Getting the perfect breast implants can be a life-changing experience. You should always feel comfortable in your own skin, and there’s no shame in enhancing your body to meet your desires and preferences. If you’re considering a breast augmentation, it helps to do a little research first to familiarize yourself with your choices, the overall procedure, and the breast implants recovery period. Here’s a list of 10 interesting facts you may not know about breast implants.
- Breast implants are not one-size-fits-all. Contrary to popular believe, it isn’t as easy as walking into your surgeon’s office asking for a C-cup breast implant or500cc breast implants. What may look great on your friend or a celebrity with implants in a magazine may not be the right fit for you personally. Many factors come into play, such as your existing breast size and frame (height and shoulder width). Your plastic surgeon will do a full set of measurements to give you choices that are best suited for your frame and your individual anatomy. A set of 400cc breast implants may look amazing on a friend, but your frame and anatomy may only require 300cc breast implants to achieve a similar result.
- You can consider different types of breast implants to achieve a certain look.Many women want a look that seems natural as well as believable. Natural looking breast implants, like different implant sizes, may be very specific to the individual. High profile breast implants provide a fuller, rounder look in the upper breast that is a bit narrower on the sides while a moderate (medium) profile implant may give the look of a wider breast with a bit less fullness up top, still with nice cleavage. Personal preference comes into play a great deal in choosing the type of implants for your augmentation.
- The placement of your breast implants can be over or under the pectoral muscle. Placing the breast implants under the muscle allows for a more natural slope on top of the breast and also reduces the risk of capsular contracture. Under the muscle breast implants may be ideal for those with a thinner frame or smaller existing breasts, as the likelihood is the implants will be less visible to others. Placing implants over the muscle may be a good option for women with a substantial existing breast size who also wish to reduce sag without a breast lift.
- Too large breast implants may actually hinder your mobility and cause undue discomfort. Work closely with your surgeon to ensure you choose the implant size that is right for your body.
- Breast implants should last a long time, but you may eventually need to have them redone. Most implants have a lifetime of about 10 to15 years or so. Even without a rupture, it may be wise to replace silicone breast implants after this time to help avoid chances of capsular contracture (where your breast changes shape, feels hard, or the implant shifts) or other complications.
- Breast implants can rupture over time and may need to be replaced. Plastic surgeons can correct your first breast implants or ruptured implants. Removing breast implants and performing a new augmentation can deliver a very good result when you are under the care of an experienced, certified surgeon.
- Women with silicone gel-filled breast implants may need to undergo periodic MRIs. Silent ruptures can occur with silicone gel implants, meaning no symptoms of a rupture are present. The FDA and breast implant manufacturers recommend the first MRI screening three years after placement and then every two years going forward.
- Breastfeeding and breast implants are often compatible. Many women who have a breast augmentation during their young adulthood go on to have children and no problems with milk production or nursing their infants. Complications do occasionally arise, but skilled plastic surgeons can preserve the nerves and milk ducts during surgery. So if you are considering breast implants and wondering “can you breastfeed with breast implants,” the answer is often a resounding yes!
- Breast implant surgery alone may not give you the final result you’re seeking.Many women opt for a breast lift with implants to achieve the ideal amount of perkiness to match the new breast size. Performing the breast lift at the same time as the augmentation can save you time and money while also getting you beach-ready after just one recovery period. The results of a breast lift with implants can be outstanding when performed by a board certified plastic surgeon like Dr. Newman.
- Breast implants can change your life. Enhancing your body to meet your desires can give you an added level of confidence that is apparent to everyone you meet. You should feel happy and self-assured in everything you do. And, you don’t have to tell people you had a breast augmentation unless you want to—let them wonder. Someone wondering whether you had surgery or not is actually quite the compliment!
Take some time to browse our gallery of before and after breast implants to get a better idea of Dr. Newman’s talented approach to breast augmentation and breast lifts.