Breasts play an important role in a woman’s confidence. While it’s true that all forms of breasts with different shapes and sizes are beautiful, many women are not content with how their breasts look and want to change their appearance. So they turn to plastic surgery. Breast surgery can be done for cosmetic or medical reasons while benefiting both aspects. There are several types of procedures that can address your personal issues, improve your body image and even your health. A surgeon will help determine the right procedure for you, but knowing what breast surgery options are out there can be helpful in making the final decision and giving you an idea of what to expect.

Breast Augmentation

Breast augmentation is the most popular form of breast surgery with over 400,000 teens and adults undergoing it each year. It’s the right choice for those who don’t like the size or asymmetry of their breasts or women who want to undo the changes in their appearance after pregnancy. It’s a minimally invasive procedure that can enhance the size and contour of breasts and improve their appearance. The enhanced result is achieved with either implants or fat transfer.

Breast implants are silicone shells filled with saline or silicone gel. First, your size will be determined with a trial fitting and the surgeon will help you chose the best option to achieve your desired look. The implants can be placed over or under the chest muscle via an incision in the armpit, areola, or lower breast fold. Implants may have to be replaced every 10 to 15 years and there is the risk of silicone leakage and interference with mammography. So they may not be the ideal option for everyone.

Fat transfer is another option great for women who want a slight increase in the size of their breasts. This procedure uses liposuction to remove excess fat from other parts of the body like the abdomen and thighs. Then the fat will be purified and injected into the breasts until the desired look is achieved.

Breast Lift

Breasts can lose their firmness due to age, weight fluctuations, and gravity. Their skin will stretch out, causing them to hang down instead of sitting firmly on the chest. A breast lift procedure can correct sagging breasts and create a perkier look.

This procedure starts by making an incision on the breast through different surgical techniques. Then the surgeon will reposition the fat and other tissues, remove excess skin, and adjust the position of the nipples. You might get some scars that you can later heal with different products available on the market. Although this is an effective procedure with instantly noticeable results, it cannot prevent future sagging of breasts due to weight fluctuations and changes in the skin’s elasticity. That’s why many women supplement this with a breast augmentation procedure to improve the results.

Breast Reduction

Many women with heavier breasts face multiple problems. Larger breasts can cause pain in the shoulders, neck, and back while limiting clothing options. Even some men with conditions like gynecomastia suffer from enlarged breasts. Breast reduction is a procedure for people who want to reduce the size of their breasts to relieve physical discomfort and make them more proportional to the rest of their bodies.

After making an incision around your breast, the surgeon will remove excess fat, skin, and tissue, relocate the nipple and reduce the size of your breast. Although prominent scarring and the inability to breastfeed are side effects of this breast surgery, people who have undergone it are satisfied with the results and improvement in their physical comfort.

Breast Reconstruction

There are more than 3 million breast cancer survivors in the US who have gone through a mastectomy and may choose breast reconstruction surgery to recreate their breasts. This procedure will replace the breast tissue, skin, and nipple that were removed during mastectomy and create the desired appearance, contour, and size.

The breast can be recreated with implants that will be matched in size to the other breast and usually placed under the chest muscle. Another way for reconstructing the breast is using the patient’s own tissues like tissue from the lower abdominal wall, back muscle and skin, or fat and muscle from the buttock.

Breast reconstruction can be performed any time after the mastectomy and it has no known effect on the recurrence of cancer. Patients who have undergone this procedure report improvement in their physical as well as psychological health.

Next Step on Your Breast Surgery Journey

Breasts are a critical part of your body image. Choosing to do plastic surgery on them is very personal, but the improved physical and mental results are undeniable. The procedures are relatively straightforward with few risks. If you’re ready and have decided to go through with it, your next step should be consulting with a board-certified plastic surgeon. Ask the surgeon about the benefits and risks of the procedures and share your concerns and expectations. Ask your insurance if the costs will be covered and do all the necessary research beforehand.  You can look at the American society of plastic surgeons’ website to find a plastic surgeon near you.

Have you undergone any form of breast surgery? Let us know about your experience in the comments and share this article with your friends.