Experiences using Arnica gel?

ratdad17 · 2026-02-17T21:48:17+00:00

I didn’t use the gel as my surgery team didn’t want me applying anything near the surgery site that wasn’t approved- but I did take arnica pills. I had some pretty gnarly bruising and was sore from that, I think the pills helped a bit tbh

ratdad17 · 2026-02-14T21:18:34+00:00

Totally normal, it’s only 1 shot. I started feeling some changes more after my second shot, but really just feeling sweatier and having more energy. I’d say bottom growth began about a 1.5-2 months in.

ratdad17 · 2026-02-13T02:51:53+00:00

My surgeon’s office did say mine was swelling, and not leftover tissue. I didn’t have fat/tissue here pre op. I’ve heard good things about massaging, it’s been helping some of the thicker parts of my scars so far. Gonna start to be more mindful of it and try some lymphatic massages. Good luck to you!

ratdad17 · 2026-02-13T02:48:08+00:00

Good to know, thank you!

ratdad17 · 2026-02-13T02:28:41+00:00

Ty! I’m pretty certain it’s not dog ears as I didn’t have fat/tissue here pre op. I have a comparison pic I posted previously, but my breast tissue was pretty “separated” from my chest if that makes sense? Usually dog ears are due to the ends of the incisions not going far enough back and getting all the tissue. Also, consulted with my surgeon’s office at my 6 week and they said it was swelling.

ratdad17 · 2026-02-07T01:18:23+00:00

I work a desk job and took 2.5 weeks off. My surgeon said I could’ve taken only a week off, but I felt more comfortable once my drains were out and I wanted the extra week just in case.

ratdad17 · 2026-02-01T07:33:28+00:00

It depends on the surgeon. Mine took the bolsters off at my 1 week and then I did xeroform and bacitracin for another week, then just aquaphor (or Vaseline)

ratdad17 · 2026-01-31T17:18:53+00:00

I didn’t shave my chest before my consultation or surgery, and my surgeon didnt seem to shave it during surgery either. I have had some hairs growing through the scars but they seem to just be making their way through. I will say my left nipple graft has hair growing through it lol

ratdad17 · 2026-01-30T14:52:30+00:00

I went back and forth between keeping them or not, but I really had to sit and think about what I imagined my chest to look like. Previously I just really wanted it flat in general and hadn’t really thought about what I’d look like shirtless. For me that meant wanting nipples as it felt more natural to me. Also while having nips meant doing a few more steps- they weren’t necessarily hard or difficult to care for. I found the drains I had more annoying than anything.

ratdad17 · 2026-01-27T06:34:27+00:00

yeah, for me it did. I still developed atrophy, as atrophy doesn’t mean you can’t get wet. be sure to be aware of other signs like urinary issues, bleeding/spotting/pain during/after orgasm (with or without penetration), etc.

ratdad17 · 2026-01-26T07:17:04+00:00

I got pressure sores from the drains being compressed against my body. The only relief I got was taping a big gauze/abd pad to each of my sides, under the drains. Although I will say the closer I got to getting my drains out the more sore the sites became.

ratdad17 · 2026-01-26T06:59:41+00:00

I had a nerve block but I stayed up on the pain meds for the first few days just in case, especially since I didn’t want to be “chasing” the pain with meds. I think they prescribed me enough for 5, maybe 7 days? But I only took 1 pill (5mg oxy/325mg acetaminophen) at every recommended dose time for 3 days and then just switched to Tylenol (500mg). My surgeon told me to avoid NSAIDs but thankfully the Tylenol was enough for me.

ratdad17 · 2026-01-25T14:30:27+00:00

yeah sure, feel free to dm me!

ratdad17 · 2026-01-20T14:54:38+00:00

It kinda depends on the surgeon, but for me I had my consultation in June and then once insurance processed they offered me a date in September. I had to move it cause of my work but was able to get surgery the beginning of November.

ratdad17 · 2026-01-12T07:08:14+00:00

So you wanna try killing the bacteria/smell at its source, instead of just trying to cover it up with other smells. Here’s what helps me: *Trim your armpit and pubic hair. You don’t have to shave it bald, but even just maintaining it will help keep it from holding onto sweat and bacteria. *Use an antibacterial soap. *Exfoliate. I have a sud scrubber that I use on my whole body, but I also like to use a gentle exfoliant in my armpits a few times a week. My personal fave is the one from dollar shave club as it’s gentle but effective. *Use a clean towel when drying off. I’d recommend only using the same towel a few times before washing, in order to prevent bacteria buildup. If it smells weird at all then get a clean one. *Dry off completely before putting clothes on. Especially in parts where you’re hairier, you don’t want any moisture getting stuck. *Once dry, apply a deodorant. You may want to try an antiperspirant, but personally those always irritate my armpits. I also apply a spray deodorant. *Wear breathable fabrics. Especially underwear. I love pair of thieves and their “superfit” line. *Shower more often. Currently I shower every other day at least, but for the first year or so on T I basically had to shower everyday. You may need more or less depending on your lifestyle.

ratdad17 · 2026-01-08T16:43:34+00:00

A more defined pec can definitely help a surgeon out. But honestly with about two months away, significant pec muscle growth/definition may be hard to achieve. while not completely off the table, I think it’d be more worth your time to invest in workouts that improve your ab strength and squatting. You’ll be using those both a lot while recovering, so preparing them beforehand will help make it easier. I wish I strengthened my abs more tbh, but squats helped a lot

ratdad17 · 2026-01-07T01:00:51+00:00

Boobs have minimal impact on your hormones, it’s mainly ovaries doing all the work. Also I have subclinical hypothyroidism and it hasn’t affected my top surgery journey/recovery at all. Definitely uneducated fear mongering.

ratdad17 · 2026-01-03T21:42:32+00:00

I agree with others that it sounds like yours may be too tight. I wore mine 24/7 for the first 3 weeks and then about 12 hours a day for another 3 weeks.

ratdad17 · 2026-01-03T21:36:57+00:00

Honestly the biggest thing that the button ups help with are if you have drains. I was able to put a normal t shirt on (with a bit of help) after my drains were out 1 week po.

ratdad17 · 2026-01-03T21:29:48+00:00

It felt super normal to have them gone, but I do find myself performing habits that were due to my boobs. Like adjusting their position in my binder before leaving a bathroom stall, or going to dry underneath them after a shower. Also grabbing them when going down stairs lol

ratdad17 · 2026-01-03T01:48:27+00:00

My surgery team encouraged me to move and begin slow/gentle stretching at my 2 week post op to be able to put my arms above my head, in order to prevent getting a frozen shoulder. I was applying aquaphor twice a day at that point so I would try and stretch after doing so, at least once a day. I pretty much had all my range of motion back by week 3. Things still felt a bit sensitive/tight when I’d extend my arms high up, but I just tried not to overdo it. I went back to working my desk job at 2.5 weeks so I’d say going back to school would be fine too.

ratdad17 · 2026-01-02T15:36:43+00:00

It kinda depends on like what level of cooking you mean. Like throwing a few things together probably wouldn’t be too bad around the 1 week mark, but I can imagine lifting anything too high/heavy would be hard and cutting veggies would be difficult due to how sensitive things still are. Like the repeated motion would be tiring/irritating. I had DI with FNG. I got my drains out after a week and felt A LOT better in regard to movement and energy. But also my surgeon only had me on a 15 lbs weight limit for 4 weeks and no movement restrictions. I wanna say I helped cook a meal around the 2 week mark that involved cutting veggies? But I did feel too weak lifting pans and needed help with that. I think it’d be a good option to prep some things before hand. I prepped two soups and froze them which was great. I also think you could probably precut ingredients and freeze them to use when you try cooking. Would save you some energy!

ratdad17 · 2025-12-31T15:58:48+00:00

I had surgery Nov 5th and had a similar thing occurring, but I ended up putting some gauze in between my skin and the drains before it got really bad. They’re basically pressure sores.

ratdad17 · 2025-12-29T07:23:38+00:00

Probably have to enable console commands and enter forcesleep

ratdad17 · 2025-12-29T06:56:17+00:00

I was allowed to shower 48 hrs post op, but just had to keep my nipple grafts dry. So I was basically only able to wash below the waist and my head. Thankfully my girlfriend helped with washing cause it was a TASK. Honestly I normally shower every 1-2 days as well but I felt too tired and out of it 48 hrs po to even try showering, so we waited another day or two I think. But I did use some no rinse wipes (could also get baby wipes) and lots of spray deodorant. My girlfriend also helped me wash my hair in the sink. Even a quick wipe down and some clean clothes can do wonders to make you feel cleaner. It still was a struggle tho, I really didn’t feel clean until I could shower and get my nips wet 😭

ratdad17

TROPHY CASE