Last year 300,378 breast augmentation procedures were performed in the US alone. That’s over 800 people a day! Woman are enjoying the benefits of new and improved breasts. With the procedure increasing in popularity, here are a few reasons why you could be next:
Breast Augmentation: Silicone vs. Saline
The most popular cosmetic procedure performed last year was breast augmentation. Women everywhere are taking the steps to attain supple, full breasts. But one of the first things to consider…silicone or saline?
Mommy Makeover: What You Get
Having a baby is an incredible experience that changes a woman’s life in every possible way. Including major changes to her body. If you have recently given birth, you may feel unhappy with the extra weight, lack of muscle tone, and sagging breasts. Although these bodily changes are normal after giving birth, most women feel discouraged and want to get back to their pre-baby body as soon as possible.
Mommy Makeover: Get Your Body Back After Your Baby
Having a baby is an incredible experience that changes a woman’s life in every possible way, including major changes to her body. If you have recently given birth, you may feel unhappy with the extra weight you are carrying, lack of muscle tone, and sagging breasts. Although these bodily changes are normal after having a baby, many women feel discouraged and want to get back to their pre-baby body as soon as possible. Women who were at a healthy weight before becoming pregnant should be able to get back to it within around three months of giving birth. The process could take a year if you were significantly overweight prior to pregnancy. In either case, doctors urge you to tread lightly for at least the first six weeks postpartum. You are still recovering from the birth itself and trying to do too much too soon could set you back. It requires a firm commitment to eating right and getting exercise regularly, both of which can be hard to do under normal circumstances, let alone with a newborn in the house. Here are some tips for helping you get back to yourself after the baby comes. Start by Walking Whenever You Can If the weather permits, put your new baby in a stroller and walk around the block a couple of times. If that is manageable, try to go for a little longer the next way. Try to work up to 20 minutes and eventually aim for a goal of 30 minutes. You should strive for up to 30 minutes of walking three to five times a week. This burns approximately 150 calories and builds up your tolerance for more strenuous exercise. Don’t Forget Strength Training If your stomach looks and feels flabby several weeks after your baby’s birth, consider adding strength training to your workout routine. You can take up weight training with a personal trainer, but you don’t even have to leave the house for strength training. Look for opportunities in everyday events, such as doing lunges as you push your baby’s stroller. You can even incorporate your newborn into your routine by doing lunges while holding him or her. Watch Your Diet and Get as Much Sleep as Possible New moms should do their very best to stay away from foods that don’t provide any nutritional value, such as chips and soda. The most important thing you can do to stay healthy and get back into shape is eat a balanced diet. Every day, try to include fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products in your diet. This is especially important if you breastfeed your new baby. Finally, drink as much water as you can to stay hydrated throughout the day. Rest is important, too! Try to take advantage of the times your newborn is sleeping to get caught up on sleep yourself. Even just spending the time while your wee one is napping resting your eyes and putting your feet up will help you feel refreshed and restored when your baby wakes up. The Mommy Makeover If diet and exercise alone aren’t enough to give you the results you desire, another option is the Mommy Makeover. This is a series of plastic surgery procedures that help you reduce stretch marks and unwanted body fat. Two of the possibilities include a tummy tuck with liposuction or a breast lift with the added option of breast implants. However you choose to bounce back after having a baby, remember that you are worth it. You need to take care of yourself so you can care for your baby.
Why Do My Breast Lose Volume & Shape?
Regardless of shape, size, or whether she likes them or not, a woman’s Breast shape often forms a large part of a woman’s identity. Breasts, just like any other part of the body, can change over time, and women often see the changes happening right before their eyes. Changes to breast shape and volume usually occur with fluctuations in hormone levels, but can occur for other reasons, and are often useful indicators of what’s happening in a woman’s body. Here are some common reasons for breasts losing volume and changing shape. Puberty The first indication of puberty in girls is often the growth of the breasts. They don’t always grow at the same rate, though, and it can take several years for breasts to reach their full size. Breast Shape development, sometimes called “breast budding,” starts first with a small bump and continues with the nipple and areola darkening in color and growing. Menstruation usually starts two to about a year to two years after initial breast growth. Pregnancy & Breastfeeding Breast changes are also among the first signs of pregnancy for women. Along with breast tenderness, the nipple area often darkens and expands during pregnancy. An increase in cup size is also common and is caused by the expansion of the blood vessels, ducts, and lobules as the body prepares for lactation. Once the baby arrives and lactation begins, breasts continue going through many changes, taking as many as six months to go back to regular size after breastfeeding stops. Menopause Another natural stage in a woman’s life where her breasts may change size, shape, and volume is during menopause. While there is a decrease in estrogen levels, breasts don’t actually get smaller. Instead, they are more likely to lose their firmness, getting softer and beginning to sag as they Lost Breast volume. Breast density also decreases with age and a larger percentage of the breast is fatty tissue. For women uncomfortable or unhappy with these less positive changes, plastic surgery is one of many options. Exercise & Loss of Body Fat Getting into shape is important, but many women worry that exercising too much will cause their breast shape to change shape or lose volume. Since breasts are made up in large part of fatty tissue, there is some cause for concern. However, breasts usually only Lose Breast Fat volume or change shape with significant weight loss, and because there’s no standard shape or size for breasts it has no harmful medical impact. To regain a pre-weight-loss bust line there are some things that can be done through diet and exercise, but significant changes are better handled by a plastic surgeon. Substance Use Taking any substance that changes hormone levels can have an effect on breast size. It isn’t unusual for women taking birth control pills to experience a small increase in size, and antipsychotic and antidepressant drugs are notorious for causing changes including spontaneous lactation and pain. Caffeine and alcohol can also have negative effects on breasts, especially alcohol, which has been linked to breast cancer. Correcting Breast Changes While many women are perfectly happy with changes in breast size, for some the changes have a negative impact on their body image. For women unhappy with changes after pregnancy, during menopause, or at any time, there are options for making corrections. Plastic surgeons can help women make corrections or enhancements and, with new techniques that minimize scarring, produce natural-looking results.
What are Gummy Bear Implants?
Breast augmentation is one of the most popular plastic surgeries performed in the U.S. every year. Women go under the knife to increase their cup size, mostly, although a small fraction opt for breast reductions and reshaping procedures. In fact, out of all the face lifts, liposuction procedures, tummy-tucks and eyelid-augmentations, breast implants are the most common form of cosmetic surgery, with hundreds of thousands performed annually. A New Form of Enhancement At first, the “gummy bear” procedure may sound rather frivolous, but it is in fact a quickly-growing alternative to the staid silicone implant of old. It is very much an upgrade, with a more life-like and natural feel that, once molded into shape, actually stays that way. As with the materials used in any medical procedure, the safety of the so-called gummy bear gel had to be certified by the FDA in order to make it to market. The term “gummy bear” procedure itself is not actually official; it was coined by Dr. Stephen Grant precisely because of the material’s ability to maintain its molded shape, even when cut into separate pieces. The gummy bear procedure is yet another in a series of improvements to breast augmentation surgery that has caused a rise in the popularity of plastic surgery in recent years. Slightly under a $1 billion is spent annually on breast augmentation procedures, which represents a whopping 45% total increase since the turn of the 21st Century. The Physical Experience of Gummy Bear Implants Although still composed of high-strength silicone, gummy bear implants are now favored because they contour to the natural curve of the breast, as well as giving the look a fuller and more natural breast after surgery. Since they’re even stiffer than the normal implants, they don’t wrinkle or shift position. Some patients have reported the inability of their partners to tell that the new implants were not real, which makes the procedure even more tempting. In recent years, there have been a few problems with traditional breast implants from some companies, involving the nondisclosure of the origin of the silicone used. Once it was discovered that it was mattress-grade silicone, there were widespread recalls because of the instability of the implants made with this kind of silicone. The gummy bear breast implant is produced by Sientra, and has enjoyed FDA approval since March 2014. Almost 2,000 of their implants, used in female test subjects over a span of eight years, have proven that they work as advertised and are safe. As with any surgical procedure, the patient’s safety is mostly tied to the skill and experience of the practicing surgeon, so whether you opt for high-strength gummy bear silicone or traditional silicone, make sure you find the right doctor.
