Plastic surgery is becoming more and more frequent. In 2016 alone, Americans had a record $15 billion worth of invasive and noninvasive procedures.[1] Of these surgeries, breast augmentation was the second most sought after procedure, with 310,444 people receiving it. (Liposuction was at the top, with 414,335.)[2] As the numbers show, visiting your plastic surgeon is becoming as common as a checkup; it’s more affordable and less stigmatized. Even still, considering getting surgery done— such as breast implants nj— is an important, life-changing decision. For this reason, it’s important to do as much research as possible in order to make the right choice for you. Which is why we created this guide for you.

In it, you’ll learn:

  • Reasons to consider getting breast implants
  • Reasons to question why you should get breast implants
  • Body Dysmorphic Disorder
  • Types of breast implants
  • Risks
  • What to expect: The Ideal vs. The Reality
  • What this breast implant NJ office has to say
  • And more…

Reasons to Consider Getting Breast Implants

Below are some of the most common reasons to get breast implants.

Micromastia

Micromastia occurs when the breast tissue doesn’t fully develop after puberty.

Asymmetrical Breasts

In some cases, a woman may have a C cup and a B cup. Or a D cup and an A cup. Whatever the case, it’s hard to find a bra that adequately provides support.

Mommy Makeover

After pregnancy, breasts may appear deflated. Some women, along with a mommy makeover, may get breast implants to gain back their old body.

Unhappy with Size

Some women may choose to get breast implants simply because they’re unhappy with the size. (However, it should be noted that your overall self-esteem isn’t dependent on your breast size.)

Which brings us to reasons not to get breast implants…

Reasons to Question Why You Should Get Breast Implants

  • You’re unhappy with your life and believe getting implants will improve the quality of it
  • You suffer from low self-esteem and have a poor body image. Breast implants will make you feel better about yourself.

It’s important that you take into account how you currently feel about yourself and your life. Answer these two questions:

  • Are you happy with your life?
  • Are you happy with yourself?

If the answer is no to either (or both) of them, it’s probably a good time to put getting a breast augmentation on hold. And, instead, focus on ways and resources (i.e. therapy, meditation, self-reflection, self-help books…) to improve your life. Remember, breast implants can make you more confident in how you look. But they can’t replace a void.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Body dysmorphic disorder (or BDD) is a psychological condition where someone will spend hours assessing their imperfections. While it’s normal for everyone to have something we wouldn’t mind getting fixed or will make an effort to cover up, it doesn’t interfere with our daily lives.[3] As for those with BDD, these perceived flaws hinder their quality of life, with several seeking surgeries to treat the symptom.

During the consultation, an experienced plastic surgeon will speak with you about why you want to have breast implants and get an in-depth history to screen for BDD.[4]

Types of Breast Implants

Besides knowing why you want to have them, it’s important to get an idea of what type of implant you’d like to have. Below are the types of implant options you and your plastic surgeon can discuss, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).[5]

Saline Breast Implants

The implants contain sterile salt water in them—saline. Saline isn’t toxic. Which is why should the implant collapse, your body would absorb and expel it.

Is this FDA approved?

Yes, it is FDA-approved for women 18 and older.

Silicone Breast Implants

Instead of sterile salt water, silicone breast implants contain silicone gel. Even if the implant collapses, the gel usually stays in the implant. Nonetheless, you may need to make a regular visit to your plastic surgeon to ensure they haven’t moved or leaked.

Is this FDA approved?

Yes, it is FDA-approved for women 22 and older.

Gummy Bear Breast Implants

Gummy bear implants are another name for form-stable implants. Basically, these implants still stay in the same shape, even when the implant has broken. The reason this happens is that the silicone gel is thicker than your standard silicone.

It does give a perkier appearance, with a diminished top and projected bottom. For this reason, it will look unnatural if it turns. (There also will be a longer incision.)

Structured Saline Breast Implants

This is another type of saline implant. Like with the saline breast implant, it is filled with sterile salt water.

Round Breast Implant

As the name suggests, round breast implants make the breast look fuller. Even if the breast implant turns, it should still look natural.

Smooth Breast Implants

These implants are considered the softest. They mimic natural movement, however, the skin can have a rippling look.

Textured Breast Implants

The scar tissue sticks develop and stick to the breast implant. Because of this, its movement is not as likely.

Risks Associated with Implants

According to the FDA, some risks associated with breast implants are breast pain, capsular contracture (scar tissue squeezes the implant), more surgeries to fix the previous surgery, breast implant associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (rare cancer), sensation changes in nipples and breasts, possibility saline implants rupturing when deflating, and silicone implants rupturing with or without the rupturing symptoms.[6]

It’s important that during the consultation you speak with your plastic surgeon about any concerns you may have about the risks. Experienced plastic surgeons will work with you to choose an implant that will benefit you the most, with the least amount of risks.

What to Expect: The Ideal vs. The Reality

Going into surgery, it’s important to focus on the real results, and to not imagine you’ll have the “ideal breasts.” The truth is, there is no such thing as the “ideal breasts.” While some may request getting Angelina Jolie cheeks or Kate Middleton’s nose[7], plastic surgeons have to weigh in and see if these features would work well for you.

While Kate Middleton’s nose is the “perfect nose” for Kate Middleton. And Angelina Jolie’s cheeks are the “ideal cheeks” for Angelina Jolie. They may not be the “perfect nose” or “ideal cheeks” for you.

Breast implants work the same way. A size D cup implant may not look natural on a petite frame. Just like a smaller cup size may not look proportional on a woman with a larger frame.

Again, it goes back to proportions and the overall look you want to accomplish: you want to look like a better version of you; not someone else. It’s important that you keep this expectation in mind.

What to Expect After Surgery

Plan on taking a couple days off after the surgery, as you may experience pain and nausea. Your surgeon may give you medication to ease these symptoms. You also may receive a postoperative bra and compression bandages for healing.

Know that it may take one to two weeks before you can go back to work. Also, plan on not doing strenuous physical activity for the next few weeks after the surgery. As you don’t want your blood pressure to rise.

What to Expect After Healing

Make sure you schedule regular, consistent MRIs to check for silent ruptures. Also, continue with regular mammograms to screen for breast cancer. Remember though to tell the healthcare professional who’s doing the mammogram that you have implants. Since he or she will modify their techniques.[8]

Study Reveals the Positives After Breast Implant Surgery

According to a ASPS survey (225 sample size), 98% of women who underwent breast implant surgery reported that the surgery results met or exceeded their expectations.[9]  From the study, 92% reported increased self-esteem and 64% stated their quality of life has improved since the surgery.[10]

What This Breast Implants NJ Office Has to Say

Considering breast implants is an important decision; it takes time and research in deciding whether to get implants, what type, and what surgeon to go with. Overall, we recommend that you take this process slowly. Schedule multiple consultations with plastic surgeons to see which one works best with you.

Summary

  • Women (and men) consider getting breast implants for all kinds of reasons: mommy makeover, asymmetric breasts, micromastia…
  • Consider holding off on getting implants though if you’re not already happy with who you are and your life
  • Know that an experienced plastic surgeon will make sure you don’t have BDD or BDD symptoms
  • Also, there are several breast implant types to choose from: saline, silicone, gummy bear, structured saline, round, smooth, and textured
  • Be aware of the risks in getting implants; don’t be afraid to speak with your surgeon about them
  • In addition, expect real results, results that go well with YOUR body
  • Expect to take 1-2 weeks off of work and refrain from strenuous activity for several weeks
  • Breast implants can improve your quality of life!

Want more information? Contact us!

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[1] ASPS: 2016 Cosmetic Surgery National Data Statistics

[2] ASPS: 2016 Cosmetic Surgery National Data Statistics

[3] Anxiety and Depression Association of America: Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)

[4] NCBI: Body Dysmorphic Disorder in Plastic Surgery

[5] ASPS: Types of Breast Implants

[6] FDA: Risks of Breast Implants

[7] New York Post: Plastic surgeon reveals which celebrity facial features clients want most

[8] FDA: Breast Implant Surgery

[9] ASPs: Breast Augmentation Patients Report High Satisfaction Rates

[10] ASPs: Breast Augmentation Patients Report High Satisfaction Rates