There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about breast augmentation, and we have probably heard them all. Here are answers to 4 of the top questions we hear about breast augmentation to help you get past the hype.
1) Do breast implants improve the shape of sagging breasts?
Breast augmentation surgery will fill out breasts without changing their position. If the breasts sag below the creases, implants will not rotate them upward into an attractive position. Rather, they will fill out the upper poles, leaving the remainder of the unlifted breasts sagging off the implants and creating an unattractive, misshapen appearance.
When necessary, a breast lift, or mastopexy, will tilt the sagging breasts upward into a perky position and create a much more natural contour along with the implants. To learn more, read our related blog post on breast lift vs. breast augmentation for sagging.
2) Are silicone gel implants safe?
Silicone gel breast implants are made of a cohesive gel that is semi-solid and does not leak throughout the body if the shell breaks. They do not leak around the body and do not cause medical illness or disease. Despite their temporary ban by the FDA, silicone implants have never caused autoimmune illnesses as was claimed in many lawsuits. They have definitively been proven safe, hence, were reapproved in 2006 for everyone’s use. Gel implants have 3 main advantages over saline implants:
- Softer, more natural feel
- Less rippling or wrinkling
- Lower risk of rupture
3) Do round or shaped implants create more natural-looking results?
There are essentially 2 breast implant shapes available: round and contoured (teardrop). Round implants are most popular; however, contoured implants may be a good option for some women. When a woman is standing upright, round implants take on a natural teardrop breast contour, and their shape changes with positional movement as natural breast tissue would. When they rotate, there is no problem with distorting the breast shape.
Contoured implants were created in an attempt to provide a more natural-looking alternative to round implants, but most evidence does not support this assertion. These implants can be helpful for women with small breasts and very tight skin. Contoured implants are manufactured with a textured surface to help resist rotation. Nonetheless, these implants can spin, causing breast distortion and occasionally the need for surgical correction.
4) Is breast massage after surgery recommended?
The purpose of massage is not to improve breast shape during the recovery. Capsular contraction is when the capsule that your body forms around the implant becomes thick and heavily scarred. This is not dangerous to you but can cause the breast to become tight, hard, and unattractive. Evidence supports breast expansion exercises (massage) after surgery to decrease the tendency toward capsular contraction. Additionally, submuscular implant placement can reduce the incidence of contracture.
If you still have questions about breast augmentation, request a consultation with one of our surgeons, or call us at (303) 278-2600 to schedule your appointment.
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