Breast augmentation in Istanbul · Day 4 of 10

Day 4 after breast augmentation in Istanbul

You can manage a few hours of gentle sightseeing with breaks. Still nothing above your head: ask for help with bags and high shelves.

Short answer

On day 4 after breast augmentation in Istanbul:

  • Not today Lifting and reaching overhead · Baths, hot tubs and pools · Flying home
  • With care Walking and exercise · Support bra · Sleeping position

Good options today: Basilica Cistern, Guided food tour with ferry ride, Topkapı Palace.

Today's rules

Not today

Lifting and reaching overhead

Do not lift anything over your head for 2 to 3 weeks, and avoid lifting anything that makes you strain for 4 to 6 weeks. Let your companion handle suitcases.

Source: Kaiser Permanente · NHS

With care

Walking and exercise

Gentle sightseeing on foot is fine. Avoid heavy lifting and strenuous exercise for at least a month.

Source: Kaiser Permanente · NHS

With care

Support bra

Wear the support or sports bra day and night, except in the shower, as your surgeon says. Some surgeons ask for it for up to 3 months.

Source: Kaiser Permanente · NHS

Not today

Baths, hot tubs and pools

Do not take a bath or soak in a hot tub for about 4 weeks. Ask your surgeon before swimming, the hammam or a sauna.

Source: Kaiser Permanente

With care

Sleeping position

Sleep on your back with your head and shoulders raised on pillows, at an incline, especially in the first days.

Source: Kaiser Permanente · The Aesthetic Society

Not today

Flying home

Most teams want you near the clinic until the first wound check, commonly one to two weeks. Long-haul flights in the first week are generally discouraged because of clot risk.

Source: Acibadem International · NHS

Confirm with your surgeon. These are general activity limits from published aftercare guidance. Your clinic's written instructions always come first, and they may be stricter or looser for your procedure.

4 things you can do today

  • Basilica Cistern

    The cool, dim underground cistern with the Medusa heads. Walkways get packed at midday; go at opening time.

    Gentle walking, indoors, about 1 hour

  • Guided food tour with ferry ride

    Street food on both continents: kebab, pickles, baklava and more, with a lot of walking in between.

    A few hours on foot with breaks, some open-air walking, about 4 hours

  • Topkapı Palace

    Courtyards, the Harem and the treasury. Three hours of walking with long open-air stretches between buildings.

    A few hours on foot with breaks, some open-air walking, about 3 hours

  • Bosphorus dinner cruise with show

    An evening of seated dinner, folk dance and city lights from the water. Drinks are optional; you can ask for soft drinks only.

    Seated, indoors, about 3 hours

Also fine today: Nargile café in Tophane · Princes' Islands day trip · Galata Tower · Bosphorus sightseeing cruise · Grand Bazaar · Hagia Sophia · Dolmabahçe Palace · Istanbul Modern and the Karaköy waterfront · Balat and Fener streets · Eminönü street-snack walk · Public ferry from Eminönü to Kadıköy · Spice Bazaar · Pierre Loti cable car and tea garden · Whirling dervish ceremony · Istanbul Archaeology Museums · Turkish cooking class · Pera Museum

2 things to skip today

  • Turkish hammam

    Why not: It means steam, hot water or sauna heat.

    Not during the 10 days this guide covers. Ask your surgeon when it is safe.

  • Black Sea beaches at Kilyos

    Why not: It involves swimming or water contact.

    Not during the 10 days this guide covers. Ask your surgeon when it is safe.

Where to eat today

  • Kebab and lahmacun. Adana kebab, lahmacun and pide in Fatih or Kadıköy. Spicy and chewy.
  • Balık ekmek at Eminönü. Grilled fish in crusty bread from the boats by the Galata Bridge.
  • Simit from a street cart. The sesame bread ring Istanbul runs on. Crunchy.

Put every day of this guide in your calendar, with your dates

Questions people ask