Breast Augmentation
Breast enlargement / Boob job
Breast augmentation is one of the most commonly sought cosmetic surgery procedures in the world. Women may wish for a breast enlargement for a variety of reasons.
Women with a small bust may simply wish to go larger. Following childbirth and breastfeeding, or with increasing age, the breasts may lose volume and the breast skin may lose elasticity, thereby resulting in empty drooping breasts. Breast implants can replace this lost volume and ‘recruit’ some of the redundant skin, giving more of a youthful appearance.
In some cases, the drooping of the breasts may be significant; in these instances, a different procedure may be required, such as a mastopexy (breast lift), or a mastopexy augmentation (breast lift and implants). I will discuss with you in detail which procedure would be most suitable, taking into consideration what your expectations and desired outcomes are.
Your breast augmentation journey
From conception through to your first dinner date. Familiarise yourself with your journey and read our long-form guide if you want to learn more.
Consultation
After examining you, I will provide a bra for you to wear. There are implant ‘sizers’ that may be placed into the bra, which will give us an estimated volume of implant to help you achieve your ideal breast size. After trying a variety of sizers, we will agree on a range of acceptable sizes of implants, subject to restrictions indicated by your height, chest width and body shape.
During the consultation, I will explore the reasons for you requesting a breast augmentation. We will discuss what you expect from surgery and the ideal size and shape you are hoping to achieve.
The procedure
Aftercare
Recovery
After 3 weeks, wounds have generally healed. You are advised to gently massage the scars as tolerated as this helps to soften, flatten and desensitise them. I would advise massaging the entire breast as well as the scar. You may use any lotion of your choosing, such as E45 or bio-oil. 5 minutes in the morning and evening for about a year. Make this part of your ‘routine’. Secondly, scars tan faster than normal skin. Therefore avoid exposing the scars to the sun, but if you have to, then apply factor 50 sun block daily, for a year. It takes about a year for a scar to fully mature and caring for your scars in this manner will ensure optimal healing. In some cases, I may advise using silicone gel (such as Kelocote), to be smeared onto the scar daily for a year.
Risks
Other information
Because the breast glands that produce milk are not disrupted, it is possible to breast feed as normal following surgery. It is also perfectly safe to breast feed a child using your breast that has been augmented with a silicone implant. Several studies have shown that there is more silicone in formula milk than in breast milk expressed from augmented breasts.