Women are very often dissatisfied with the size and shape of their breasts. Breast enhancement (known technically as Augmentation Mammoplasty) involves placing an artificial implant into the breast in order to increase the breast size and to produce an amount of breast lift where necessary. Breast Enlargement is by far the most popular plastic surgery procedure requested by women.

Why Have Breast Enlargement Surgery?

Irrespective of anything you may have heard to the contrary, there are absolutely no medicines or exercises that are presently available to increase the size of the breast permanently, evenly and safely.

The sole method universally accepted to increase breast size is to insert an implant into a space created behind your own breast. It is the size of this space (based on your own physical structure), along with your own wishes, which determines the size of breast implant employed.

About The New Generation of Silicone Implants

Breast implants have come a long way since their original inception. Modern implants are extremely safe, and you’ll be surprised at how incredibly strong they are. At many consultations, you will be able to see, feel and even try on recommended implants during initial consultation.

So What Is Silicone?

Silicones are in fact man-made molecules (polymers) that are widely used in numerous skin and hair products; in processed food and food packaging; in most baby foods; in many medicines, syringes and most other types of medical implants. Consequently every day:

• We absorb silicone into our body through our skin
• It is fed to children
• We absorb it from the food we consume
• We may even inject it directly into our blood stream

Breast implants come in a variety of sizes, typically expressed as a volume. To give an idea, 70ml would be a very small implant; on the other hand 600ml would be a very large implant. However by far the most frequently requested implant sizes are in the 200ml to 300ml range.

Breast implants are of two fundamental types, either round or in the form of a tear-drop. Both produce good, realistic results, although each surgeon will have their own preference.

Silicone Gel – The Material of Choice

Implants in cohesive silicone gel are by far the most popular type of implant, both with patients and surgeons alike. The silicone is in the form of a very thick and cohesive gel. Most modern implants are produced with a textured silicone shell.

These implants have a very long history of reliability, with literally hundreds of thousands of women world-wide having had them in place for many years with no problems whatsoever. In addition, they are generally considered to be the most natural feeling implant. In recent years, more than 85% of all breast implants inserted in the UK have been silicone, 97% of which had textured shells.

Solid Cohesive Silicone Gel

In this type of silicone implant, the gel is almost solid in feel and the outer shell is always textured. This extra firmness allows the implant to be manufactured with a ‘tear-drop’ shape. Some surgeons consider that this results in a more natural shape for some women. However, they can also be associated with a much firmer consistency or feel.

Here we have looked at breast enhancement from a practical point of view. If you have any further more detailed questions, you can address these to your cosmetic surgeon who will be able to provide you with a response tailored exactly to your individual circumstances.