Call: (310) 271-6996

The decision to undergo breast augmentation is a big deal for many patients. In addition to researching the right surgeon and deciding implant type, the size of the implant is another important question patients must answer in preparation for their treatment. While many follow the mantra, “go big or go home,” others choose a conservative size for their procedure. Those that choose smaller implants, however, often feel underwhelmed with their results and end up back at their surgeon’s office for larger implants.

Why Women Go Too Small

At BHPS, we’ve heard multiple reasons why women feel underwhelmed by their augmentation size. Some of the most common include:

Concerns Over the Results

While breast augmentation is among the most popular cosmetic surgeries, there is still a sense of taboo for many patients over getting work done. For these women, fears of going large are compounded by worries that if they go too large, their new breasts will look unnatural, overdone, or fake. These concerns are often compounded with negative feedback from friends and colleagues about breast augmentation to the point where once-confident patients start second-guessing their choice in breast size and even reconsider surgery. As a result, many breast augmentation patients choose conservatively sized implants only to feel underwhelmed with their results.

Underestimating the Results

From a surgeon’s perspective, procedures are more than just changes to your appearance. They present an important opportunity to improve self-confidence. We have seen time and time again how dramatic breast augmentation can change a patient’s mindset and outlook – the trouble comes with helping patients recognize the full potential of their procedure beforehand. Often, patients underestimate the long-term mental benefits of the procedure and end up choosing smaller sizes only to realize that they’d feel even better if they had they gone larger. Many of our breast revision patients are women who have come to this conclusion and are ready to turn their self-confidence to the max.

Clothing Fit

When women choose breast augmentation as a way of improving their appearance and ability to wear certain clothing, even a small jump can make a big difference; going between 325CCs and 350CCs can cause a significant impact. Whereas some women may be worried that going too large will make them too top heavy, women who choose too small implants may find that their figure looks proportionally off or that they still haven’t achieved their dream of filling out their favorite tops and dresses. After going through the mental, physical and financial investment of surgery, this realization can be especially underwhelming.

Finding Your Right Size at BHPS

At our Beverly Hills surgical practice, our experts understand how life-changing cosmetic surgery can be, especially the concerns associated with breast augmentation. Luckily, amending too small implants is an easy procedure. Also called secondary breast augmentation surgery, breast revision can be performed to correct the results of prior augmentations. For women left unsatisfied with their results, this treatment is an excellent way of restoring lost self-confidence.

Whether you feel dissatisfied with your prior treatment or are still weighing if breast augmentation is right for you, our team is here to help. To learn more about breast revision surgery, call (310) 746-5475 to schedule your consultation with our Beverly Hills surgeons today!

 

Completed breast augmentation? Check. Made all post-surgery appointments? Check. Finished recovery? Check. Once you’ve made it through the recovery process, it’s easy to assume that your new breasts are in their final position. However, recovery following breast augmentation can often be a month’s long process thanks to the condition known as drop and fluff. While the name may sound innocuous, understanding this process and its role in the overall recovery timeline has helped many augmentation patients better prepare for treatment.

What Exactly is the Drop and Fluff?

Like all other surgical procedures, breast augmentation is a process from which the body continues to heal months after surgery. Whereas other cosmetic procedures usually heal and that’s the end of it, the body must adjust to accommodate inserted implants following breast augmentation. Immediately following surgery, the muscles around the implant and skin tissue experience significant swelling. This results in larger looking breasts that appear to sit high up on the chest and look rounder rather than teardrop shaped. Over the course of several months, inflammation decreases while the muscles and skin gradually adjust to the new additions through a process surgeons and patients alike refer to as the “drop and fluff.”

While the name is amusing, this condition is common among breast implant patients. Usually occurring in the first few months after surgery, drop and fluff starts when the breast skin and muscles start to stretch and relax to accommodate the new implants. No matter how the implants are placed, or the types of implants used, they all begin to slowly shift down the chest and point outward. As the implants gradually move into their final position, they naturally begin to fill out the bottom portion of the breast or “settle” into the pocket they’ve created. Known as the “fluff” phase of implant recovery, this second step is what provides the natural-looking teardrop shape rather than a high and tight appearance common in the first weeks following surgery.

Ultimately, the drop and fluff process is what provides patients with a natural-looking augmentation.

What to Expect During Drop and Fluff

The first thing patients should know about this recovery step is that every patient heals from surgery in their own way. While some face shorter recovery time and a longer period of descent, other individuals can spend months healing from the initial surgery and several more months waiting for their breasts to achieve their final position. Every patient’s journey is unique and therefore should be carefully planned with each individual’s specific concerns in mind.

Similarly, everyone’s unique recovery timeline also determines when their breasts will start their journey south. Gravity, surgery and how well your body heals also determine when the breasts completely drop and fluff. As such, it is important for patients to stay patient in the weeks and months following surgery. On average, it can take up to three months for the breasts to complete the entire recovery plus drop and fluff process.

How to Help Your Breasts Settle

During each follow-up appointment with our Beverly Hills surgeons, our team will examine and check your recovery to ensure the implants are on their way to correctly settling into their final position. Dr. David Kim may also recommend at home solutions to help encourage proper settling. This can include breast bands or compression bras and massaging techniques.

Schedule Your Consultation Today!

At BHPS, our surgical team is your resource for understanding the immediate and long-term impacts of plastic surgery. To learn more about comprehensive cosmetic care, call 310-746-5475 today and schedule your consultation with our Beverly Hills surgeons!

 

 

A woman in her 40s typically enjoys more stability in her life. By this point, you’re probably done with childbearing, your children are likely out of their toddler phase, and your life goals are nicely falling into place. For these reasons, more and more women in their 40s are deciding to undergo breast augmentation for the first time.

Many women feel that this is the ideal time to undergo breast surgery, allowing them to embrace a new decade with confidence. If you’re like others who are taking advantage of this transformative procedure in their 40s, the following guide will help you know what to take into consideration.

Why Get a Breast Augmentation in Your 40s?

While women seeking a breast augmentation in their 20s and 30s typically want to increase the size of their breasts, the 40s present additional cosmetic concerns. Women in their 40s generally choose to undergo a breast augmentation for the following reasons:

Aging

Women in their 40s often have cosmetic changes to their breasts due to age, including sagging, loss of volume, and asymmetry. A breast augmentation can completely restore what age has claimed by providing fullness and improved shape. Breast surgery allows you to take control of unwanted signs of age so you can feel more comfortable with your figure.

Effects of Pregnancy

Children can be a gift in life, but as any mother knows, the physical strain of childbearing can permanently change a woman’s body. Weight fluctuations and breastfeeding may lead to overstretched breast tissue, which contributes to an overall “deflated” appearance. And no matter how much you diet or exercise, flattened breasts cannot be improved without surgery. Fortunately, a breast augmentation performed with a breast lift is the perfect way to correct these cosmetic issues with long lasting results. This particular combination is a popular choice for women undergoing a Mommy Makeover treatment. And since most women are finished having children by their 40s, you can enjoy the results of your breast surgery for many years to come.

Revision Surgery

For some women, breast surgery in their 40s isn’t the first time they’ve undergone a breast augmentation. Many choose to have an additional breast augmentation for revision purposes. This can be done for several reasons. Some patients may be dissatisfied with the results of a breast augmentation they had in their 20s and 30s, and now they finally have the time to get a revision surgery to achieve their aesthetic goals. Likewise, some women want to take advantage of breast implant advancements that have developed since their first breast augmentation. Regardless of the reason, a breast augmentation revision can match your figure with your ideal cosmetic tastes.

Implants After Breast Reduction

Excessively large breasts can cause a host of health issues for women, including chronic neck and back pain. But some women simply don’t have the time or resources to undergo breast reduction surgery in their 20s and 30s. And due to hormonal fluctuations, breasts may continue to develop even throughout a woman’s 20s and 30s, which is why many women wait until their 40s to have a breast reduction.

A breast reduction is an excellent way to eliminate excessive breast tissue, but for optimal results, some women prefer to also have implants to fully improve the shape of their breasts. Breast reduction often focuses more on the relief of troubling physical symptoms rather than cosmetic improvement. For women in their 40s undergoing a breast reduction, augmentation after a reduction can offer optimal cosmetic enhancement.

What You Need to Consider

There are some additional considerations to keep in mind before making the decision to augment your breasts in your 40s:

Mammograms

Doctors generally recommend that women start getting regular mammograms at around age 40 to 45, but you will likely be required to also have a mammogram before getting breast implants. This is because implants can obscure mammogram results, so doctors prefer to have a baseline mammogram that they can refer to in the future. Breast implants will affect your future mammograms as well, so when you go in for your regular breast cancer screening, you’ll need to notify your mammographer so that he or she can adjust the procedure appropriately. You may require additional views for adequate breast imaging.

Issues Related to Sagging

Women in their 40s have likely started to notice that their breasts no longer have the perky appearance they once had. While a breast augmentation is excellent at enhancing the size and shape of breasts, augmentation alone cannot lift the breasts. If you’re thinking about having a breast augmentation in your 40s, then you might want to consider a breast lift as well. This combination surgery is the procedure of choice for mothers who want to restore their pre-baby body, but it also offers optimal breast rejuvenation for women who’ve never had children.

Your 40s are all about knowing what you want and going after your goals. And with a breast augmentation, you can fully embrace this exciting time in your life and restore your confidence. Ready to take the next step? Contact Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery today at (310) 746-5439 to schedule a consultation for breast augmentation.