How Can I Prepare for the Beach After Body Recontouring?

It’s time to celebrate! You made the changes to your body you’ve always wanted to make. Now, the moment is here that you’ve been anticipating for months: your first trip to the beach. You may be wondering, how can I prepare for the beach after body recontouring? Whether you’ll be laying out on the shore of Lake Monona or skipping town for a family vacation to the ocean, here are some ways to ensure that your first trip to the beach after breast augmentation, tummy tuck, or other body recontouring procedure is a success.

  • Safe in the Sun
  • Taking the Plunge
  • Comfortable Swimwear

Safe in the Sun

It’s important to remember to care for your scars while out in the sun. New scars that are exposed to a lot of sun can permanently darken. Ensure optimal healing results by shielding your scars from the sun with clothing or waterproof sunscreen. Ideally, you should try to protect your scars in this way for at least a year. 

Note: Dr. Bartell specializes in scarless breast augmentation, so this is less of a concern for those patients. After the procedure, only a small scar is left on the underarm that usually fades after several months. To learn more about this procedure, read: https://www.drbartell.com/breast-enhancements/breast-augmentation/

Taking the Plunge

Be sure to check with your doctor about when it’s safe to go swimming after your procedure. Bacteria live in bodies of water. Going in too soon can risk infection at the incision site. 

Generally, you should wait about four weeks before getting back into the water. This is also about the time when you can start exercising again as well. However, it’s important to listen to your body. Strenuous water activities like swimming laps might be uncomfortable, especially if you’ve had breast augmentation. Consider slowly easing back into your water workouts. 

Comfortable Swimwear

One happy problem you might have after your procedure is that you need to buy new swimwear! If your procedure was recently done, it’s important to keep your healing body in mind when buying that new swimsuit.

For men who’ve had tummy tucks or liposuction, keep in mind that your abdominal scar might be sensitive. Finding the right fit for your new shape is important. Look for trucks that don’t ride up, possibly rubbing against that area. The waist should be snug enough to keep them on but not so tight as to add extra pressure to a sensitive area. 

If you’ve had a breast augmentation, you might find that the small swimsuit tops you once wear don’t provide enough support. Halter tops, tankinis, wide straps, and suits with secure closures instead of ties can provide more security for your fuller top. You might also consider buying separates to make sure you get the perfect fit on the bottom as well as the top.

Dr. Thomas Bartell

Dr. Bartell is the Madison area’s premiere cosmetic surgeon. He is passionate about providing safe, top-quality results for his patients. If you are interested in learning what Dr. Bartell can do for you, schedule your consult today. Dr. Bartell specializes in body recontouring and breast augmentation in Madison, Wisconsin

Dr. Bartell Aesthetic & Reconstructive Surgery

6418 Normandy Lane, Suite 210
Madison, WI 53719
United States (US)

Phone: (608) 271-0500
Fax: (608) 271-0502

How Can I Prepare for the Beach After Body Recontouring? brought to you by Dr. Thomas Bartell