recommend as you prepare for your procedure. Your surgeon will provide more detailed instructions, but for now, here are the basics.

How to Prepare for Breast Augmentation

1) Make sure you are a qualified candidate.

One of the most important steps in the process is scheduling a consultation with your board-certified plastic surgeon, who will not only discuss your aesthetic goals with you but will also evaluate your medical history to ensure you’re a good candidate.

To verify that you’re qualified for a safe, successful procedure, your surgeon may:

  • Recommend seeing your primary care provider for some blood work
  • Ask you to stop smoking for a prolonged period of time
  • Recommend some adjustments to the medications and supplements you take

During your consultation, you will learn all about how to prepare for breast augmentation, ensuring you’re ready for a safe, uncomplicated procedure.

2) Make sure you’re at a good, manageable body weight.

Physical fitness is a crucial step in preparing for breast augmentation, and we generally recommend that patients be pretty close to their ideal body weight.

There are a couple of reasons for this. One is that, if you are in good shape overall, it will help you to recover more quickly.

Additionally, major fluctuations in your body weight can impact skin and tissue across your body, including your breasts. In other words, having a major weight shift can actually compromise the results of your procedure.

3) Prepare yourself emotionally.

As you get into good physical shape, also make sure you’re in good emotional shape.

Most women who get breast augmentation are optimistic and excited about their results… as they should be! However, it’s important to remember that the recovery process takes several weeks. And, due to initial swelling, it may be a month or more before you really get a good sense of what your new curves will look like.

Prepare yourself for a few emotional ups and downs. Be patient with yourself, and with the recovery process. We promise the results are worth it!

4) Ask for some time off.

If you work outside of the home, you’ll want to be sure that you arrange to take a little time off to rest and recover. Again, breast augmentation is a major procedure, and you don’t want to be rushing right back into your normal activities.

So how much time off do you need? Most women are ready to resume their normal activities within one to two weeks. However, if you have a job that involves heavy lifting or strenuous exercise, your surgeon may advise you to take some additional time off from work.

5) Enlist help.

Breast augmentation isn’t something you want to do on your own.

If nothing else, you’ll need someone who can drive you home from the procedure, as you’ll be unable to do so following your anesthesia. We also really want patients to have someone stay with them for 24 to 48 hours at a minimum, just in case any complications arise.

For most women, it’s best to have a mom, sister, girlfriend, or partner stay with you for at least a week, helping around the house while you take all the time you need to rest and heal.

6) Go shopping.

As you recover from breast augmentation, the last thing you’re going to want to do is dash out to run errands. As such, we recommend stocking up on supplies before the big day. A partial shopping list includes:

  • Healthy foods and snacks that won’t require a ton of preparation.
  • Bottled water and sports drinks to keep you hydrated.
  • Any prescription or OTC medications recommended by your surgeon.
  • Magazines, books, or reading materials to keep your mind occupied.

7) Set up a recovery space.

Most patients feel pretty “normal” within a week or two, but initially, you’re just going to want to rest and relax. Before surgery, set up a recovery zone, which may be a bed or a sofa. Just make sure it’s somewhere that’s comfortable and accessible, and where you’ll have things like your TV and a stack of reading materials close at hand. Also, try to choose a sleeping surface where it’s easy for you to get up and down so that things like going to the bathroom are not too burdensome.

8) Resist shopping for new bras (for now).

Many women feel eager to rush out and buy new undergarments. That can certainly be fun, but we recommend waiting. For one, you may need to wear a compression garment for several weeks before you can switch to normal bras. Also, due to initial swelling, it may be hard to assess your new cup size for a few weeks.

9) Know what to expect on the big day.

To conclude, here are a few tips for how to prepare for breast augmentation on the actual day of your surgery.

  • Follow any specific instructions your surgeon gives you about fasting the night before.
  • Try to wake up pretty early; the last thing you want is to feel rushed on what may already be an anxious day.
  • Feel free to bathe or shower, but avoid makeup, lotion, perfume, or any scented products.
  • Remember that you will have a few minutes before the surgery to go over any last-minute questions with your plastic surgeon.

Find Out More About How to Prepare for Breast Augmentation

Do you have any additional questions about getting ready for your procedure? We’d love to help you and to provide you with total confidence as you move forward with breast augmentation. To arrange a consultation with one of our doctors, contact Charlotte Plastic Surgery today.