The stigma surrounding breast augmentation, and plastic surgery in general, is steadily decreasing in pop culture as many of our beloved celebrities have come out in the open about having gone under the knife.
Breast augmentation procedures are some of the most popular forms of plastic surgery. While the technology for this procedure has progressed leaps and bounds in the last decade or so, we’re willing to bet that many of us still imagine it as how it used to be back in the ’90s when saline bag implants were still being widely used.
Here are some facts that you might not know before.
1. The Shape of Implants Depends on the Shape of your Breasts
When we think about breast enlargement, we often focus solely on how we want the end result to look like. In fact, the shape and size of your breasts will play a big part in determining the shape of your implants.
To sum up the recommendations above which we got from TL Plastic Surgery:
- If the distance between your nipple and under-breast line is moderate and the size of each breast is moderate, go for the round implants.
- If the distance between your nipple and under-breast line is short and the breast skin is tighter, get the tear-drop implants.
The shape of these implants also play a huge part in how the breast will look like after the surgery.
Round implants may look fuller but they also tend to look more artificially pushed up. However, if the implant should flip or turn inside the body, the shape of the breasts will still stay the same.
Tear-drop implants mimic the natural breast shape and are the most natural-looking options for implants. However, because of its more irregular shape, tear-drop implants may flip or turn, which may leave the breast looking misshapen.
2. Not All Breast Implants are Equally Created
After deciding on the shape of implants that best suit your body, you then have to pick what kind of implant you want.
An implant can either be a cohesive gel or a saline bag. Previously, saline bags were the only option for breast implants, but the usage of the newer cohesive gel type implants are now on the rise.
Approved by the U.S. FDA, the cohesive gel implant is now the most popular type of implant due to its soft texture and more natural look.
Saline bags tend to be less durable and may require additional breast revisional surgery in the future, but the size of the implants is easily adjustable so the size of the incision can be minimized.
Another aspect of breast implants that you probably don’t know about is the surface texture. Micro-textured breast implants, a.k.a the next generation breast implants, are the most popular choice nowadays because it gives natural movement like your own breast in any position or posture. It’s also the softest type available now in the market.
3. Different Procedures May Impact Your life Differently
There also isn’t a one-size-fits-all surgery for breast augmentation, so know your options and how they’ll impact your post-surgical care in different ways.
There are three different types of incisions:
- Transaxillary incision (under the armpit): The cut is along the axillary natural skin crease and it won’t affect the function of the breast tissue
- Inframammary incision (under the breast): The doctor is able to directly see the tissue where he will be inserting the implant, and this incision gives faster recovery
- Areola incision (around the nipple): The incision scar can be easily hidden and you can also reduce the size of the areola at the same time if this is a concern for you
Where the doctor places the implants are also something you need to consider, as it may impact the end result and the functionality of the breast tissue:
- If the implant is placed under the muscle, there is no contact between implant and breast tissue so it will not affect the function of the breast tissue
- If the implant is placed between the muscle and tissue, it can be effective in correcting saggy breasts
- Placing the implant directly under the mammary glands is pretty uncommon and usually only recommended to those with big preexisting breast tissue
4. Breast Implants can Last for a Decade
The longevity is where the cohesive gel implants really shine in comparison to the older saline bag types.
Cohesive gel came into mainstream use for breast augmentation almost ten years ago now and has since overtaken saline bags in terms of popularity. Saline bag implants often distort and its volume may decrease over time, which means the breast shape can also change, causing patients to have to go for revisional breast surgery to change the implants.
Cohesive gel, which is silicone-based, is a lot more durable, which also means that they rarely change shape. There isn’t a set period in which you would need to change your cohesive gel implants.
In fact, TL Plastic Surgery tells us that if a patient chooses the correct implant based on their body characteristics, and if there is no unforeseen side effects, cohesive gel implants can be maintained for more than ten years with no problems.
As we’ve mentioned, cohesive gel implants rarely change shape, so if there are any changes in the breast shape over the duration a patient has had them, it’s more likely due to changes in the patient’s weight or body shape which could look like a change in volume of the breast implant.
5. Get your Implants Checked Every 2 to 3 Years
Getting a breast implant generally does not cause any long-term side effects or adverse effects on a patient’s health, according to TL Plastic Surgery.
The only thing you have to watch out for is capsular contracture, in which case the implant may feel abnormally hard, or if there is a rupture. Implant ruptures are very rare cases, but if this happens, the patient will have to get the implant removed immediately as this may cause infections if left untreated.
It is important also for patients to check their breast with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and ultrasound every two to three years just to make sure that the implant is still in place and has not ruptured.
