9 Ways to Prevent Your Breast Implants from Bottoming Out

Bottoming out is a common risk associated with breast augmentation surgery.

While there are some factors that will be out of your control, there are a few ways to reduce your risk of bottoming out.

Bottoming out explained

If a breast implant begins to lose its internal support and the skin is no longer able to hold the implant in place, it can begin to sink. This is called ‘bottoming out’.

Patients that are bottoming out will notice the following:

  • The distance between your nipple and the bottom of your breast gets stretched
  • Your nipples may appear to be pointing upwards

Bottoming out mostly occurs when the breast tissue loses elasticity, which can be due to:

  • Major weight loss
  • Hormonal changes
  • Pregnancy and breastfeeding
  • High concentrations of breast fat
  • Medications or medical treatments

9 Ways to reduce your risk of bottoming out

Below are 9 tips from Waverly House on how to reduce bottoming out risks:

  1. Choose the right surgeon. The best way to prevent bottoming out is to get the procedure right the first time around. Choosing a surgeon with extensive training and experience will help increase your breast augmentation success rates.
  2. Know your body. If you have any signs of skin laxity (loss of skin elasticity) such as stretch marks around the breast and your surgeon doesn’t mention bottoming out during your consultation, it’s important that you bring it up yourself and explain why you’re concerned.
  3. Evaluate alternatives. There are a number of breast augmentation variations available that can reduce your risk of bottoming out, sub-muscular implant placement being an example. If you are concerned about the risk of bottoming out, discuss these alternatives with your surgeon before making a final decision.
  4. Think twice about size. If you’re worried about bottoming out, surgeons at Waverley House in Adelaide recommend staying away from very large implants as they increase the risk of your implants sagging. Choose an implant size that matches the size and shape of your body.
  5. Opt for silicone implants. Since silicone implants are less dense than saline implants, they reduce the likelihood of bottoming out.
  6. Carefully follow post-surgery instructions. If you want to see the results you were hoping for, it’s important to follow all of your doctor’s post-surgery instructions. Wear your support bra 24/7 and don’t rush back into normal daily activities such as driving and exercising.
  7. Enquire about cellular dermal matrices. Placement techniques such as cellular dermal matrices can reduce the risk of bottoming out. Speak to your surgeon about these options during your consultation.
  8. Enquire about anchoring structures.Another option is to ask your surgeon about your potential for anchoring structures, which help secure the deep connective tissue of the breast.
  9. Discuss capsular adherence with your surgeon. Some implants have a higher degree of adherence to the tissues of your breast due to the texture of the implant shell. Some implants tend to make it easier for your body to form a capsule around the implant, which helps hold it in place.

The risk of bottoming out shouldn’t put you off the breast augmentation procedure but it helps to work with the right surgeon right from the start.