Your fitter will tell you how to care for your prosthesis. Prostheses usually need to be replaced every 2 years, but this will depend on how often they are worn, how well they’re looked after and your lifestyle.
Check that your bra fits correctly every 12 months. You will probably need a new bra and breast prosthesis if your weight changes. If the prosthesis splits or cracks at the seams, it should be replaced. You can throw away your old or damaged prostheses in your general rubbish collection. Silicone cannot be recycled. You can donate old ill-fitting prostheses to local op shops or to your breast care nurse.
How to care for your breast prosthesis
- Handwash the prosthesis after every wear. Use warm water and a mild unscented soap or a cleanser supplied by the prosthesis manufacturer. Rinse the prosthesis thoroughly and pat it dry with a towel.
- Store your prosthesis in the box it came in to help keep its shape and protect it from sunlight and heat.
- Take care when placing brooches or badges onto your clothing.
- Take care when handling pets so their claws don’t damage the prosthesis.
- If you use a regular prosthesis when swimming, rinse it in clean water soon after swimming to remove chlorine or salt water.
- Use a soft, fibre-filled prosthesis in a sauna – a silicone prosthesis may heat up against your skin.
- Avoid using body lotions, perfumed deodorant, sunscreen or tanning lotion near your prosthesis. These products can damage it.
- Be careful when gardening, especially if you are gardening near shrubs or plants with thorns.
→ READ MORE: Air travel with a prosthesis
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Dr Jane O’Brien, Specialist Oncoplastic Breast Cancer Surgeon, St Vincent’s Private Hospital, VIC; Clare Bradshaw, Clinical Nurse Consultant, Breast Assessment Unit, Fiona Stanley Hospital, WA; Rene Hahn, Consumer; Sinead Hanley, Consumer; Dr Marc Langbart, Specialist Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, Randwick Plastic Surgery, NSW; Melanie Law, Consumer; Sally Levy, Consumer; Annmaree Mitchell, Consumer; Ashleigh Mondolo, Breast Cancer Nurse Clinical Consultant, Mater Private Hospital Brisbane, QLD; Rochelle Osgood, Clinical Nurse Consultant – McGrath Breast Care Nurse, Sunshine Coast University Hospital, QLD: Dr Kallyani Ponniah, Head of Department, Breast Centre, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, WA; Meg Rynderman OAM, Consumer; Sarah Stewart, Breast Care Nurse, The Royal Women’s Hospital, VIC; Erin Tidball, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council NSW; Jane Turner, Senior Exercise Physiologist, Sydney Cancer Survivorship Centre, Concord Cancer Centre, NSW.
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