Have you been thinking about getting breast implants? Have you been trying to figure out the best time to fit in the surgery without using up your limited vacation time?
The holidays can be a great time of year to get breast augmentation. Recovery time is relatively short and you can get back to your normal routine quickly. Plus, by tacking paid time off for Thanksgiving and Christmas, you can easily get a week off from work.
If you want to get this procedure done, you’re in good company. With almost 300,000 surgeries, breast augmentation was the most popular cosmetic procedure in 2015 according to the latest statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
If you think you’re too old to get breast enhancement, think again. Although young women account for two-thirds of breast augmentations, a third are done on women 40 years or older. That means even if you’re in your prime, it’s not too late to add some curves to your figure and build your self-confidence.
In preparing for the procedure, one of the biggest questions you may have is determining the best breast implant type and size.
You’ve got three basic options.
Your implants can be selected based solely on your or your surgeon’s preference and no measurements are taken. While this may have been more popular years ago, today most plastic surgeons are focused on what you want.
Another option is to use what’s called dimensional analysis systems. In this scenario, the implants are chosen based on the result you’re looking for. So, if you’re looking to go from an A cup to a D cup, your surgeon will perform measurements to determine the best implant needed to achieve that result.
A third option is to use Tissue-Based planning. In this scenario, your breast measurements are the determining factor with limited room to change the implants. For example, the natural size of your breasts and the width of your breast bone may make using an implant over 400cc more challenging.
Like many things in life, using a combination of methods may be best. According to the latest study published by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the best implants are based on measurements taken by your surgeon in conjunction with your aesthetic goal.
“If you are thinking about a breast augmentation, you probably have an image in your head of what you would like your breasts to look like,” says Dr. David B. Reath, a board certified plastic surgeon based in Knoxville who performs nearly 300 breast procedures a year.
Dr. Reath continues, “You may not have thought of it this way but your ideal breast size depends on many things besides the physical: your personality, what you do for a living, what kind of exercise you like to do and so on.”
To answer all of his patient’s questions about breast enhancement, Dr. Reath developed, A Girlfriends Guide to Breast Augmentation. From tips on getting the right size to what questions to ask your plastic surgeon, the Guide is an excellent resource.
Have more questions regarding breast augmentation? Check out Real Self for answers by plastic surgeons to your breast augmentation questions along with photos, videos, guides and more.
Not sure what plastic surgeon to use? Sites like American Society of Plastic Surgeons and American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery have physician finders of their board certified members. You can also refer to VitaMedica’s Physician Finder to find a surgeon in your area that not only performs this surgery but offers our Recovery products to help you heal faster.
The time you spend selecting the surgeon and breast implants that are right for you will pay big dividends in the end. Picking the right implant for your body is not only a cosmetic decision but may also mean that you’ll have a lower chance of needing repeat surgery down the road.