WENDY'S PAGE OF BREAST AUGMENTATION

 

 

For decades now, women and men have been undergoing cosmetic surgery to alter their appearances in one way or another. Each individual has his or her own reason for choosing to do this. A person may be born with a feature that they always thought could be improved. Some people have cosmetic surgery to get back the same look that they had when they were younger. Sometimes cosmetic surgery is performed to correct damage that has been done due to physical injury. Whatever the reason, it is a very personal choice and not one to be made due to pressure from someone else. Liposuction is the #1 cosmetic procedure performed in North America today. Second in popularity is breast augmentation (implants).

 

Breast augmentation used to be a procedure that only movie stars and exotic dancers were thought to have. Now, however, more and more women in 'maintream society' are choosing to get breast implants. In the 1980s, silicone implants caused a great deal of controversy because the implants were said to, in some cases, leak the poisonous silicone into the body. Many women claim to have severe illnesses which they contribute to the silicone implants. Silicone breast implants are no longer available in Canada. In the U.S. a newer type of silicone implant is available that contains cohesive silicone gel). The implants available in Canada today consist of a silicone shell, filled with saline (saltwater). In case of an implant rupturing and/or leaking, the saline is not harmful to the body and is eventually flushed out through the kidneys. Soya-filled implants are currently being used in parts of Europe but are not yet available in North America. Soya filled implants are said to be 'the next big thing' because they allow for clearer mammogram results than saline implants.

 

There are two basic implant shapes to choose from. Anatomical implants are tear drop shaped and are said to provide a more 'natural' looking slope to the breast. The round shaped implants are believed by some to provide more cleavage but they may not look as 'natural'. Some women report that the anatomical implants can shift out of place resulting in a lopsided, unbalanced look. However, I have spoken to many women who have the anatomical implants and they are absolutely thrilled with their results. Anatomical implants have a textured surface that allows them to adhere to the existing breast tissue. Round implants can either be smooth or textured. Just as with the shape of the implant, the texture of the implant is the subject of mixed beliefs. Some people claim that the textured implants have a greater chance of leading to capsular contracture but, once again, I have spoken to many women who are having no problems at all with their textured implants.

 

The third area of controversy stems from the placement of the implant. There are two options (that I know of): over the muscle or under the muscle. From what I have learned, it seems that there are benefits and drawbacks to both areas of placement. Some surgeons prefer to place the implant under the muscle. This works especially well for people who are very small to begin with. It has been said that placing the implant under the muscle makes the edge of the implant less visible. Recovery time is generally longer with submuscular placement. Over the muscle placement works well for women who have a decent amount of pre-existing breast tissue. I have been told that over the muscle placement allows for them to move more 'naturally'. I have also been told that implants placed over the muscle will drop faster and eventually sag more. This may or may not be true.

 

While the benefits of breast augmentation are fairly apparent, there are certainly also some risks that need to be considered.

All of the following are possible problems that could occur:

 

MASSIVE HUMUNGO DISCLAIMER:

This information has been gathered from my own experience, and things I have learned from talking to other women who have either gone through the procedure or are looking into having it done. I'm not any kind of expert on this subject, I can only account for my own personal experience. If you are considering breast augmentation for yourself, always talk to a few surgeons and ask their opinions on the different methods etc. and do tons of research!!!

My absolute FAVORITE site for information on this topic is Breast Augmentation and Breast Implant Information Web by Nicole -A "Positive Online Forum" with tons of people to talk to and lengthy discussions on the controversial issues as well as chatting just for fun. You will find all of the answers to your questions here. I don't know what I would have done without this site!

 

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