For many women, the size and contour of their breasts directly relate to their sense of self-esteem and overall feeling of femininity. In fact, an American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) survey showed that 92% of women felt an increase in their self-esteem post-augmentation, and more than half said their quality of life improved as well.
Breast lift and augmentation procedures have both given mastectomy patients and other women a chance to feel more confident about their bodies. Breast lift surgery involves raising breasts that have sagged due to decreased skin elasticity, and repositioning them higher up on the chest. Breast augmentation procedures require placing saline breast implants, or silicone ones, into the breast using various incision methods.
Many women decide to have one of these two procedures done, but for some, both breast lift and augmentation are necessary to get the look they want. Having breast implants does not necessarily improve the position of the breast. While the implants enlarge them, sagging breasts, or breast ptosis, cannot be fixed by augmentation alone. Similarly, breast lifts can only raise and reshape breasts, but cannot make them larger or change their contour.
A popular procedure that combines both breast lift and augmentation is the “Mommy Makeover.” This is a post-pregnancy makeover that involves augmenting breasts, lifting them, and often times, a tummy tuck. Many women have reported sagging breasts as a result of breast feeding and body changes after pregnancy. With the “Mommy Makeover,” women have been able to lift their breasts, and enhance them to give them a more natural, full look. Complete with a tummy tuck, the overall makeover has become a hit for women around the nation.
In the last decade, tummy tucks, breast lifts, and augmentation have all increased, and it could be because more women want to have their bodies reshaped after giving birth. The ASPS shows that in 2008, the highest percentage of women who had implants were between the ages of 30-39, with ages 13 to 29 coming in close second. The average child bearing age is about 29 years old, according to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, which could account for this age bracket’s high percentage of reconstructive surgery.
For women who want to proceed with one of these makeovers, it is best to consult a board-certified breast augmentation surgeon. Both breast lifts and implants require two separate surgeries that can be tricky depending on a woman’s body. A surgeon will typically make the incision first and place saline breast implants, or silicone implants in before determining how much of a lift is needed. The procedures are done in this order to ensure that the skin does not over-tighten on the implant once the breast is lifted.
While both these procedures can be costly, more than $8,000, there is little argument about the price from women who feel confident after having their breasts reshaped. For mastectomy sufferers, and women who have never felt confident about their breasts, investing in breast implant and breast lift procedures could be worth their hefty price tag.
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