After having any type of surgery you have to be careful what type of garments you wear. Garments like jeans, bras, and even tight fighting shirts can cause a lot of problems with incisions no matter where they are on the body. The wound needs time to heal otherwise it could develop an infection or other issues delaying the healing process. The easiest answer to this question is comfy, loose-fitting clothes to let your skin and the incisions breathe. In this blog, we’re breaking down some of the best garments to wear after a mastectomy, a tummy tuck, and a c-section. As always, consult your doctor about what exactly you should wear with your procedure, but this can give you an idea.
Masectomy
- A front fastening bra: Avoid sports bras and bras that fasten in the back. Ones that fasten in the front are much easier to take on and off without straining your incision. Your doctor may even provide the front-fastening bra after your procedure.
- Something to protect your drains: Some mastectomies will require a surgical drain to collect fluids from the incision. You have to be careful with the tubing so it doesn’t get tugged. You can conceal them with a camisole with pockets to hide the tubbing.
C-Section
- Full-Coverage Underwear: The best kind of underwear is high-waisted and stretchy with a wide band to keep them in place. Even with a c-section, you’ll experience vaginal bleeding after you’ve given birth. You’ll want underwear that high enough to avoid the incision, but still comfortable.
Tummy Tuck
- Compression Garments: After a tummy tuck, your body needs a little help pulling everything back in. A compression garment has strong elastic throughout the entire thing that typically covers the midsection from just below the breasts to the pelvic or hip area. It can be a little uncomfortable to wear because it’s so snug but it’s very important to the healing process. It reduces the risk of seroma, helps circulation, reduces discomfort around the incision, and helps contour your shape.
For all three surgeries
- Something you can wrap around or step into: Trying to put a shirt over your head might be uncomfortable depending on where the incision is located. The easiest thing to wear would be a loose flowy dress that you can step into or a wrap dress that you can adjust comfortably around the bandages.
- Loose-fitting pants or leggings: Similar to the wrap dress, you want something that’s easy to pull on and off. Loose pants or leggings are breathable and move with you. For c-sections, we recommend sticking to high-waisted bottoms.
- Slip-on shoes: You will be limited to how much you can bend over after all of these procedures. While sneakers can be comfy, you might not be able to tie the laces. Until you’ve healed, use slip-on flats, flip-flops, or anything else that you can easily step into.
