Although breast augmentation is one of the most commonly performed operations in the United States, many patients still have misperceptions about the surgery. It’s important that all patients know exactly what to expect from breast augmentation and for that reason, we decided to write this blog post.
First myth – breast implants are an appropriate solution for severely drooping breasts, either after massive weight-loss or pregnancy.
Breast implants can make your breasts look fuller and larger, but they do not raise the position of the nipple and areola (pigmented skin surrounding the nipple). If you have severely drooping breasts, you likely need a breast lift, either in addition to breast augmentation or instead of it. Overly large implants result in overly large breasts; they do not adequately lift the breasts.
Second myth – different women with different body shapes and sizes, should expect similar results with the same breast implant.
Every woman has a differently shaped body, and, as a result, differently shaped breasts with different properties of their skin and soft tissue envelope (elasticity, skin thickness, etc.). Specific anatomic characteristics directly contribute to the final results after breast augmentation. Thus, even though you may love your friends results after breast augmentation, choosing the exact same implants as her does not guarantee the same results.
Third myth – breast implants always have to look fake.
Most of the time, when you see a patient who has an overly round and fake look after breast augmentation, it is because that is what that particular patient chose to have. The majority of women choose sensibly sized implants that allow them to have a natural look after their surgery. In many cases, you may not even be aware that they’ve had surgery.
Fourth myth – the scars after surgery are obvious and look bad.
The most common incisions utilized for breast augmentation are in the natural skin crease underneath the breast, at the junction of the pigmented areola and the surrounding skin, or in the arm pit. In the vast majority of cases, the scars are small and barely perceptible.
Fifth myth – breast implants must be replaced every 10 years.
Although relatively old data suggests that one out of four women gets revision surgery within 10 years of their breast augmentation, newer implants have less association with capsular contracture than previous generations of silicone implants. Although implants do not last forever, breast implants only need to be replaced if a patient has a problem. These problems may include droopiness, a size larger than desired, or capsular contracture (painful and hard breasts).
Do you have more questions? If so, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 214-827-2814.