Your Implants in Water and Sun: Get Ready for Summer!

You have recently gotten breast implants. They look fabulous, and you are loving your added cleavage, renewed fullness and perkier appearance. But you might wonder: Am I ready for the beach? Which sun and water based activities can I safely engage in without worrying about my new implants?

You are not the only one to worry about this. At NuBody Concepts, we get many questions about breast surgery, from “Will my implants affect how well I float?” to “Could my implants boil in the hot tub?” Don’t worry, we have you covered. In general, it is safe to say that breast implants are much more resilient than you might think, and it’s unlikely that you’ll do anything that can cause breast implant damage. Here are answers to several specific questions about breast implants to help you prepare for a summer full of fun in the water and under the sun.

Can I Use a Tanning Bed with Breast Implants?

Tanning is something that you can enjoy as early as three weeks after your breast surgery (but always follow the post-op instructions of your plastic surgeon). Using a tanning bed is safe for implants. It is a common myth that breast implants melt from ultraviolet rays. The fact is that the sun emits the same ultraviolet rays as a tanning bed, and both have no impact on breast implants.

The scars from your surgery are in a discreet location to begin with, and they will fade with time. Ultraviolet light from a tanning bed or natural sunlight can cause scars to appear redder. Therefore, you should avoid exposing your incisions to ultraviolet rays, whether from a tanning bed or from the sun. We strongly recommend using sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher on any exposed areas of skin.

Will Scuba Diving Harm my Breast Implants?

This question has actually been researched at Duke University Medical Center in a study about breast implants and scuba diving. Researchers placed silicone gel and saline implants into a hyperbaric chamber to simulate the changes in pressure that scuba divers experience at different depths of water. If you are a scuba diver, you will know that increased underwater pressure causes nitrates to build up in the diver’s blood and tissues. If a diver returns the surface too quickly, built up nitrate gas can form dangerous bubbles. But the study found that this wasn’t harmful to the breast implants. While bubbles may indeed form inside the implant, which may lead to a small volume increase, they were not found to damage the implant or surrounding tissue. Any such buildup in bubbles that you might experience when scuba diving with breast implants will resolve with time.

Can I Relax in the Sauna if I Have Breast Implants?

After exercising or following a long day at work, it can be fun to relax in the sauna. But is a sauna too hot for breast implants? All breast implants, whether filled with silicone or saline, have a silicone shell. Silicone melts at temperatures higher than 392 degrees. If you use any silicone oven mitts, muffin pans, or roasting racks in your kitchen, you will know that they are safe up to most temperatures generally used in baking. Conventional saunas operate at a much lower temperature, typically between 150 and 190 degrees. You do not have to fear that your implants will melt in the sauna. Enjoy this relaxing experience!

Could My Breast Implants Boil in the Hot Tub?

Just like the sauna, you can enjoy the hot tub without any fears of your implants being harmed. They are inside of your body, and the average hot tub temperature is only 102 degrees. Even though water conducts heat better than the air in the sauna would, this temperature is way too low for your body to boil. As long as you can stand the heat of your jacuzzi, your breast implants can too. You can safely enjoy the hot tub as soon as your doctor has cleared you in your post-op exam. We suggest you do so in a new, great-looking bathing suit that accentuates your new eye-catching breasts!

Will Breast Implants Affect How Well I Float?

This may sound like a silly question, but it has merit. The answer is that it depends on the type of your implants. Saline implants are filled with a solution that is very close to seawater, so they won’t affect your buoyancy at all. You’ll still float better in saltwater than in freshwater, just like everyone else.

Silicone gel implants are somewhat denser than water, making you a teensy bit heavier. Still, this will hardly be noticeable when you swim. However, it is recommended that scuba divers complete a check dive after getting gel implants so that they can adjust their dive weights if necessary.

Will My Breast Implants Suffer from Strenuous Activity?

Summer is often a time when we relax. But it can also be an opportunity for new adventurous activities that might be more taxing on your body than your regular exercise regimen. Think of kite surfing or rock climbing. While any activity, no matter how strenuous, can be safely performed with breast implants, you should give it enough time. Make sure you follow the post-op instructions of your plastic surgeon regarding exercise. The recommended waiting period before the resumption of heavy lifting and exercise ranges from about three to seven weeks. Light exercise may be cleared by your surgeon as early as two weeks after breast surgery.

You may find these and other breast implant myths in your online research. We hope that we’ve allayed your fears but encourage you to call NuBody Concepts if you have any additional questions. In the meantime, we hope that you enjoy another fantastic summer in the sun!

With NuBody Concepts, you can achieve the body you’ve always desired. Check out our Breast Implants before and after photos to see proof of our work. Schedule a consultation at our Memphis or Nashville location today to learn how NuBody Concepts can help you achieve stunning Breast Implants results.