There’s an age-old adage which states, “the only constant, is change.” No statement ever is more accurate about a woman’s breasts. Life and lifetime events can have a considerable impact on the size, shape, and firmness on breast tissue. Factors like genetics, pregnancy, breastfeeding, weight fluctuations, and menopause can have a significant influence on a woman’s breast. These factors are why breast implants are popular cosmetic devices for when a woman wants to improve on how her breasts look and feel.
Breast implants have been around for over four decades providing women a solution for breasts which sag, are too small, or are asymmetric. With the implant’s popularity, millions of women in the United States currently have them, with some having them for a short time and others for several years. Although implant technology is continuously improving and implants today maintain form and firmness longer than their predecessors, there are still many women who have implants which removal or replacement is necessary. Other women may feel they are at a stage in their life when the look they chose previously may not fit where they are in life today.
Why Change?
It may be less about making a change and more a reaction to the changes a woman’s body experiences throughout her life. She can expect her breasts to change about every ten years significantly. It may be because of pregnancy, childbirth, weight gain – weight loss, or menopause.
Some women choose to augment their breasts at a young age because they are not happy with their size, shape, or symmetry since puberty. They feel self-conscious because their breasts do not fit their body type and look to breast implants to make a change. Others are satisfied with the breasts they were born with, but life events like pregnancy or weight fluctuations made a negative impact on their appearance. Their breasts sag, they are soft or are smaller than before having children. Breast implants help these women attain or regain the breasts they’ve always wanted.
Then you have women who want to remove their implants. Because a change in a woman’s maturing body can have a significant effect on breast augmentation, they come to realize the implants do not match their stage in life. What was great in their twenties and thirties, tells a different story in their 40s and 50s.
Another factor to consider is breast implants, especially older models may need upgrading to continue to be effective. Women who’ve had them for a couple of decades find they are losing their ability to maintain the look they once gave. Revisions are necessary to keep the breasts looking young and natural.
Children Change Everything
Any parent understands children will change every aspect of their life. For mothers, this change includes their body contour. Mothers who have breast implants before children experience some level of change when motherhood arrives. Pregnancy alone will not impact your implants. As your hormone levels rise and fall during pregnancy, this fluctuation may cause them to swell and become larger. They will increase in size while preparing to deliver milk. Once nursing is over, the breasts will return to their normal size as breast volume decreases. The changes in shape and size may become permanent. Although the breast implants will remain in place and hold their shape, natural breast tissue can change in appearance. The changes are impossible to predict because each woman is unique and experiences different changes.
With some women, the change is small and doesn’t make much of a difference, and they feel the effects are of little consequence. Unfortunately, others experience a more drastic change with their breast appearance becoming less desirable. Their clothing doesn’t fit like before or finding an appropriate swimsuit becomes tedious. They want to restore their breasts to their former look, and this may be possible with a breast lift.
Breast Implant Removal
There are many reasons why women are opting to remove their breast implants. For one, choosing to have them may have been a poor decision because they were doing it to please someone other than themselves. They began to realize the bigger boobs did not correlate into their lifestyle, or their lifestyle changed, and the implants became more of a problem than a solution.
This problem often occurs when women seek a healthier, more active lifestyle, and the large implants become a nuisance during their activities like running, cycling, or working out. Another reason a woman chooses to remove their implants is that they look fake. When wearing tight-fitting apparel like evening dresses or workout attire, their breasts don’t seem natural.
Looking back to the early 2000s, breast implants were the rage. Women were seeking to augment their bustlines in droves, and breast augmentation overtook liposuction as the most popular cosmetic surgery in America. In 2006 with the advent of silicone implants, the operation became more popular. Flash forward to now, and you have millions of women with implants which are reaching their expiration date.
With more and more implants starting to degenerate, and many women entering their 40s and 50s becoming weary of the upkeep, a spike in implant removals is upon us. Also, implants are not lifetime devices, and the longer women have them, there’s a greater chance she will want to replace or remove them.
Although you won’t find this fact splashed on plastic surgery marketing material, a significant number of women eventually become tired of their implants and want a change.
Options for Change
With the many women who are in a season of changing their breast appearance which includes removing the implants they currently have, there are some simple options from which to choose. They may decide to take out the larger implants and replace with something smaller. This trend is catching on with women becoming more health conscious and looking for an implant which is more comfortable.
What’s popular with women who have a fond memory from their breast implant’s results but are in a stage in their life where need something different, removal with a breast lift may suffice. There are many options and are as unique as the patient who seeks one.
The Right Process You Should Take When Considering a Change
As with any surgery, you should take the proper steps when considering changing your breasts’ appearance through surgery. Here are some imperatives you should put on your to-do list:
Look for a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon
When you have surgery, you want the best surgeon you can find to perform the procedure. The only way to ensure your surgeon meets all necessary standards like stringent continuing education, extensive training, and is a specialist in their field is to seek the service of a board-certified plastic surgeon. Make sure your surgeon is board-certified in plastic and reconstructive surgery as well. Certified in dermatology, obstetrics, or any other specialty will not suffice. You should make sure the surgeon is board-certified with the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
Don’t Look for the Best Deal
Many plastic surgeons complain they see more botched surgeries when the patient looks to save money. No one should try to bid out for the best deal when it involves the health and aesthetics of your body. Although price matters, the real low ones are generally a sign of a desperate doctor. Be wary of offerings with deep discounts or available coupons. Research the average price in your area and use that as a benchmark.
Watch Out for the Sales Pitch
A consultation visit should not be a sales meeting but rather an opportunity to learn about your procedure. You should leave the surgeons office with a sense of apprehension because all considerations, potential complications, and risks were thoroughly discussed. Make a list of questions to ask your surgeon to ensure you come out of this meeting with all your concerns addressed and your questions answered. You should also take notes or have someone with you to do it for you.
Do Your Research
Plastic surgeons often provide patient-referred lists for their procedures in the form of testimonials or women you can ask about their experience. The state medical board also will make available any disciplinary actions against a physician you may be considering. The internet provides many reviews on the surgeon as well.
Schedule Your Consultation
If you are considering making a change in your breast appearance, we would love to talk to you. Our surgeons are women who understand women and are well respected in the medical community of Nashville and the surrounding communities. We would be happy to have the opportunity to consult you on this next step in your life.
Call or contact us today to schedule a consultation.