Many women consider their breasts to be an important part of their beauty and overall physique. If you feel that your breasts droop or lack in size, you might be wondering about getting breast implants or a breast lift. Or maybe both. Which procedure is right for you? This very personal and important decision requires a good look at each procedure.
Breast Implants
Breast implants (a procedure also called breast augmentation) is a procedure done to increase the overall size and shape of your breasts. There are a variety of different implants available.
Silicone
Silicone implants contain a gel that feels very natural to the touch and retains a natural shape and bounce.
Gummy bear
“Gummy bear” is one very popular form of silicone implants because the gel viscosity has a firmer texture and achieves the plumpest, most natural look, developed to more closely mimic natural breast tissue.
Saline
Saline implants are a silicone shell filled with saltwater. Saline-filled implants can have less of a natural feel and move less naturally than silicone implants. However, they are the only implants that are FDA-approved for patients 18 to 21.
Breast implants will increase the size, fullness, shape and symmetrical look of your breasts, leaving you with the curves and shape you desire.
Breast Lift
Unfortunately, sagging or drooping breasts can be a concern for many women, whether as a result of age, weight loss, or pregnancy. It’s a common mistake to think that breast augmentation will help lift sagging breasts. But adding an implant alone typically only worsens the issue.
A breast lift removes excess skin to raise and reshape the breast and areola. This gives a more youthful firmness to the breasts. A breast lift perks up the breasts, but without implants, it won’t increase size or fullness.
Many women who have lost weight or had children, or who are older, opt for a breast lift. For some, the issue is genetic, and sagging breasts or downward-pointing nipples were inherited. A breast lift can correct these concerns, leaving the breasts higher, perkier, and more youthful-looking.
Procedure and recovery
The first step of either procedure will be a full consultation with Dr. Wirth to discuss your concerns and vision for your breasts and explore your options. He will help lay out the details of the different options and recommend the best course of action based on your goals. Once the procedure is decided on, Dr. Wirth will prepare you for your surgery with a timeline of details to think with and take care of as the procedure day nears.
The details of the procedure itself will vary based on which option you go with. With either choice, you will need to wear a button or front-zip shirt, and have a friend to help you afterward to get you home and help you recover.
You will need at least a week, possibly several if you choose implants, to recover after your procedure. You will need help with your usual activities until you have had time to heal.
Takeaway: Implants or a lift--or both?
It’s a major decision that deserves thought and consideration.
If your primary concern with your breasts is insufficient size and fullness, breast implants are likely the best procedure for you. You will come away with larger, fuller, more symmetrical breasts.
If significant sagging is a concern for you, a breast lift is likely best for you. This procedure will restore a more youthful, perky, firm appearance without a change in breast size.
But if you would like both volume and a lift, you may be a better candidate for both procedures combined, called a breast augmentation with lift. The double effect raises sagging breasts and provides fullness and shape.
Why choose Dr. Wirth for my breast procedure?
Your breast surgery is a customized procedure – not a “cookie-cutter” surgery. You are unique, and so are your breasts. To achieve natural-looking, lifted, round, youthful breasts demands superior surgical skills and an eye for balance, beauty, and structure.
When under the care of Newport Beach plastic surgeon Garrett Wirth, MD, MS, FACS, the process of making a decision about the best course of action to attain your beautiful breasts will never be rushed. Dr. Wirth will provide a comprehensive surgical plan to ensure the results you are looking for, staying involved, professional, caring, and attentive from the start of the consultation until the end of the entire process.