Best alternative to breast implants

Best alternative to breast implants: Do you think about breast augmentation? Many women want to enhance the size of their breasts to give them a more attractive silhouette. But many people are concerned about having breast implants.

Breast augmentation with breast implants means placing silicone or saline implants in the breasts. Implants require large incisions, and the recovery time is substantial. Other potential issues with breast implants include:

Capsular contracture: The body creates a scar capsule around the implant over a few months. This is normal, but the capsule may contract around the implant, an unnatural appearance. This usually requires revision surgery and replacement of the implant.
Putting implants in the chest is major surgery and requires six months of recovery.
Other risks of breast implants include implant rupture, infection, excessive bleeding, and dissatisfaction with the results.
Putting in implants leads to a significant increase in breast size, which some women may not want.

Women who don’t want breast implants have other alternatives to increase the size of the breasts. We provide details about those procedures below.

See Also: 9 BEST BREAST AUGMENTATION RECOVERY TIPS

The Best alternative to breast implants

Fat Grafting

The most popular alternative to breast augmentation is fat grafting. This procedure uses fat cells removed with liposuction from other body parts. The surgeon washes and processes the fat, then injects it into several parts of the breasts.

Fat grafting is still surgery, but the incisions are tiny and virtually unnoticeable after you recover. Plus, you don’t have large incisions, so the recovery is shorter.

Many patients are excellent candidates for fat grafting, especially those who want a slight size increase and enough fat in other body parts.

Fat grafting may be a good fit if you want a subtle size increase that most people won’t notice. This procedure can usually give you a 1 cup size increase, which is all many women wish to. You also can have other procedures with fat grafting, such as a breast lift.

Some of the transferred fat will die after it’s injected. That’s why the surgeon will overfill the breasts slightly to ensure you wind up with the desired size.

Fat grafting, unlike implants, will not interfere with mammograms, so it’s easier to check for breast cancer as you age.

This procedure is also permanent, but if you want more size later, you can have a touch-up procedure.

On the other hand, breast implants usually need to be replaced after 10 or 20 years.

Fat Grafting Limitations and Risks

Fat grafting is a safe and effective alternative to breast implants, but it isn’t ideal for every patient. Some issues include:

Insufficient Fat

Thin women who don’t have a lot of extra fat may not qualify for fat transfer. Harvesting fat aggressively can lead to problems from liposuction, such as waves or dimpling.

Most plastic surgeons won’t perform fat grafting on patients who don’t have sufficient fat reserves because of the risk of complications. If you don’t have enough fat and experience dimpling, it can be difficult to correct this problem.

Skin Problems

Some women have too tight or loose skin for fat grafting to work well. For example, if you have loose skin in the abdomen, the surgeon may not take fat from there without creating more problems.

You may want to think about a tummy tuck to address the lax skin issue.

Some women may also have loose skin in the breasts and fat grafting alone won’t solve the issue. A breast lift may be required.

Inadequate Blood Supply

The transferred fat needs a viable blood supply in the breasts to survive. The fat will die if there isn’t enough oxygen in the breasts.

Your surgeon will check the quality of the blood supply in the breasts to ensure that you will have a successful procedure.

Breast Lift

Some women think they need breast augmentation, but a breast lift is what they need.

After weight loss or pregnancy and breastfeeding, the breasts may deflate and sag, leading to an older and less attractive profile.

Increasing the size of the breasts may lead to more sagging and drooping. So instead of breast augmentation, consider a simple breast lift.

This procedure involves removing extra skin and tissue from the breasts. Then, the surgeon lifts the breasts higher on the chest, giving you a younger and more attractive silhouette.

You may also have breast augmentation with fat transfer when you have a breast lift. This can give you a modest size increase and a lift, and most women love the results.

Injectable Fillers

Many patients like to use injectable fillers, such as hyaluronic acid, to fill in lines and wrinkles in the face. This filler is also helpful to increase volume, so it can be a possible option for a slight increase in breast size.

Talk to your surgeon to determine if your anatomy makes you a candidate for this type of augmentation. If you want a significant increase, you will need breast implants, however.

Botox

Botox is usually used to relax wrinkles in the face. It works by freezing the muscles that cause crow’s feet and brow furrows. But it also may give your breasts a small size increase and lift.

However, the effects only last three or four months, so you will need regular touch-ups.

Fat grafting is best alternative to breast implants for women who wants a smaller increase without major surgery and significant downtime. But you should check with your plastic surgeon to find out if the procedure is a good fit for you.

Request A Breast Augmentation Consultation

Interested in learning about the best alternative to breast implants? Dr. Scott J Farber or Dr. Amita Shah of Hill Country Plastic Surgery can help. They will consult with you about your desire for a breast augmentation procedure.

Also, they’ll go over the options, goals, and more to determine if breast augmentation is a good fit for your needs and goals.

References

Best Alternative to Breast Implants. (n.d.). Accessed at https://www.mybreast.org/

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