The results of your breast augmentation are instantly noticeable following your procedure. There is a period of settling in that the breast implants need to go through before the true results of the procedure are seen. This process is known as ‘dropping and fluffing’.

Drop and fluff or dropping and fluffing is a common phrase in the early stages of breast augmentation recovery, but you may not understand what it actually means.

Of course, the best way to find out the information you require is to ask your surgeon or medical team within your consultation. Still, we will aim to answer some common drop and fluff questions to help you feel prepared for your breast augmentation recovery.

What is drop and fluff?

Drop and fluff is a common term used to describe the process that occurs in the weeks following your breast augmentation process. Immediately after your breast augmentation procedure, you may notice that your implants are sitting high on your chest and may not look as natural as you may have wished. This is because the skin and muscle tissue of your breast are still tight and need some time to relax to allow your breast implants to settle into place.

Drop

As your muscles within the breast relax, your breast implants will drop to a lower, more natural-looking appearance on your chest.

Fluff

They will also fill out the lower area of the breast known as fluff or fluffing. This enables the implant to look rounder and fit within the breast’s natural contours.

Do breast implants look bigger after they drop and fluff?

Breast implants won’t change size, but they may appear bigger or fuller once they have dropped to a lower position and fluffed into a rounder and softer shape.

How long does it take for breast implants to drop and fluff?

This will vary from person to person, but on average the drop and fluff process can take 3-6 months to complete.

Factors which impact the drop and fluff process timeline include;

• Size of the breast implant – larger implants tend to settle faster as they weigh more and drop quicker.
• Type of breast implant – Textured implants often take longer to settle in comparison to smooth implants as there is more friction between the implant and surrounding tissue.
• Breast implant placement – Submuscular implant placements rely on both the breast tissue and muscles relaxing so typically take longer to adapt.
• Skin elasticity – The tightness of your skin elasticity will also impact how long it takes for the implants to drop and fluff, those with tighter skin may find it takes longer than those with thinner or looser skin.

You may notice that one of your implants settles faster than the other, this is not unusual, and we always say that your breasts should be seen as sisters and not twins

Is it possible for breast implants to not drop?

If there are no signs that your breast implants have dropped after 6 months then this could be due to tightness of the pectoral muscles or size of the implants. It is possible for implants to still move after 6 months but if they have still not dropped after 1 year then it may be possible that capsular contracture has occurred. This is when the capsular pocket around the implant has hardened and contracted around the implant – this causes the implant to remain in a tight higher position.

If this is the case, revision surgery is often required to swap out the implant or remove both implants depending on the preference of the patient.

How to help the drop and fluff process

We are often asked how to speed up the drop and fluff process. Overall, there is little that you can do to speed up a process, but we do recommend following your surgeon’s aftercare advice which will help to optimise your body’s natural healing process.

These will all be detailed in your aftercare plan but include:

• Wearing your surgical bra – This helps to reduce swelling and offers support to the implants and surrounding tissues.
• Breast Massage – You will be provided with specific breast massage techniques that can be used to help reduce tightness in the breasts.
• Avoid strenuous activities – Your surgeon will advise on when is best to return to strenuous activities such as exercise and heavy lifting, but this is usually after 6 weeks.

Summary

Drop and fluff is the name for a process that occurs following a breast augmentation procedure. It is when the muscle and skin tissue of the breast start to relax following surgery allowing the breast implant to drop into a more natural position and take on a more rounded shape.

Waiting for breast implants to drop and fluff does take some patience and the timeframe will be different for everyone, and each breast in some instances. Your body must go through a process of creating space for your new breast size and position.

If you are considering a breast enlargement and want to find out more about the drop and fluff process, get in touch to book a consultation with one of our expert breast surgeons who will be able to explain the process in more detail.

Expert Breast Surgeons

• Mr Davood Fallahdar, MD&Surg (Hons), FRCS (Eng), Chir Plast (Hons), MicroSurg (Hons), ORL (H&N) GMC Number: 4686602
• Mr Dario Rochira, BS, MD. GMC Number : 6130664
• Mr Navid Jallali, BSc, MB ChB (Hons), MD FRCS (Plast). GMC Number: 4404969
• Ms Helena Antoniadou, MBBS, MD & Surg (Hons), FRCS (Eng). GMC Number: 3700956
• Mr Maisam Fazel, MA(Cantab), MB BChir, MSEd, FRCS. GMC Number : 4767420
• Mr Giuseppe Di Taranto, MD. GMC Number: 7614248
• Sandip Hindocha – Consultant Aesthetic Plastic Surgeon, MD, MPhil, MBChB, MRCS, MFFLM, FRCS (Plast). GMC Number: 6122218
• Ms Rieka Taghizadeh, MBChb, MRCS (Glas), FRCS (Plast), GMC Number: 4743910
• Mr George Samouris, MD. GMC Number: 7064009

Breast Surgery at The Private Clinic

Medical Expertise

The Private Clinic has been treating patients for over 40 years with thousands of women placing their trust in us each year. We have the Top UK-specialised best breast surgeons with decades of experience.

Outstanding Care

Giving you the best possible results and care is our priority. We provide dedicated care with your expert breast surgeon and nursing team, and a 24-hour helpline so you are always in the best of hands.

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Book a consultation

To find out more about our Breast Augmentation options or to book an appointment with our specialists give us a call on 0333 920 2471 or use our online contact form.

Sources

American Society of Plastic Surgeons – What does “drop and fluff” mean after breast augmentation?