6 Misconceptions About Breast Augmentation

Breast augmentation with implants is the most sought-after plastic surgery in America. More than 300,000 women have the procedure every year. But despite its widespread acceptance and tremendous popularity, misconceptions persist that cause some women to hesitate.

We’ll look here at six of the most common breast augmentation myths and explain the real facts.

1. Implants Make Breasts Look Fake

When performed by a skilled plastic surgeon and tailored to the natural proportions of your body, breast implants can make your breasts look like a more natural fit with your silhouette while boosting your allure. The secret is to choose the appropriate size, shape, and position for the implants. Your plastic surgeon will advise you on those choices, based on your anatomy and your wishes for enhancement.

2. I’ll Need My Breast Implants Replaced Every Few Years

It’s true that breast implants don’t last forever. Eventually, the implants may leak or rupture. But it’s common for implants to last without problems for 10 or 15 years or even longer.

With saline implants, leakage will cause deflation — with cosmetic but not health effects. With silicone implants, leakage will require surgical removal. In either case, you’ll have the choice of replacing the implants or having them removed and allowing your breasts to go back to their former size. A breast lift can help reshape the breasts if you have your implants removed or replaced.

You may also choose, at any time, to remove or replace the implants because your ideal body shape has changed. This choice is personal, unrelated to any specific timing.

3. Implants Can Improve Sagging Breasts

Breast implants add volume and can improve the shape of your breasts, but they are not the answer for sagging breasts. That issue results from a gradual loss of skin elasticity. If you want to add volume to your breasts, but also want to improve their drooping appearance, breast augmentation combined with a breast lift may be the answer.

4. Implants Make It Impossible to Breastfeed

Breast augmentation, when carefully performed, should not affect the ability to breastfeed. And studies analyzing the quality of breast milk produced by mothers with silicone implants have found no evidence of silicone in their milk. If the future ability to breastfeed is a concern for you, discuss it in your consultation with the plastic surgeon. You may decide, together, on an approach to the procedure that minimizes the risk of problems, such as placing the incision below the breast, rather than around the nipple, or placing the implants below the chest muscle.

5. Breast Augmentation Is Only for Young Women

While breast augmentation is popular among women in their 20s and 30s, it is also a top choice of many women in their 40s, 50s, and even 60s.

Breast size and shape can change with pregnancy and breastfeeding, so many women wait to get implants when they are finished having children. Other older women have implants to make themselves look and feel better. As long as you are in good health, there is no upper age limit for the procedure.

6. Any Cosmetic Surgeon Can Perform Breast Augmentation

When considering breast augmentation, you should look for a plastic surgeon. To produce beautiful and natural-looking results, a plastic surgeon must have experience and demonstrated skill in performing the procedure and the aesthetic sense to guide the choice of size, shape, and placement of the implants. Review credentials, ask about experience, and look at before-and-after pictures when choosing a plastic surgeon.

Learn More In a Personal Consultation

Dr. David Kim and Dr. Eugene Kim at Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery have developed an impeccable reputation for stunning, natural-looking breast augmentation results, attracting patients from all over the world. Contact our practice today at 310-746-5475 or send an online request to schedule a consultation.