Breast implants blog posts and news

10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Breast Implant Size

The more questions I answer for RealSelf the more I have realized that there seems to be a lack of help, for some patients, to determine the correct size and style of breast implant for breast augmentation.

Guest post by Christopher L. Hess, MD, FACS.
Dr. Hess is a plastic surgeon based in Fairfax, Virginia.

Whether this is due to a failure of plastic surgeons to assist their patients in the decision making process, a lack of understanding on the patient’s part of the complexity involved in choosing implants or an over abundance of haphazard information from both the surgeon and the internet that ultimately confuses patients, I’m not really sure.

So in an effort to help all patients here are 10 things patients need to think about when choosing breast implants.

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Natrelle Breast Implant Kit -- Try This Only At Home

Allergan has assembled a breast implant sizing kit for women who are curious about breast implants but have concerns about implant size. 

Just fork over $40 and they'll send you a lovely box containing four water-filled sizers and a stack of promotional materials, including $50 rebates for Juvederm and Botox, and a $20 rebate for Latisse.

So, in the interests of good investigative journalism, we ordered the Natrelle Pre-Consultation Kit, and immediately found it odd that there was one each of four different sizes -- so you can try them on but you end up lopsided, and they'd look a little silly out to dinner.

April, RealSelf's content director, volunteered to test the kit -- literally, taking two (at a time) for the team.

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Golfer's Mom And Wife Battle Breast Cancer -- What's Next?

According to reports, golf legend Phil Mickelson just learned that his mother Mary has breast cancer, not two months after his wife Amy was diagnosed with her own breast cancer. Amy Mickelson has already had surgery for the cancer at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and Mary Mickelson will do so shortly.

Many RealSelf users have faced breast cancer in their own lives, and our doctors have provided plenty of thoughtful responses to their questions:

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Yep, Filipino Prez Has Breast Implants, And Other Beauty And Skincare News

RealSelf's roundup of the latest news from the trades and papers:

1. Philippine President Gloria Arroyo had implants after all.

Call it Implant-gate: A spokesman for President Gloria Arroyo of the Philippines looked like a real boob over the weekend after admitting the Prez did have breast augmentation 20 years back, after initially saying she hadn't. Good news: She had lumps checked, and they're fine. [ABS-CBN]

2. Diabetes drug Actos could help psoriasis "significantly."

File under odd drug-fellows: Indian derms have found the diabetes drug Actos could lead to a 64% reduction in psoriasis severity when added to psoriasis treatment Soriatane. Dr. Sunil Dogra of Chandigarh, India, says Actos could be a "safer alternative" to other added-in therapies. [Skin and Allergy News] 

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RealBuzz: Could Plastic Surgery Help Me Quit Smoking?

Yes, some people still smoke cigarettes -- but plastic surgery just might be one way to help them dump the habit for good. In one of the livelier and most thought-provoking Q&As on RealSelf, our doctors help answer the question,

How do plastic surgeons feel about operating on patients who smoke?

RealSelf's MDs, like Bellevue, Washington's Dr. Richard P. Rand, say it's "imperative" prospective patients kick the habit "a month after and a month before" they go under the knife. Dr. Athleo Louis Cambre in L.A. explains that for facelifts, breast lifts and reductions, and tummy tucks, smoking causes "constriction of ... small blood vessels [under the skin] as well as reduced oxygen carrying capacity," which can have "catastrophic" effects because of the "diminished blood flow."

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The Super Gummy Breast Implant

"Extra" may call them "Super Implants," but we're much fonder of the name gummy bear implants.

Dr. Steven Teitelbaum, a Los Angeles plastic surgeon and contributor to our community, gets plenty of attention for being a surgeon to the stars as shown in his appearance on  the celeb show.

Teitelbaum is also an investigator of new breast implants filled with "cohesive filler." That is, the implant is filled with a gel that remains fixed in its position.  Should the implant rupture, the gel wouldn't spill out. The gel allows the implants to be anatomically shaped versus round, giving the patient a more natural appearance.

Gummy bear implants are approved in the UK and Canada, and under clinical trial in the US.

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Botox For Job Seekers, And Other Beauty And Skincare News

RealSelf's roundup of the latest skincare and beauty news in the trades and papers:

1. Looking for work? Try a little nip, a little tuck.

Yes, the job market is brutal, we know. So some Miami docs are doing their part to get people back on their horse -- in Dr. Jason Shapiro's case, by giving away 50 free procedures to needy job-seekers. Coral Gables derm Dr. Fredric Brandt says his out-of-work consider the cost "an investment" -- and 75 percent of plastic surgeons say they've treated patients who say they want work to get ahead in the workplace. [Miami Herald]

2. Gastric bypass offers hope to keep diabetes at bay.

A new study from the American Diabetes Association says over half of Type 2 diabetes patients (177 in all) who were "very obese" were diabetes-free eight years after having gastric-bypass surgery. Docs caution that the positive effects don't always last, and patients should have the procedure done early in the course of their disease. [NYTimes]

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LPGA Star Morgan Pressel Learns Breast Implants Are No Joke

21 year old pro golfer Morgan Pressel learned that Twitter may not be the best place to quote movie lines.

Pressel tweeted "This year, I got this mikimoto pearl necklace, but next year I'm going to ask Santa for breast implants. because I'm impatient with my body."

After more than 3800 replies from her followers, she sent another tweet that cleared up the question. "Haha apparently some people haven't been paying attention that I'm watching stepbrothers! I'm not getting breast implants."

In reality, it's not easy for large-breasted women to golf. Increasing breast size would likely interrupt the swing; few LPGA pros would take the risk of adjusting to implants.

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Breast Pills And Creams: A Hoax That Carries Real Health Risks

Marketers offering breast enhancement or reduction solutions that promise results equivalent to surgery is an age old scam. 

Over 20 years ago the US FDA warned consumers, and especially teens, that breast enlargement alternatives to surgery were frauds.

"For decades, millions of dollars have been spent on devices, creams and lotions advertised as breast developers. All wasted. There is no device or system of exercise that will increase the size of the breasts. At best, devices promoted as breast developers merely strengthen and develop the muscles that support the breasts, and exercising these muscles will not appreciably increase breast size."

Breast experts agree: breast pills, herbs or creams don't work

"With Alexia, these problems will stop, WITHOUT painful surgery! And Permanently! With smaller and lighter breasts you’ll feel like you're walking on air!" - website advertising Alexia breast reducing pills

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Quick Fix: 25% Of Women Open To Cosmetic Surgery

The Associated Press recently released a poll regarding women's perceptions of their bodies and health in general. The survey found that approximately 50% of women in America have negative feelings about both their weight and their figure. 

One of the more interesting results from the survey found that 25% have considered getting some type of cosmetic surgery, with a tummy tuck as the most desired treatment. Breast augmentations come in second.

Women appear to be looking for a quick fix instead of committing to long-term changes.

• Just 8% of women eat the recommend number of fruits and vegetables daily

• Women only spend 20 minutes on any type of daily exercise, while most spend around 27 minutes on their beauty regime

•  Exercise-related purchase and services amount to just $17 a month for most women, while they are spending upwards to $50 on beauty items and services.

But is cosmetic surgery worth it?

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