HELP! My nipples are consistently hard. Will they be like this forever? 

Before you panic, the answer is no. We see this question all the time in the Bustmob Community, a safe space for women to connect and learn about cosmetic surgery, and we’ve experienced it ourselves.

Take some comfort in knowing your nipples will not stay hard forever. We know chaffing is uncomfortable, and you may feel like everyone is looking down at your very awake nipples, but as your body heals, your breasts, nerves, and nipples will all settle. 

We’re all about transparency here, so we want to be upfront with you. Though this phase isn’t forever, it may feel like forever. Trust us (or the +50,000 members in the Bustmob Community), your nipples will go back down.

But it does take about 3 months after your surgery for the swelling to go down and your nerves to settle, which can (and probably will) feel like a lifetime.

You may experience some numbness, chafing, or discomfort as those nerves reawaken. Take a deep breath. All of this is just a normal part, not the entirety, of the recovery process. 

Learn more about plastic surgery and breast augmentation recovery in the free Bustmob Academy app. 

It can be uncomfortable, a bit awkward, but it’s totally normal.

In the initial weeks and months after your breast augmentation, it’s normal to experience some numbness or sensitivity as your body heals, your nerves regenerate, leaving you feeling a bit out of control. 

Maybe you’re mid-sentence, you glance down, and, oh–your headlights are on…when did that happen?

Okay, we admit it. This isn’t the best feeling in the world, but these are signs that your body is healing, your nerves are waking up, swelling is going down, and that your recovery is working!

Be patient. Around the 3-month mark, you’ll really start to feel more like yourself and you’ll begin to see the early stages of your results. 

In the meantime…

To help alleviate some of that discomfort and headlight look, a lot of women use nursing pads to help provide some cushion and a little barrier between the breasts and the bra. 

If you’ve breastfed, you know the power of keeping your nipples moisturized. The remedies for post-op nipples are similar. Nursing pads, a good supportive bra, and keeping your girls moisturized will help make your recovery more comfortable.

Need a little inspiration? 

Remember what excited you about breast implants in the first place! Search through the Bustmob GoalFinder to see real results from real women. You’ll notice many of the results you love are taken at the 3-month mark and beyond. A little photographic proof that good things take time. 

You can even take it a step further and search by patient stats like height, weight, even implant size to visualize what results look like on a frame that is similar to yours.

Like the Beatles once said, “I get by with a little help from my friends.” So don’t be afraid to lean into the Bustmob Community. Breast augmentation surgery is a physical and emotional journey that you don’t have to go through alone.

The women of Bustmob are always there to give a boost of encouragement. Added bonus, the plastic surgeons of Amelia Aesthetics volunteer their time to answer questions in exclusive live Q&As for our community.

Not only do you have personal anecdotes, tips, and tricks, you’ve also got the expertise of plastic surgeons, to ensure you’re confident and informed each step of the way. 

How long is the recovery anyway? 

Breast augmentation typically has 5-7 days of true downtime, meaning you’ll limit physical activity, take your pain medication, and have another adult helping you out with the basics. For the first 6 weeks, you’ll avoid heavy lifting, most exercise (other than a stroll around the block), and submerging in water. 

Your plastic surgeon may also recommend you keep the scar tape on your incision for the first 6 weeks, changing that initial tape at 3 weeks. After the 6-week mark, most women are cleared to resume their normal lives, remove the tape, and begin applying scar salve. 

We can’t stress this enough, you will not wake up from your surgery with your final results. Good things take time and a breast augmentation is no different. 

Your final results will take about 9-12 months to make their way onto the scene and scars take a full 12 months post-operative to heal. 

However, that doesn’t mean that you won’t see improvements. We recommend that you take progress photos each week in the same bathing suit or bra. Though it may seem like nothing is changing, those photos will be a great way for you to track all of the beautiful changes your body has made. 

We love instant gratification just as much as the next person, but unfortunately, breast augmentation is just not one of those things. Get support in the Bustmob Community, be patient with yourself, and you’ll make it to the other side with the boobs of your dreams.

Found this helpful, but want more? 

Good news! This is just one of hundreds of fun, factual videos on the Bustmob Academy app to make your plastic surgery research easy.

From commonly told myths and FAQs, to recovery time and costs, Jenny Eden, founder of Bustmob, and Gretta Nance, lead educator at Amelia Aesthetics, break down your plastic surgery research into bite-size, bingeable pieces. 

Pair the Bustmob Academy app with Jenny’s 15-Day Texting Series and you are well on your way to being empowered and educated before you even set foot in your consultation.