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Breast prosthesis: choosing and using one after a mastectomy | CION Cancer Clinics
A breast prosthesis, or breast form, is a shaped piece of silicone, foam or fibre that sits in your bra to give the shape of the breast that was removed. A soft form can be worn almost as soon as you leave hospital. A weighted silicone form waits until the wound has healed. This page explains the types, how a fitting works, what it costs in India, and who a prosthesis does not suit. CION Cancer Clinics’ surgical oncologists in Hyderabad can talk this through with you.
MI
Medically reviewed by Dr. Mohammed ImaduddinConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS, MS (General Surgery), MCh (Surgical Oncology) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- What is a breast prosthesis, and when can you start wearing one?
- What are the different kinds of prosthesis?
- How does a fitting work?
- How do you care for a silicone prosthesis?
- What families say about a prosthesis, and what is actually true
- Getting one in India: cost, cover and what this page cannot tell you
- Common questions about breast prostheses
The short answer
What is a breast prosthesis, and when can you start wearing one?
A breast prosthesis, also called a breast form, is a shaped piece of silicone, foam or fibre that sits inside your bra or against your chest to give the shape of the breast that was removed. You can wear a soft, light form almost as soon as you leave hospital. A weighted silicone form waits until the wound has healed and the swelling has gone down.
Why there are two stages
In the first weeks the chest is tender, the scar is fresh and there may be a drain. A soft fibre-filled form, sometimes called a comfy or a softie, gives shape under clothes without pressing on anything. Once the surgeon says the wound is healed and any radiotherapy skin reaction has settled, you can be fitted for a silicone form. Silicone has weight, and weight keeps the bra level, the shoulders even and the neck and back from aching on one side.
Who a prosthesis suits, and who it may not
It suits anyone who wants the shape of a breast under clothing without another operation, for now or for good. It suits less well if a skin reaction is still healing, if anything against the chest is uncomfortable, or if you are waiting for a reconstruction. Some women choose to wear nothing at all, and that is an equally reasonable choice.
Choosing one
What are the different kinds of prosthesis?
The right one depends on how long ago the surgery was, what was removed, and how you live your day.
Soft temporary form
Fibre or foam, very light, washable. For the first weeks while the chest heals. Gives shape but no weight, so the bra can ride up on that side.
Full silicone form
The standard long-term prosthesis. Weighted to match the other breast, warms to the body, moves naturally. Comes in many shapes: teardrop, triangle, asymmetric for the left or right side.
Lightweight silicone
Silicone with air whipped into it, or a foam back. Less weight for women with a large cup size, a sore chest wall, or lymphoedema on that side where pressure matters.
Partial or shell form
A thinner shape that sits over remaining breast tissue. For women who had a lumpectomy or whose reconstruction is smaller than the other side.
Stick-on form
Attaches to the chest skin with a soft adhesive rather than sitting in a bra pocket. Useful for strapless blouses and swimming, but not for skin that has had radiotherapy until it has fully settled.
Ask your surgeon before using anything adhesive on the scar.Knitted or handmade form
Soft cotton forms made by volunteer groups, sometimes free. Light, breathable and comfortable in the Hyderabad summer. No weight, so they suit smaller cup sizes and home wear better than a full day out.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistGetting it right
How does a fitting work?
A prosthesis that is the wrong size or shape shows through clothes, shifts during the day and pulls the bra. A fitting is worth the trip.
Wait for the go-ahead
Ask your surgeon at follow-up whether the wound is ready. If radiotherapy is planned, most fitters wait until the skin has settled afterwards, because the chest can change shape during treatment.
Bring a well-fitting bra
The prosthesis is matched to the other breast while you are wearing the bra you will actually use. Bring your usual one, or be measured for a new one at the same time, since bra size often changes after surgery.
Try shapes, not only sizes
A good fitter will hand you several shapes. Stand, sit, lean forward and lift your arms in each. The right one fills the bra cup without gaps, matches the other side from the front and the side, and does not move when you do.
Check it under your own clothes
Put on the blouse or kurta you wore to the fitting and look in a long mirror. This is the test that matters. A form that looks right in a bra alone can sit too high or too low under a saree blouse.
Looking after it
How do you care for a silicone prosthesis?
- Wash it each evening with mild soap and warm water, then pat it dry
- Store it in its box or cradle, not squashed in a drawer
- Keep it away from pins, brooch backs and pet claws, which puncture the skin
- Do not leave it in a hot car or in direct sun; heat softens silicone
- Rinse it after swimming, as chlorine and salt shorten its life
- Have it checked and refitted if your weight changes or the other breast changes
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Commonly believed
What families say about a prosthesis, and what is actually true
"A prosthesis is only for vanity. She should not bother."
A weighted form does a physical job. Without it, the body leans to make up for the missing weight on one side, and the neck, shoulder and lower back pay for it over months. It is also, entirely, her decision.
"Everyone will be able to tell."
A well-fitted silicone form in a pocketed bra is not visible under ordinary clothing, including a saree blouse. What gives it away is a poor fit, a bra that rides up, or a light form in a large cup. A fitting solves all three.
"Silicone against the scar will cause the cancer to come back."
An external prosthesis sits outside the skin and has no effect on what happens inside the chest wall. It cannot cause or encourage a return of the cancer. What it can do is chafe a scar that is not yet healed, which is why the silicone form waits until the surgeon clears it.
"If she wants a prosthesis, it means she has given up on reconstruction."
Many women wear a prosthesis for a year or more and then have a reconstruction, and many decide they are happy as they are. Wearing one now closes no doors.
Being straight with you
Getting one in India: cost, cover and what this page cannot tell you
This page cannot tell you which prosthesis is right for you, or what it will cost you after any cover. Both depend on a fitting and on the scheme or insurer you hold.
What the price depends on
A soft fibre form costs little and some charities give them free. A silicone form costs many times more, and an imported branded one more again. Indian-made silicone forms are widely available now. The bra is a separate cost, and any figure you are quoted is for the form alone unless it says otherwise.
Insurance and government schemes
Cover for an external prosthesis varies. Some private policies treat it as a covered appliance after mastectomy; many do not. Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS and EHS each have their own rules for appliances. Ask the scheme desk or your insurer before you buy, and keep the surgeon's prescription and the bill either way.
Where to look
Ask the breast care nurse or surgeon at the centre where you had the operation. Surgical-appliance shops near the larger hospitals, a few specialist mastectomy-wear shops in Hyderabad, and online brands that ship across India all stock them. Buy from somewhere that will let you try it on.
If you do not know where to start, call the helpline and we will point you to the options we know of near you.Questions we are asked
Common questions about breast prostheses
How soon after the operation can I wear a prosthesis?
A soft fibre form can go into a loose bra or camisole as soon as you are comfortable, often within days of going home. The weighted silicone form waits until the wound has fully healed and, if you are having radiotherapy, until the skin has settled afterwards. Your surgeon will tell you when.
Can I wear it under a saree blouse?
Yes. A pocketed bra under a normal blouse works well, and a tailor can sew a pocket into the blouse lining itself if you prefer to go without a bra at home. Bring the blouse to the fitting so the form is chosen for the neckline you actually wear.
Will it be too hot in the Hyderabad summer?
Full silicone can feel warm and sweaty in summer. A lightweight silicone form, a foam-backed form, or a cotton knitted form for home wear all run cooler. Many women keep two: a weighted one for going out and a light one for the house and for sleeping.
Do I need a special bra?
Not necessarily. A pocketed mastectomy bra is easiest, but many ordinary bras with a full cup and a wide underband work with a pocket sewn in. What matters is that the cup fully covers the form and the band sits level. Underwired bras are usually avoided until the scar is fully healed.
How long does a silicone prosthesis last?
With daily wear and care, several years, though it depends on the make and how it is stored. It needs replacing when the silicone softens, the skin wrinkles or tears, or your body shape changes so it no longer matches the other side.
Can I swim with it?
Yes, once the wound is healed. Silicone is waterproof, and pocketed swimwear holds it in place. Rinse the form in fresh water afterwards, because chlorine and salt shorten its life. Some women keep an older form for swimming and the newer one for daily wear.
Can I sleep in it?
You can, but most women prefer not to sleep in a weighted form. A soft fibre or knitted form in a sleep bra gives shape at night if you want it, without pressing on the chest. Many women simply take it off at night and are comfortable that way.
Can I buy one online without a fitting?
You can, but size and shape are hard to judge from a photograph, and prosthesis sizing does not follow bra cup sizes. If you must buy online, choose a seller that accepts returns, measure the other breast carefully as the site instructs, and try it under clothes the day it arrives.
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Sources
- NHS — Mastectomy
- Cancer Research UK — Breast cancer
- Macmillan Cancer Support — Breast cancer
- American Cancer Society — Mastectomy
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
Mastectomy Bras and Where to Buy Them in HyderabadThe pocketed bra that holds the form, and where to find oneClothing and Saree Draping After MastectomyDressing with and without a prosthesisMastectomy With Immediate ReconstructionThe alternative to a prosthesis, and who it suitsBody Image After MastectomyThe feelings behind the decision to wear one or notCost, Insurance and Schemes for Cancer SurgeryHow Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS, EHS and insurers handle claims
Talk to us
Not sure where to start?
Call the helpline or send us a message. A CION team member will tell you when your wound is likely to be ready and point you to fitting options we know of near you. One helpline serves every centre.