Contact Prosthesis

OLBinNJ

which mast bras did you find work well for petite figure? I have same problem .... have trouble with silicone against skin in regular bras but many mast bras don't fit my remaining breast well - A cup and now with menopause even the "A" is dropping ;-) 

How does it feel when the contact prosthesis is removed ? I tried one for a few minutes and it really HURT when I pulled it away from my skin. I'm hoping there might be one which does not pull at the skin when it's removed.I can't imagine having to go through that painful sensation every time I take it off.....

Sam 

I tried one and liked the way it hugged my chest, but when I removed it, my chest was wet from the perspiration that it trapped.  I was afraid that over time it might cause a rash.

OLBinNJ - thanks! I'll check TruLife out.

I am new to the board.  I had a mastectomy in 2006 without reconstruction.  I just got my first prothesis.  (long story)  I have a question.  I have looked several places and cannot find a source that explains how to care for the prosthesis.  I have the amoena with a thin film of covering over it.  When I got my prosthesis from the American Cancer Society no one told me the proper care and I slept on it.  It fell apart!  I was devastated.  I have a new one and am afraid to use it!  It seems so fragile.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I've read that if you perspire, the contact forms tend to fall off. I think they are just meant to be worn infrequently and just to have the feel of "normal breasts", not necessarily to be worn without a bra. Try  a tighter band size and a heavier form to keep the bra down. When I was wearing a foam prosthesis, my bra would always ride up. Then I switched to silicone prosthesis and a tighter band, haven't had that problem since.

The contact forms are definitely meant to be worn with bras. Amoena unfortunately discontinued a contact form that could be worn with "skin supports" and no bra was necessary. Still You makes a nice pocketed camisole (called a tank top on their website), which can be worn with their non-silicone forms, Illusions. I wear the camisole with the Amoena latex foam leisure forms #126. It's great for exercise and doesn't move around. You can check out these and other options at my non-profit website, BreastFree.org. Look particularly at the "Breast Forms" section and the "Bras and Camisoles" section for products that many women have recommended.

Also, have you found a good fitter? A good fitter can really help you figure out what forms and bras can work for you. Your bra shouldn't be riding up. I'm flat as a pancake but that's not a problem for me, even though I worried it would be.

Barbara

One tip about the Still You Tank Tops (yes, they are pricey, but mine have held up very well): I wash them in the machine, but always air dry them. Once I forgot and stuck one in the drier and it doesn't look quite as good now. 

Hope you like yours!

It came yesterday and I put it on immediately.  I love it.  Had my exercise class this morning and it didn't move at all.  My bras would constantly creep up, then the straps would fall, especially with stretching or exercises on the mat where I'm on my hands and knees.  And actually, I turn it up a bit so it isn't so long in the trunk.  Today I'm ordering more.

So tell me Barbara, is there a secret to getting in and out of it easily since it's a spandex style material?  I had a lymphedema therapy appt. yesterday afternoon and when I was getting dressed, it was awkward getting the tank top back on and when I did, I found one prosthesis had fallen out on the table.  LOL  :-)  There isn't any closure on the pocket as with most bras.

Dedo,

I'm so happy you like the Camisole and that, like me, you found that the breast forms don't move around when you're wearing it. I tend to step into my camisole and pull it up--I virtually never lift it over my head. I haven't had a problem doing it that way; the breast forms stay put, though I sometimes need to adjust them a bit once I've got the cami on. 

Barbara

I'm bilateral and have the Amoena Contact Lite forms.  I've also had the problem of bras riding up, so thought this form would work great.  Unfortunately, I was left with a lot of excess tissue and because of this, the forms are very uncomfortable.  And yes, they do hurt when coming off, maybe even more than what would be considered normal because of the excess tissue.  So, I just wear them in a pocketed bra with the backing on to cover the sticky part.

But I do have another question about contact forms if you wouldn't mind me asking here.  They say the stickiness of contact forms eventually wears off and I'm wondering if there's some way to get rid of the stickiness now so that I would not have to use the backing and still use the form in a pocket or even next to skin.  Would powder get rid of the stickiness? 

IMHO, I would like to have a foam contact form.  It would be very light, so wouldn't take much to keep it attached and would work with a very simple bra or cami instead of a heavier duty bra.  I do have a Still You cami, but the weight of the silicone form seems too much for this.  

Barbara & Sher-

Barbara- You're right.  It's very easy to step into the cami, and I've found I prefer not to roll it up most of the time.

Sher- You my also be right re: the weight of the silicone forms.  I have heavier and lighter and am experimenting.  The lighter forms seem to get compressed more with the cami material and the heavier ones require strap adjustment to keep them from sagging (which is probably what my own would be doing if I still had them)  :-) 

 In any event, I love the camis and they are much more comfortable for me than the various bras I've worn, whether professionally fitted or not.