Fuller and shapelier breasts are something coveted for a huge majority of women worldwide, and breast augmentation surgery is the way to achieve that.
Breast augmentation, which is also called breast implant surgery, is a kind of cosmetic surgery that involves placing saline or silicone implants in the breasts for enhancing their volume, shape, and size. Fat transfer is, at times, referenced under the category of breast augmentation, but that’s not a common option. It is also important to understand that breast augmentation is not the same as breast lift because the latter involves no implants at all.
All kinds of breast augmentation surgeries are approved by the FDA to be done on healthy patients meeting the minimum age limit. If you are healthy, and at least the age of eighteen, you can go for saline breast implants. However, silicone implants are not allowed before the age of twenty-two.
There are certain facts that you need to understand in case you are planning to go under the knife for breast augmentation. So, given below are all the information you need about the reasons and types of breast augmentation, along with tips on finding the right plastic surgeon.
Without any further ado, let’s get started!
Reasons to get breast implants
Women want fuller, larger breasts for a number of reasons. Given below are the common reasons for women to get breast augmentation surgery. Read on to see if any of these reasons match up to why you are considering the surgery.
You get to look better in your clothes.
Looking better in clothes does not always relate to vanity. It is also about the fit of the clothes and your comfort factor.
It might seem like a simple reason that women want to enhance their bust size to wear fitted clothes, but this is an important consideration for many. Breast augmentation can improve the contours of women’s chests and make clothes fit better, regardless of whether it is a tee shirt or an evening gown.
In fact, the shape and size of the breasts might also enhance the confidence of women in their bedrooms, and improve their intimacy with the partners.
You will be more confident about your body.
Is there anything more precious than self-love? Breast augmentation can restore your confidence and make you feel better about your body.
You can do whatever you need for boosting your confidence and living your happy life, be it exercising regularly during the week, eating fresh, or increasing the size of the bust.
You want to get a better shape of the bust.
There can be many reasons why you end up getting droopy breasts that no longer have the volume or a proper shape: aging, pregnancy, and weight loss. Breast implants can effectively improve the fullness and shape of the bust.
If you simply want to get a breast lift, you can go for mastopexy. It is a good idea for women who simply want to lift their breasts. You also have the option to combine breast lift and breast implants to get the ideal shape and size that you want.
You can go for a combination of both these methods of plastic surgery based on your particular circumstances, and the goal that you’re trying to achieve.
You can bring a symmetrical appearance to your bust.
If both of your breasts are of the same size, then you are a minority. And, of course, you’re pretty lucky! Most women have a breast that is smaller than the other one.
The difference, in most cases, is subtle. However, in situations where the size disparity is too obvious, it can create:
- Embarrassment
- Self-esteem problems
- Loose-fitting clothing, including tops and bikinis
This disparity can be corrected by breast augmentation surgery.
You need to get back fullness after mastectomy.
The inability to retain the fullness of the breasts after mastectomy can make women feel under-confident and self-aware. It is something that is a highly delicate subject, and that is why it is important to talk to an experienced and compassionate surgeon before deciding to go for breast augmentation after mastectomy.
Reconstruction of the bust shape after mastectomy means reconstructing the breasts. So, if you have undergone a mastectomy, you might need to consider breast augmentation to get the look that you want.
The reasons not to go for breast augmentation
So, you already know all the reasons why breast augmentation is a good idea. However, there are a few situations where you need to think twice before going under the knife. Here’s outlining three of such situations for you:
When you’re not the one wanting shapelier breasts
The decision to get breast augmentation should come from you, regardless of whether it is after mastectomy or for breast asymmetry. It is never a good idea to get breast surgery for social recognition, or for some other person.
When you want to get the perfect body from surgery
Even if you have the best plastic surgeon in the city, your expectations have to be realistic. A cosmetic surgery procedure, be it breast augmentation or anything else, is not supposed to get you a perfect body. And, it is definitely not meant to make you look like your favorite celebrity.
The different types of breast augmentation surgery
Breast augmentation has several types, based on the implant filling, shape, covering, and more. Give below is a detailed discussion of different types of breast implants used in the surgery.
Saline or silicone implant fill
Silicone implants are commonly used nowadays because saline implants do not have a long lifespan. In fact, the latter also has issues like rippling and air absorption, which results in issues like sloshing. Saline implants also lack the stability of form, which means the shape can be easily impacted by the soft tissues in your body.
The liquidity of saline does not bring a natural appearance to these implants. The silicone implants are made, maintaining a high standard of safety because the silicone inside the implants is consistent in form.
The silicone fills are solid, which brings down the rate of rupturing and leakage. The stable form of silicone implants, coupled with changes in the soft tissue, makes them a popular choice.
Smooth or textured implant coverings
The textured implants tend to have less capsular contracture, implant migration, and rotation. The capsule of the textured implants also appears thicker, which makes many people believe that these implants seem firmer. In rare cases, textured implants have led to BIA – ALCL (Breast Implant-Associated – Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma).
However, as mentioned before, getting lymphoma from textured implants is a highly rare instance. Many patients go for textured implants and live a happy life.
The round or anatomical shape of implants
Pear-shaped or anatomical implants are used for both reconstructive and cosmetic purposes. These implants have textured surfaces, and imitate the natural bust shape. Thus, anatomical implants are usually relied on for reconstruction surgeries after mastectomy as the shape of the bust becomes totally dependent on breast implants used. The breast doesn’t have natural breast tissues to cover it.
However, pear-shaped implants also run the risk of rotating. This means the patient will have to go for surgery again because the rotation makes the bust shape look rather odd.
Round implants can be either smooth or textured. Rotation will not be something to worry about because the shape is round. Thus, revision surgery is usually not required for round implants. One can still get a natural-looking shape with the round implants because these are at least eighty percent filled.
The silicone accumulates at the implant bottom in the upright state. It gives the implants kind of a pear shape when seen from the sides. It is even more effective when the implants get placed right under your muscle.
The height of the anatomical implants
Pear-shaped implants also have differences in height: tall, moderate, and low. The height differences in implants help in accommodating individual variations in the length of the trunk or chest. Some people have a longer chest than usual. For them, the distance from the collar bone to the under-fold of their breasts is longer compared to the distance from the hip to the rib cage.
Such patients often require tall pear-shaped implants to get the fullness at their unique chest wall and receive a more natural and defined cleavage. Some women also have a shorter chest wall than usual, and they need anatomical implants, too. The low height of the implant is crucial for a short chest wall because otherwise, the breast would reach your collar bone.
The profile of the chosen breast implants
The profile of an implant refers to the measurement of how far it comes forward. It impacts the bust shape because the low profile of the implant appears wider in its diameter, but does not look projected enough. The breast can start to resemble a pancake in this case.
A high profile breast implant is chosen by many women because the projection is greater, and the diameter is narrower. It makes the breasts look well-rounded. The best kind of projection comes from the ultra-high profile breast implants. However, these make the breasts than usual because the implants are completely filled.
The size of the implants used in breast augmentation
The size of the implants ranges from 125 cc. to 700 cc. Even exceptionally small or large implants can be customized for particular reasons. It is a misplaced notion that the size of the breast implant is directly related to the cup size. A number of factors dictate the cup size, which includes the shape and girth of the rib cage and the volume of the healthy, normal breast tissue.
The frame and weight of a person also end up affecting the cup size. For instance, the 200 cc size of implants might appear too big on a short and slim individual, but it would make no difference in the cup size for someone heavier or taller.
Two common methods are applied to find the volume that would suit the woman’s frame and look right with her usual breast tissues. One is utilizing software and digital images to form an approximately close image. The other is to go for sizers in case of sizing bras.
Choosing the right plastic surgeon for breast augmentation surgery
You have decided to go for breast augmentation, and it’s now time to find the right surgeon to do an impeccable job. You will need a skilled plastic surgeon who:
- Provides unbiased recommendations, advice, and education to help you make the right decision.
- Explains alternative or complementary procedures that are suitable as per your desired outcomes
- Stays with you at each step along the way, right from the days leading up to the surgery to during and after the procedure
- Remains permanently based in the area, and will not go away somewhere after the surgery is done on you.
- Comes with enough experience in the field to understand your specific condition and reasons for the surgery
- Comes highly recommended from previous patients and has reviews and testimonials in his/her favor to assure you of the quality of services
The plastic surgeons involved in breast surgeries also offer free consultations these days. So, go for the consultation, and ask the following questions:
- What kind of breast implants are recommended by you, and why?
- What happens to the nipples? Will they lose sensation or change position?
- What is the usual downtime for the breast augmentation surgeries you perform?
- What happens during the follow-up appointments that you offer?
- What are your total charges for the procedure?
Endnote
So, those were the important points you needed to know about breast augmentation surgery. Hopefully, the procedure has become a little easier to understand for you after reading this. It is time for you to decide on whether you want to go for the surgery. And, since the answer to that seems like a major “yes,” start looking for a competent surgeon without further delay.
