Breast Augmentation remains the most popular Cosmetic Plastic Surgery procedure. With over fifty years of use, Breast Implants remain the safest and most reliable way to increase the size of a woman’s breasts.
Breast Implants have been an option for women with small breasts for over fifty years, but many myths about Breast Augmentation persist.
Ten Breast Augmentation Myths
A large amount of Breast Augmentation Information is available here on the San Francisco Plastic Surgery Blog and many other places on the Internet. Despite this, many misconceptions about Breast Enhancement still exist. Below are a few of the most common:
Breast Implants must be replaced every ten years. Breast Implants do not have an expiration date. As long as they are intact, look good and feel good, there is no reason to change them. The most common reasons for Changing Breast Implants is to change size or change from saline to silicone gel.- Breast Implants Cause Cancer or Connective Tissue Disorders. Breast Cancer is the most common cancer in women, and for Hispanic women, breast cancer is the leading cause of deaths from cancer. For all other ethnicities, lung cancer is the cancer most likely to kill you. Large studies show that your risk of cancer is the same with or without breast implants. Similarly, connective tissue disorders like Rheumatoid Arthritis, Scleroderma and Lupus are more common in younger women, but are found at the same rates in age matched populations of women with and without Breast Implants.
- Saline Breast Implants are safer than Silicone Breast Implants. The FDA has approved both Silicone filled Breast Implants and Saline filled Breast Implants as safe and effective. Both have advantages and disadvantages, and these should be discussed with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon before you make your Breast Implant Selection. Most patients who have had both types prefer the look and feel of Silicone Breast Implants over Saline Breast Implants.
- Breast Augmentation with Fat Grafting is better than Breast Implants. The argument is that fat is “natural”; however, Fat Grafting of the Breasts was around before Breast Implants. Since the invention of breast implants, nothing has been shown to be safer or more effective. Fat grafting offers advantages for filling partial defects, like those seen after a large breast biopsy; however, fat is not a reliable substrate. The volume of fat transferred to the breast may not be the volume that survives. Fat grafting is unpredictable. It may take 100%, or may take 50%, and the amount of take may vary with location in the same breast. The fat will continue to change volume with your weight, and fat that does not take may disappear silently or form hard lumps that can calcify and make mammography more difficult to read. On the other hand, a precise Breast Implant volume can be selected.
- You cannot breast feed after Breast Augmentation. Current recommendations are to try to Breast Feed whether you have Breast Implants or not. The breast milk is not changed by your breast implants. Incisions placed beneath the breasts (the IMF) are less likely to interfere with the lactiferous ducts ending in the nipple. Larger breast implants may be more likely to trick the breasts into thinking they are full, so lower volumes of breast milk may be produced.
- Nipple sensation is lost after Breast Augmentation The vast majority of Breast Augmentation patients have no change in breast or nipple sensation after Breast Implants. Approximately 15% of women will have a change in sensation. The most common change is increased sensation, which often resolves in a few months. Decreased sensation can also occur, but is rarely permanent.
- Breast Implants will Lift My Breasts. Breast sagging, or ptosis, is caused by a combination of factors. Loose skin and a low nipple position are the most common. The best treatment for breast ptosis is a Breast Lift. Sometimes, a Breast Implant will help provide additional upper pole fullness. Rarely, Breast Augmentation alone will correct a deflated breast. It requires a specific type of sagging called pseudo-ptosis (fake sagging).
- Textured breast implants will prevent Capsular Contracture Capsular Contracture occurs when the pocket of scar that hold the breast implants in place becomes too tight. Texturing allows the scar to adhere to the surface of the breast implant and may reduce the risk of Capsular Contracture for some patients, but it can still occur. For patients who have had problems with Capsular Contracture in the past, switching to a textured Breast Implant may reduce the risk of recurrence. On the other hand, textured implants have a higher risk of rippling, wrinkles in the breast implants transmitted to the surface of the breast.
- Darker Skin means darker, thicker scars. While the incidence of Keloids is higher in darker skinned individuals, it is still not common. A good test is to check your ear piercings. If you have a large lump of scar around the piercing, you may be at higher risk of a thicker scar, but this is true regardless of your skin type. It is how your body heals, not the color of your skin, which determines the appearance of your Breast Augmentation Scars.
- Breast Implants provide Improved Self Esteem. This is something I have seen in print repeatedly. Self esteem is difficult to measure. It is clear that women often feel more confident and comfortable both in and out of clothing after their Breast Augmentation; however, it takes a fair bit of self esteem to find a Plastic Surgeon and show them a part of your body you want improved.
Breast Augmentation Facts
The Internet can provide a lot of information about Breast Implants and Breast Augmentation, but it is hard to sort through all the “facts” without years of training. After doing your online research, the best way to reach your Breast Enhancement goals is to consult a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. There is no substitute for an in-person evaluation and consultation. Your goals and options will be explained in detail, and a safe and predictable plan constructed.
To schedule a private Breast Augmentation Consultation, call (925) 943-6353, or send me a message via the contact form in the left margin. Breast Augmentation is no myth. It is the most popular Cosmetic Plastic Surgery performed in the San Francisco Bay Area, and the United States.
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