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How Long Will My Implants Last?
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Throughout history, the attractive female breast has been associated with allure, youth, beauty, sex, and fertility. It is the ultimate sign of femininity.
For quite a long time, larger female breasts were considered to be desirous traits. However, with relatively recent cultural changes in taste, there has been much less importance placed on them and their size.
A breast reduction can help with a range of physical and mental stressors associated with overly large breasts.
Not surprisingly, Millennials have played a significant role in this shift.
As a result, fewer women are undergoing a breast enlargement today. Those that are generally are seeking a much smaller and subtler enlargement than women have in the past. In addition, many of those individuals who have had a previous breast augmentation are now seeking to downsize.
Those who are naturally over-endowed are even more now are aiming to substantially reduce their breast size though not necessarily solely for “cultural” reasons. Breast reduction or breast revision surgery to downsize the breasts are plastic surgery procedures that help women achieve this goal.
Downsizing Naturally Large Breasts
Women with overly large breasts often experience both physical discomfort and undesirable emotional consequences that can include neck, back and shoulder pain, indentations of the shoulders, rashes, skin breakdown, challenges engaging in a variety of physical activities including sports, problems finding clothes and bras that fit and are complimentary and attracting unwanted attention and worse.
Breast reduction can reduce and even alleviate these issues quite predictably. The breasts not only are decreased in size but also re-elevated on the chest was and sculpted to achieve a more desirable, youthful appearance. This can be performed using an inverted-T (also called an anchor shaped) incision that extends from around the areola, down the bottom pole to the breast crease and then along this crease.
Though this is the most common incision approach employed, there are others that have been used depending on a variety of circumstances. Quite commonly, however, these alternatives lead to inferior results.
Before and after image showing the results of a breast reduction surgery performed in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Downsizing Breast Implants
More commonly than in the past, women who had initially desired very large breasts and were very happy with the results from their breast augmentation are now are seeking to downsize. This can be attributed to a variety of reasons including becoming older and with more stability in their lives, substantial weight gain over time that has also affected their breast size, desire to engage in much greater physical activity than they had in the past, seeking to be defined less by their breast size, and present cultural tastes.
The breast revision surgery that entails switching to smaller sized implants is called a breast implant exchange. This can also involve going from saline breast implants to silicone ones and from textured surfaced ones to smooth ones. Breast implant profile can also be changed and with far more options available now than in the past.
A majority of the time, this implant exchange is accomplished through an inframammary incision. If one had been used at the initial surgery it can be used again making an additional scar totally unnecessary. Those who have had a previous transaxillary or infra-areolar incision may require this second incision, however.
When Is a Breast Lift Appropriate?
A breast lift is typically recommended when the breasts have lost their desirable shape and have descended down the chest wall. This drooping can be the result of aging itself, poor skin elasticity, and decreased breast tissue volume and firmness as relates to the skin envelope. It already may be present in those women who previously had a breast augmentation now looking to decrease their implant size. For those women without present drooping who want a substantial decrease in the size of their implants, drooping can be a relevant issue that may need to be addressed at the same time by a lift.
As regards breast reduction surgery, a breast lift IS an intrinsic part of the procedure. That is, it is performed as part of the reduction.
Are You a Candidate?
If your breasts are significantly larger than you want them to be, either as a result of them being naturally oversized or as a consequence of a breast augmentation, then you may very well be a candidate for surgery to downsize your breasts. Ultimately, a determination as to whether or not this is a realistic and prudent consideration can be made after a thorough consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon. Concurrent medical issues, if present, need to be taken into account.
Find Out More
To learn more about or to find breast reduction or breast revision near you, you can contact Dr. Turkeltaub at the Arizona Center for Breast Surgery by calling (480) 451-3000 or by filling out our online contact form.
Dr. Turkeltaub is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and specializes in breast surgery, serving patients in the Scottsdale and Phoenix metropolitan area.