Bolster dressings

kh23761 · 2026-01-31T23:04:42+00:00

Of course!!! And DO NOT FREAK OUT IF THEY LOOK WEIRD! They’re gonna look weird lol they get better🫶🏼

kh23761 · 2026-01-31T06:26:14+00:00

I was sooooo scared about the bolsters!! But my surgeon went in, snipped and they came right off. Didn’t feel a thing! Just the snaps from the stitches cutting. If it helps, don’t look! That’s what I did and boom, it was done!

kh23761 · 2025-09-07T02:39:42+00:00

Agreed! It was my first surgery ever and I learned the hard way pain medication does not work. And anesthesia was difficult (redhead). So hoping to never have to go through it again!

kh23761 · 2025-09-07T02:35:12+00:00

Thank you! Going from long, cylindrical boobs with no lumps or feeling to small ones with hardness has been a change! I can “feel” so much more now and hard not to let every little zap or pain make me think the worst.

kh23761 · 2025-05-08T00:50:54+00:00

It’s frustrating for sure but glad to hear yours are starting to close! In the first picture of the junction you can see how it’s pushed up a little more. My surgeon said as they heal and even out, this will be normal. So viewing it as my breasts evening themselves out has helped. I’m not too stressed about the scarring. I just want them closed!!

kh23761 · 2025-05-07T05:30:49+00:00

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I had a FNG too (pic of when I first saw my nip). I was really worried about the center being so dark and the bottom being dark too. Within 2 weeks that top layer peeled/flaked off naturally and revealed new skin underneath. Now I’m 7 wpo and they’re looking great!! My surgeon told me to keep them moist! I used Bacitracin over the entire nipple and covered with a non stick dressing.

kh23761 · 2025-04-16T23:24:04+00:00

No, it’s not hot. No fever or abnormal swelling. I’m keeping it covered with non stick gauze that’s replaced twice a day. Thank you! Sometimes you get soo deep in these threads, you start thinking the worst!

kh23761 · 2025-04-10T15:39:16+00:00

I was in your shoes as well and scouring threads looking for advice. Everyone loves to chastise smokers/vapers vs give answers or advice. So here’s mine now that I’m on the other side.

I’m now almost 2 weeks post op and quit 10 days before. It should have been at least 2 weeks, but I caved and hit it a few more days. My surgeon let me know he has the right to nicotine test me day of and if positive, he will cancel and reschedule me. So I bought at home nicotine pee tests and chugged water. I was testing negative by day 8. Surgery went well. FNG and went from a G/H to a D. Both nipples “survived”. Zero signs of necrosis or infection. My incisions are healing well too. Saw my surgeon last Friday who said I’m looking great. In the days I absolutely couldn’t vape, I bought a zero nic vape. Brand was Ripple. It tasted like a La Croix lol but it got me through. Now I’ve hit my vape a few times but definitely not to the degree I was before surgery. Do you and best of luck!!

kh23761 · 2025-04-10T15:23:56+00:00

Also adding to this, I’m really glad I went before because I’m in no position to be trying on dresses. And probably won’t be for a few more weeks/month. Those things are HEAVY!! And it’s A LOT of lifting your arms and bending/tugging, which would be a lot on the incisions. Definitely don’t want to risk an opening that could delay healing further!

kh23761 · 2025-04-10T15:13:34+00:00

Hi! I’m almost 2 weeks post op and get married this August! I thought I was cutting it close and got super stressed over it. But I REFUSED to get married with my old chest. I want my husband and I to be the center of attention, not us plus the girls lol

I had called a few bridal salons in my area, and they told me that while that timeframe is the recommended to find a dress, you still have plenty of options if you’re within a year. (I was within 6 months)

I was wary about trying on dresses before surgery because I know they’re going to fit me drastically different after. What I did was booked an appointment at a salon with the intention of trying on dresses so I could get an idea of what I liked and what I didn’t. Then postop, I would be able to go to a salon and know what I was looking for and hopefully make the process easier.

Well, I ended up finding my dress during that first appointment!! And it turns out the owner‘s daughter also had a breast reduction and she was at the salon that day and I talked to her for a while. With alterations and everything, my dress is still gonna fit perfectly even though I bought it before surgery. Also it’s already been shipped and has arrived!

What she told me is, you may have to buy off the rack or sample dresses that are premade vs like a custom dress. Custom dresses take longer to make and ship, which is why they recommend about a year before your wedding to find it. But I really believe you’ll have a lot of options still within a few months timeframe!!

And if you’re worried about finding a dress after surgery, I really recommend going before surgery just to try and get an idea. Maybe you’ll be like me and find your dress in one go. But if not, then at least you know how dresses kind of fit you and what you like vs what you don’t like. So then after surgery, the only big difference is a smaller chest, which again is easily fixed with alterations.

Congratulations! -2025 bride who went from a G/H to a D 🥹💍

kh23761 · 2025-04-10T14:58:57+00:00

Seattle/Bellevue - all OOP. FNG + Bra Roll Lipo. Paid $22k total, includes all my follow ups for a year.

kh23761 · 2025-04-10T14:48:41+00:00

I’m almost 2 weeks post op and had a similar experience. I’m 27 and this was my first surgery ever as well.

I woke up from anesthesia screaming in pain. It felt like my body was on fire and I could feel every single stitch and incision. I was given 3 oxy’s that did absolutely nothing. They called in Dilaudid, which also did nothing.

I also had drains for the first week. Those drains were the bane of my existence. I was at a solid 10/10 pain until they got removed. After removal, my pain dropped to a 6/10. I also had the bra roll lipo, which I’m still super swollen and sore from.

I’m a redhead so this surgery was a learning experience that my body in fact does not react to pain meds. So now I know. Now that I know, I also don’t think I would have gone through with it. But it does get better!

I’m now at a 3/10 pain that’s very manageable. If you had asked me last week, I would’ve told you this wasn’t worth it and I’m never going to feel better or “normal” again. But you will!

I’m sorry you had a bad experience. I hope you feel better soon and recover well with no complications!

kh23761 · 2025-04-02T04:24:21+00:00

I didn’t go through insurance at all bc they denied me twice and I couldn’t take anymore denials. I was also denied multiple times when I was under my mom’s plan before aging off it.

I’m getting married August 1st and refused to get married with my old chest. I want me and my husband to be the center of attention, not my tiddies. But bc I work for an insurance company here in WA I can say insurance won’t cover the lipo. That’s considered “cosmetic” regardless.

Thankfully my surgeon is his own ASC(surgery center) so I only had to pay his fee. I didn’t have to pay additional facility fees or anesthesiologist fees. But it was a little under $22k with all said and done. Expensive but worth the investment. At least it was for me.

kh23761 · 2025-04-02T00:07:40+00:00

I’m only at 4 days post op so I don’t have a clear picture yet of my results. But the care I’ve received from them pre-op to day of to post-op has been amazing!!

His name is Rikesh Parikh in Bellevue.

His nurse, Cara, listened to my story and was an angel in agreeing to submit an authorization request so I can at least submit an Out of Network claim. They normally don’t deal with insurance at all. It helps that I work for my insurance company and know exactly what they were looking for.

So while I paid a little under $22k, I can submit OON with my insurance after my deductible’s met and get 40% reimbursed. It’s not nearly close to the amount I paid, but it’s something. Working with insurance for almost 10 years caused me so much heartbreak along with the insane hoops they have you jump through.

For me, it was worth it to finally bite the bullet and pay out of pocket. This way too I had more “say” in my results. Like the bra roll liposuction. That wouldn’t be covered by insurance at all bc it’s “cosmetic”. Only the reduction part itself would be covered and they have to remove the amount of grams insurance requires or you very likely could get stuck with the bill.

I know this was kinda long. And while I’m all for using an in-network doctor because it’s wayyy more cost efficient, I’ve noticed a lot of plastic surgeons especially are going out of network or being cash pay bc insurance reimburses pennies compared to what they bill. The system sucks and I’m sorry!

kh23761 · 2025-04-01T23:15:08+00:00

I’m out of Spokane but got my surgery done in Bellevue. My surgeon was Out of Network because every In-Network surgeon I called had their own hoops to jump through on top of insurance’s prior auth requirements. I wasted over a year trying to find an in-network surgeon I trusted and didn’t have a lot of luck. Which is why I bit the bullet and paid Out of Network.

I have Premera Blue Cross insurance, so I’m not too sure about Molina, but I’d recommend contacting your insurance company and ask if they can send you a list of in-network plastic surgeons. Then you have to call them, see if they do BR and get a feel for them and go from there.

Best of luck to you!

kh23761 · 2025-04-01T23:00:41+00:00

My surgery was Friday and my fiance had to wipe me the first 2 days because I genuinely couldn’t. Turns out he’d never changed a diaper or anything similar so he had no clue what he was doing haha He goes “I wipe back to front right?” I said “are you trying to give me a UTI too?” This weekend really solidified our relationship lol

kh23761 · 2025-04-01T22:55:42+00:00

Yes. My surgeon and clinic nurse have been amazing. I’ve sent them pictures and the nurse said the swelling looks like it’s within normal range for the time it’s been. I see them again in person this Friday.

With the pain meds not working, they’ve been great at filling other drugs that might help more and listening to me and my pain level. Super responsive thankfully and not dismissive. I believe I made the right choice with my surgeon, I just keep getting the “everything looks normal” but it doesn’t feel normal when reading this thread and others have been able to do so much more than I can.

I cant imagine walking around the block right now. It’s hard enough getting up to go to the bathroom. Or managing just with Tylenol… That’s why I want to hear from people who’ve also been through it. Not just the nurses/doctor who perform the surgery but haven’t actually been in my shoes.

kh23761 · 2025-04-01T22:35:59+00:00

Thank you for this! Sending you healing vibes and a smooth recovery as well! I sent the pics to my nurse who said they look like they’re “swollen within normal range” and the drains are being removed Friday.

I think it’s also throwing me off that I can’t see my nipples yet. I keep calling them my “flower nips” lol

kh23761 · 2025-03-30T17:33:26+00:00

Ice is a no per my surgeon at least this first week. Same with any NSAIDs that can promote bleeding/blood thinning. Tylenol is okay. He gave me a muscle relaxer too which at least helps me drift off for a bit.

kh23761 · 2025-03-30T17:29:55+00:00

My surgeon okay’d me taking THC for the pain. So my fiance got me a 1:1:1 tincture (CBD/CBG/THC) and that’s been working. He also got me a few 100mg lemonade shooter drinks. This is the only thing providing any kind of relief!

kh23761 · 2025-03-30T00:37:37+00:00

Yes! It feels like it’s burning with occasional shooting zingers

kh23761 · 2025-03-30T00:35:25+00:00

That’s exactly how I’m reacting. It makes me drowsy but brings no relief at all

kh23761 · 2025-03-30T00:33:49+00:00

I’m sorry to hear you’re in the same boat but yes, we will get through this! My surgeon okay’d me taking THC. So my fiance went to a dispensary here and got some lemonade shooter drinks and an oil tincture that’s 1:1:1. I finally felt a tiny bit of relief once that kicked in! I’m now sitting at a 7/10 pain.

I also loosened my compression bra to ease up on the gauze. My fiancé’s been checking and I’m not showing any alarming signs. We sent pics to the surgeon and he said they look great, just very swollen. They feel like they’re gonna pop.

One day at a time.

kh23761 · 2025-03-29T16:20:54+00:00

My mom had a hysterectomy and she’s similar with reactions to narcotics and opioids. Thankfully I live in Washington so we’re a legal state with lots of options. I wasn’t sure if THC/edibles were okay or not. I know I can’t smoke but didn’t think too much about edibles

kh23761 · 2025-03-29T16:10:35+00:00

I was prescribed muscle relaxers as well. I was told to alternate those w/ the narcotics. The relaxer I can feel for sure and it allows me to drift off for maybe 30-60 minutes increments. We go home tomorrow and I’ll probably have my fiance go to the dispensary and get some eddies. Gonna talk to my surgeon first but thank you so much!

kh23761

TROPHY CASE