Breast Augmentation - How Massage Therapy Aids Results

Breast augmentation is one way that many women choose to enhance their figure and their self confidence. Breast implants can help balance out a pear-shaped figure or give more curves to a boyishly straight profile. While this cosmetic surgery is typically a safe procedure, there are some complications that can occur. One of the most common is call capsular contraction.

Capsular Contraction

Anytime a foreign object enters the human body, the body will build a shell of tissue around it as a defense mechanism. This is the case with breast implants as well. The body forms a capsule of tissue around the implant and normally this does not cause any problems.

However, some women will experience contraction where the capsule will start to shrink and tighten the implant. The breasts will start to feel very hard to the touch and will take on a ball-like appearance. This condition can also be very painful. Surgery is required to remove the implant and the surrounding capsule or to simply cut away the capsule.

Some plastic surgeons feel that the risk of capsular contraction after breast enhancement can be reduced by means of breast massage. They say that massaging the implants can keep the capsular tissue from hardening by continually moving and manipulating it. There are two basic ways to perform breast implant massage and your method may depend on the preferences of your surgeon and your own inclinations.

Compression Massage

Compression massage is the art of pushing down on the implant in one area, making bulge out in other places. This is thought to stretch out the walls of the capsular and keep them from closing in on the implant. Doctors recommend pushing down forcefully on the breast implants several times a day for best results. Compression is typically the easier of the two methods for unskilled patients to perform, although both can be effective if done correctly.

Displacement Massage

Displacement massage involves trying to push the implant around within the capsule, in order to stretch out the tissue sac. The specific movement includes a forceful side to side pinching action, performed several time a day. Many plastic surgeons believe this to be a less effective treatment in the hands of inexperienced breast enhancement patients. In many cases, you may be pushing the implant and the capsule around in the breast tissue, which will not help at all to remove the risk of capsular contracture.

There is Some Controversy

Not all surgeons agree that this technique is useful in preventing capsular contraction. In fact, some suggest that there is no proven benefit to the practice and will discourage their patients from doing it. On the other hand, there does not seem to be evidence that breast massage has any negative effects. So the choice is essentially yours.

When Not to Massage

There are circumstances when you will be advised not to massage your implants. If you have textured implants for example, you should not perform massage techniques. Also if your implants were inserted under the muscle, massaging might put too much pressure on the implants causing them to rupture.