Is awake breast augmentation painful? How does it feel to be awake during the procedure? How long will it take to recover afterwards?
In this article, we’re breaking down how awake breast augmentation works, what to expect during and after treatment, and why we believe Naturals® is the best, safest way to enhance and augment your breasts.
What is an awake breast augmentation?
Awake breast augmentation which we refer to as Naturals® is an awake liposuction and fat transfer breast augmentation procedure done using local anesthesia to numb the treatment area while the patient remains awake, ensuring they are comfortable but fully aware at every step of the procedure.
In contrast, traditional breast augmentation surgery involves the use of general anesthesia, which comes with a host of potential risks—from allergic reactions, nausea and a longer recovery time to more serious complications like stroke and cardiac arrest.
At Squlpt, we’ve developed an awake liposuction and fat transfer technology called SoftSqulpt®, which we use to augment the breasts and other areas of the body including the bottom, midsection, thighs and more.
Squlpt procedures offer a safer, gentler approach to traditional liposuction and fat transfer techniques, using miniaturized instruments and smooth vibration to gently remove stubborn body fat before transferring it to the areas you’re looking to enhance.
What are the benefits of awake breast augmentation?
With Naturals awake breast augmentation, we use localized medications and laughing gas to keep you relaxed and comfortable at every step while we perform awake liposuction on your midsection, back bra roll and more and then transfer the fat to your breasts. As a result, patients experience less pain and a significantly lower risk of surgical complications compared to breast augmentations performed under general anesthesia. Here are some of the many benefits of being awake during breast surgery:
o Better results. Because you’re awake, the surgeon can move you around as needed to achieve better, more accurate results and really sculpt your figure.
o Lower risk. Being awake eliminates the risks of general anesthesia, including adverse reactions and respiratory complications.The feedback you provide during the procedure helps the surgeon gauge your comfort level and can help guide them to ensure the smoothest experience.
o Faster recovery. With awake breast augmentation, you won’t have to stay in a hospital overnight as you would after general anesthesia. You can go home the same day and can expect a much faster recovery since you avoid the post-surgical downsides and potential complications of general anesthesia.
o Interaction with your surgeon. Being awake during breast surgery allows you to be an active participant in the procedure. You can provide feedback in real time, resulting in a safer and more personalized experience with superior results.
o 2 for 1. Slim down your abdomen, waist and back areas AND get a fuller, more voluminous breasts.
What to expect during and after awake breast augmentation surgery
Like with any surgery, the experience is different for every patient. But at Squlpt, we do everything possible to make the procedure as comfortable and pain-free as possible.
o Comfortable. With our safe and gentle SoftSqulpt technique, you’ll feel a soft vibration and light pressure with minimal discomfort. While pain tolerance varies by person, it is less invasive and painful than implants or traditional liposuction.
o Safety first. At Squlpt, we put your safety and wellbeing first without exception. We use our own proprietary system for fat collection, processing and injection to enhance both safety and results.
o Specialized approach. Unlike most plastic surgery practices, our surgeons perform awake liposuction and fat transfer procedures exclusively, every single day. This makes us exceptionally specialized and experienced so we can deliver a significantly safer experience and consistently beautiful results.
o Faster recovery. You can go home the same day and expect some swelling for 7-10 days. While every patient is different, you can also expect to resume light activity the day after the procedure and to return to your desk jobs in 3-5 days. For physically demanding jobs, allow 5-10 days off. The majority of swelling is gone by 1 to 2 months and full results visible by 6 months.
Following your awake breast augmentation, our team is there to support you at every step of your recovery journey, providing personalized advice and a comprehensive SoftHealing™ Aftercare guide to promote a fast and seamless recovery.
Is awake breast augmentation safe?
While awake breast augmentation significantly reduces the risks associated with general anesthesia, such as respiratory issues and nausea, there are still some minimal risks involved as with any surgical procedure. These include potential infections, swelling and soreness. We don’t use foreign substances like silicone or saline implants nor do we need to rip the musculature like with implants, making our procedure less invasive and much safer.
Some of our patients worry that being awake during the surgery means they’ll feel pain. Each person’s pain threshold is different but Softsqulpt® reduces the invasiveness and pain as much as possible and our nurses administer localized meds and laughing gas to keep you relaxed and comfortable throughout the procedure.
Potential patients report some anxiety about watching the procedure but most enjoy the experience, feel empowered to provide feedback in real time – on their pain level or on their impressions of the initial results – and tell us how our team makes the experience fun, safe and relaxing.
Is awake breast augmentation right for you?
Wondering if awake breast augmentation is the right approach for you? You are the ideal candidate for a procedure like Naturals if:
o You desire natural looking breasts that fit your overall shape to a tee
o You want to avoid the risks and downsides of general anesthesia
o You have anxiety around surgery and prefer to be awake and in control
o You don’t have time for a prolonged recovery
Enhance your curves and confidence with Squlpt
Our mission is to make every body transformation as safe and comfortable as possible. With Naturals® awake fat transfer breast augmentation, you can go up a cup size and at the same time cinch your waist, arms and back for an overall glow up. Book a free virtual consultation and a dedicated body consultant. will answer all your questions and guide you through the entire process—from pricing and how to prepare before your treatment to post-procedure care and the results you can expect.
Be sure to check out our before & after gallery and video testimonials from our body-confident community—women who made the decision to put themselves first and are in love with their stunning results.
