Breast plastic: dispel the top 5 myths

The curvy shape is in fashion today: less and less thin women are looking at us from TV and computer screens, but more and more often — ladies with impressive sizes.

And for girls who have not been blessed with noticeable bust, this sometimes becomes the basis for the formation of a large psychological complex that does not allow them to feel comfortable. Of course, you can get by with all kinds of camouflage, which are now abundant — underwear with a push-up effect, exo-implants, hormonal treatment, supplements, creams, pills, and even breast augmentation devices. But these are all just cunning marketing tricks, because the only way to do it is to have your breasts surgically enlarged.

From my experience, this type of surgery is becoming more and more popular because of its accessibility and simplicity: the operation lasts no more than two hours, often the patient is discharged from the hospital the next day, and she can already be socially active with limited physical activity. All traces of the intervention are hidden under the clothes, no bruises are visible, and a pill solves the issue of mild discomfort. But the popularity has another side: myths about breast augmentation spread along with it. And it can be extremely difficult for an ordinary person to distinguish truth from gross fiction without the help of a specialist. Therefore, as the head of the Ukrainian Association of Plastic Surgeons, I want to set the record straight on this issue and dispel the main speculations about breast augmentation.

MYTH №1: A SURGEON CAN MAKE MY WILDEST DREAMS COME TRUE

Dishonest — yes, in other cases there are restrictions and reasons for refusal. Each patient has individual parameters of the body and chest structure, and this fact dictates its own rules. For example, if the chest is wide, then you can take an implant with a volume of 500 ml — and these will not be very large breasts. But for a petite girl, 200 ml will be too much. First of all, you need to take into account the height and amount of adipose tissue. If there is not enough of it, then a too large implant can lead to pressure ulcers and atrophy of the tissues. What does this mean? For example, if at the time of surgery the tissue thickness was 2 cm, then in a year it will be 1.5 cm, and in five years — 1 cm. This is due to the fact that there is a violation of trophism, the implant presses from the inside, the blood supply is disrupted, and it can simply fall out.

You also need to think about the long-term perspective: the larger the implant, the greater its weight, the higher the likelihood of tissue stretching, loss of shape, and its prolapse. Beautiful breasts are good, but you need to understand what will happen to them in a few years.

But that’s not all: a too heavy implant can lead to back problems and neurological disorders. So it’s not always good to follow your desires, you need to be realistic and understand the risks.

The good news is that science does not stand still, and now new developments have appeared on the market — lightweight implants. With the same volume as conventional ones, they weigh 30% less. And the difference of even 100 grams is very noticeable when wearing them.

MYTH №2: BREAST IMPLANTS ARE DONE ONCE AND FOR LIFE

This is not always the case. Quite often, girls need a second corrective surgery. Surprised? Many people are confused and speculate that implant manufacturers give them a lifetime warranty. “If there is a lifetime warranty on the implant, then it means on the breast,” our beauties often think. In reality, this means that companies give a guarantee against implant rupture or damage to the implant’s integrity, but it does not cover displacement, omission, inverted positioning, and other common deformations. Also, sometimes implants simply wear out over time. This is the first reason why a second surgery may be required.

The second is when a rough capsule forms around the implant, which compresses and deforms it. This is a standard reaction of the body, but in some people it is soft and smoothed out, which does not require surgical intervention. In other cases, the capsule needs to be removed or at least dissected.

The third problem is the immunological long-term reaction to the implants themselves. Localized lymphoma occurs around the implant. This is an extremely rare phenomenon, but it is all the rage today.

So no one is safe from corrective plastic surgery. And surgery may be required at any time: both in two weeks and in 15-20 years.

MYTH №3: IMPLANTS CAN LEAD TO CANCER

This is perhaps the most common myth that is not true. Repeatedly, the most reputable institutions around the world have conducted studies and found no such connection between these two events. Moreover, the presence of implants in the breast can in a sense be a preventive measure. By signing a contract with the clinic before the surgery, the patient agrees to regular examinations and checkups. According to the international protocol, women with implants should undergo magnetic resonance imaging every two years to detect changes in the breast around the implant. Otherwise, a person loses insurance benefits. And since the examinations are carried out regularly, it is possible to detect benign changes in the early stages, which can later develop into malignant ones. And if they are diagnosed at the initial stage, they can be eliminated. Therefore, the risks for women with implants are lower than for those who do not wear them.

MYTH №4: YOU CAN’T BREASTFEED WITH ARTIFICIAL BREASTS

This is mostly a fable, although in some situations it is true. The fact is that small breasts may be underdeveloped for feeding, and after they are enlarged, the implant begins to put pressure from the inside and impairs milk production. In other cases, breastfeeding is quite possible: the milk will not change its taste and composition. Another issue is that you need to understand that during this period, the breasts increase in volume, the skin stretches, and as a result, the bust may lose its shape.

MYTH №5: THE IMPLANT CAN BURST DUE TO AIRPLANE PRESSURE OR UNDERWATER

This is a pure fable. Some health problems may arise from flying in general, but in no case due to the pressure drop. It may just coincide in time. As for the temperature swings, the truth is this: when the owner of the implants goes to the bathhouse, they warm up and, like a hot water bottle, keep the heat. This can cause a feeling of heat and high temperature. The opposite is true: after a woman bathes in cold water, the implant cools down and keeps a low temperature because there is no blood circulation in it. A cold implant applied to the breast can cause pneumonia. Therefore, it is better to limit prolonged exposure to cold and heat.

Instead of an epilogue, I would like to give advice to all the beauties who are thinking about breast augmentation: check the information, don’t follow trends, and really assess the risks! And, of course, be the most charming. First of all, in your own eyes!