Some questions about plastic surgery

[hyphenate]

Please forgive me my complete and utter ignorance of this subject, but I have some questions about breast augmentation and the reverse, whatever it's called. This is not a sex thread, but about the procedures involved in plastic surgery.


1) If someone had plastic surgery to enhance her, um, appearance, and then decided, some years later, that it wasn't "right" for her, wouldn't there be significantly more skin that would make her a bit floppy? Or do they remove some skin at the same time when they're removing the implants?

2) Can you breastfeed with implants? It seems to me that if the implant is directly behind the nipples, that you wouldn't be able to get milk from the mammary glands.

3) How do they hide the scars for the implant? Logically, I suppose, that it would be on the underside of the breast, but I've seen, over the course of time, some women with obvious implants, and there don't appear to be scars anywhere.

4) On that subject, except for size, how do you tell if someone has had implants? My niece and I were at Hard Rock Cafe once, and two (older) women were wearing tube shirts, and they had gigantic melons instead of the flatter look you get with those kinds of shirts, and it was obvious they were not natural. But a lot of women don't go for humongous growth, only enough to give them noticeable breasts instead. So does that mean you really can't tell the difference in a lot of women?

5) Would you do it (ladies) if you had the money? I've been quite happy with my B-cup and have never been tempted, but I guess a lot of women feel inadequate, and I just have to ask why they would go for it.


I suppose this can happen with any plastic surgery, huh? Is the attraction simply to deal with a problem you have felt needs to be corrected? The only thing which attracts me is if I lost a great deal of weight and needed to get rid of the excess skin associated with a great weight loss. But I am uncertain why people have things done at other times.

Thanks for NON-sex, but topic oriented replies!

[av8rdave]

1. All I know about plastic surgery I learned watching Nip/Tuck

However, I seem to remember reading somewhere that some surgeons now go through the armpit area to do augmentations, leaving no scars whatsoever near the breast.

Certainly there has to be someone here who would know if that's really the case.

[chromotone]

2. Well, as a guy

...they had gigantic melons

That was of primary interest when I was younger, as well as many of my pals.

But now that I'm over 50, I find beauty in all of the woman, particularly her eyes, hair, and hands.

My advice: Stay away from breast implants for cosmetic purposes. IMHO, I don't think they "age" as well as the rest of the body.

[Midlodemocrat]

3. A lot of people in my neighborhood have done it and I don't think

they look natural at all. I don't see the reason for them, personally.

[pitohui]

6. yeah right, particularly their eyes, hair, and hands!

the "hands" is particularly cruel since almost nothing can be safely done about the aging process to the hands so yeah, you're over 50, but you're not attracted to women who are over 50 if you're looking at her HANDS

not that there's anything wrong with that but don't pretend it's any less superficial than going for the gigantic melons

it is actually physically possible that a woman over 50 might have gigantic melons as a natural part of time, she doesn't have lovely perfect vein-free hands though, if her eyes are wide and without lines, she gets botox or another filler, and her hair is dyed

so one of these things is not like the others! big hoots *can* be natural or not in an aging woman but the rest of it -- hon, it takes technology

[chromotone]

8. Yes, I find beauty in a woman's hands...

Especially in what she does with them, like holding mine, or scratching my back, or caressing my arm. THAT's beauty!

And it's what the eyes say that I find beautiful, as well as hair that displays natural beauty.

Like I said, as I grow older I find beauty in all of the woman, not just her "big hoots."

I think you have me confused with the 16-year-old down the street...

[qb]

4. Breasts of all sizes are beautiful. Women should embrace their natural beauty.

Sorry I don't have any answers to your technical questions.
:hi:

[flvegan]

5. Very close friend of mine had this done

She was quite candid about it. Here's what I know as to her specific situation:

1. No idea.

2. Yes, she did (two kids post-op).

3. Hers went in at the armpit area and went under the chest muscles, not directly under the nipples.

4. I think that with many women, you can't tell visually. I think it depends on the body, the size upgrade and the surgeon.

5. No, but I'm a guy. Though, were I female I don't think I would any more than I'd get calf implants or plugs or a fake tan as a male. Nothing against folks doing it, to each his/her own. Just wouldn't be my choice.

[pitohui]

7. to answer with/out duplicating questions already answered

1. if necessary, you can get excess skin removed by a surgeon, btw, some types of implants age (last maybe 10-15 years, such as some of the saline implants) so you are not necessarily looking at "one surgery and you're fixed forever," it's something you would need to discuss in advance with your surgeon about how long the implant will last and when it should be removed/replaced

5. lots of reasons why women do this other than your presumption that they "feel inadequate," whooty hoot btw for being morally superior to someone who "feels inadequate" -- one of the most common reasons i'm aware of is that the woman is working in a tip-based field and for the cost of a few thousand dollars she sees a HUGE increase in her income from tips, so the surgery pays off financially for many years -- so yeah, run the numbers and do the math, if it's going to result in a significant increase in income, why wouldn't you do it if you wanted to take care of yourself? doesn't sound like feelings of inadequacy to me, it just sounds like being honest with oneself about what kind of society one lives in and doing what is needed to take care of oneself financially

now there's a point where this gets ridiculous and you have someone like a pam anderson whose entire career seems to be based on taking tits out and putting them in, but considering she's made many millions from her career, i guess maybe she knows better than i do about whether it's all worth it


me personally, i would not want to go any larger, in fact, i actually do get questions sometimes of "are they real?" as it is, but if i had a smaller bust and had some reason to believe that i would get a real benefit from increasing my size, yeah, you bet i would, in a heartbeat, if i was satisfied in the safety and probable outcome for the surgery i was looking at -- would i WANT to be pam anderson? no, but on the other hand, would i WANT her money, yes, so you just have to make a decision about what's the right thing to do that has the highest expectation for improving your life

[Blue Diadem]

9. On #4, I think there are many times you can tell,

Most really thin women don't have naturally large breasts. When I see women in bathing suits showing ribs and the middle chest area is boney looking and then there are larger breasts, I automatically think implants. I would think implants would be less noticeable in someone who is say a B or C cup going to the next size.

There was a time I considered it but never had the money. When I look back it was mostly due to male comments and not feeling good about myself. I also remember a physchologist and I discussing it and she told me that once I reached my mid-late 30's I'd probably feel differently. She was right.

I've heard the scars are under the breast where it meets the chest wall. Not sure on that though. I did watch a medical show several years ago about a breast reduction..now that was really something.

[hyphenate]

19. I remember when Rosanne Barr

did the episode of Roseanne where she had hers reduced because of the back pain, and in real life she did the same thing. I knew a girl in high school who could have used reduction then, as she was very top heavy. Thank the stars we went to an all-girls high school, because I'm sure she would have been picked on for her large size otherwise.

[Blue Diadem]

21. They really do suffer.

I worked with a woman who had her reduction surgery prior to my working with her. She told me that even with the extra width straps that her bra straps would still cut into her shoulders. That combined with the back pain was too much for her and she had them reduced.

[XemaSab]

24. I knew a girl in high school who had a reduction

I don't think she got picked on for it, at least not where I saw.

Before when she had the HUGE boobs, she did get a lot of unwanted attention though.

[edbermac]

10. This guy hates breast implants.

Not sexy at all; actually rather laughable.

[Oeditpus Rex]

11. Off-topic, but...

I'm bothered that a thread about breast augmentation could be taken as a "sex thread" and that people stuck in seventh grade might turn it into one.

Not pickin' on you, hyphenate. You apparently just know your audience and you're covering your ass.

[hyphenate]

15. No problem

I just think, Lounge, sex. Sex, Lounge. Going back a long ways, I'm sure there has been many a time when some juvenile spirit has turned a perfectly innocent topic into a sex thread. C'est la vie.

[SarahB]

12. I'll answer as an RN.

Some of my patient population is plastics, but it's a small percentage and most of my breast implant patients are post mastectomy reconstruction or breast reductions, but I have had patients replacing implants or removing them.

1. I think that would depend on the quality of the surgeon. A reputable plastic surgeon wouldn't leave it that way, but likely "tighten" things up if you will.

2. People can usually breastfeed with implants. The results are about 50/50 with a reduction.

3. There are small scars under the breast. The better the surgeon, the less visible the scar. It can also depend on how the individual heals.

4. Unless their so over-sized that it's obvious, you can't tell unless the person's topless. I see plenty of breasts and naturally large breasts tend to have a bit more gravitational challenges, but that's what a decent bra is for.

5. Um, no. I don't need them (I've been "blessed" naturally). I would consider abdominoplasty (after having kids, it's never been the same for me and can't be exercised away), but it's not a priority either.

[hyphenate]

18. Thanks

I'm learning here that the "Pamela Anderson" group of women seems to be the minority rather than the majority. I have an aunt who had breast cancer when she was younger, so I've been familiar with the mastectomy end of artificial breasts, but my main source of personal info on the subject came from a Hollywood mindset, working in a studio environment, where even the girls in the mail room were going after larger breasts. So this thread is giving me a better idea of other reasons women choose to go that route.

[MorningGlow]

13. Don't know any medical facts about the subject

But to "weigh in"...I can usually tell fake ones when there's a noticeable chasm between the melons--I mean a really wide space, not cleavage.

Whether I'd have implants...I'd say no. I had A cups in my youth, then went up to Bs in my 30s. I was perfectly content with the Bs. Then as I gained weight with my thyroid problem and then had a child, they got bigger. Now I cram 'em into C bras even though they could likely be labeled Ds, and I hate 'em. I can't wear tank tops, I can't wear crossover tops, and I can't wear empire waist blouses.

Breast reduction...maybe, but I have a friend who's suffering from naturally huge boobs and I'd feel selfish knowing that she's experiencing real pain (back problems) while I just gripe about fashion. However, I would be interested in a "boob lift" if I had the cash. These puppies are sinking faster'n the Titanic.

[hyphenate]

17. .

>>>>>These puppies are sinking faster'n the Titanic<<<<<

:) I know what you mean. As I say below, though, I'd rather them low than be in pain. I used to be jealous (when I was WAY younger) of Jaime Summers (Lindsay Wagner) because she didn't have to worry about breasts getting in the way when she and Steve Austin ran fast. Hell, she had it all--beauty, brains, athletic body, Lee Majors before he went to pot....

[Madrone]

25. Hey! I resemble that remark!

The chasm part that is. And believe me, I didn't PAY for the little bit god gave me so.... ??? Interesting though - I would have figured lots of cleavage meant the odds were good they'd had surgery.

A bit of a "funny" - although she doesn't remember saying it, my mother once remarked to me, "Some people are blessed with wide set eyes. Our family - we've got wide set boobs." haha!

[LeftyMom]

29. Wide spacing doesn't mean implants.

A bad surgeon can wind up doing them a bit wall-eyed, but I think most people aim for pronounced cleavage.

Where boobs sit can be a matter of genetics, size and heft, support (bras tend to move things more front and center, some much more than others,) gravity, past or current lactation, and any number of other things.

At various times in my life my tits have been small, firm and centered, average sized, rock hard and very round w/ pronounced cleavage, and small, softer and a bit widely spaced. At no point were they in any way surgically altered, but changes in my weight, a pregnancy and lactation have all had their effects. I'm sure in women with more there to change hormones and time can do much more dramatic sculpting.

[drmeow]

14. 5) Would you do it (ladies) if you had the money?

Only reconstructive. I'm small (A to B) and it irritates the f**k out of me that it is virtually impossible to get a non-padded bra in my size. I live in Phoenix - the last thing I want in the summer is additional UNNECESSARY fabric anywhere on my body (and nylon fabric, no less)! Besides, I have no problem with my size and resent the assumption that I must want to be bigger.

[hyphenate]

16. I'm a B

and trust me, I definitely understand about the non-wired bra situation. There are few and far between times when I've found a regular bra without those damned wires. I finally have done something in my "old age" that I wish I had done when I was younger--forgo a bra altogether most of the time. When I absolutely, positively must wear one, I wear a sports bra. I don't really give a crap if I end up with a "uni-boob"--I remember I gave up bras when my upper back started being sore from wearing one.

A little gravitational pull has come along, but hell, I'd rather have them low than be in pain as a result!

[drmeow]

30. Actually, I don't mind the wires so much

in fact, without out them bras kinda ride up on me - not enough to hold them in place I guess :) - its the padded/push-up/molded cup crap I can't stand. I did have some luck with "starter" bras once but even they had fiberfill. All I want is something lightweight and smooth to hide what I don't want others to see when I'm wearing a light colored top that prevents everything from bouncing around. If it gives me a nice shape, all the better. They can't seem to make bras that fit either small or large breasted women in general. I've found some European bras on-line but have had so little luck that I no longer order bras I haven't tried on and the garden variety bras you find in the store (if I can even find my size - there are usually about 3 bras in my size in the entire store) are just disgusting.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

31. Make sure the band size is big enough first.

Band size is size around the ribs. Cup size is separate and not related to band size.

Most women who think they are a 34B are probably a 36A.

I have large ribs and not very big breasts. I'm a 40 B which is damn near impossible to find. I wear sport bras most of the time. They think if you have a forty-inch ribcage you must have huge breasts -- WRONG! I'm short -- my ribs are the widest part of me.

Conversely, I have known women with 32Ds.

[Missy Vixen]

20. Number Five

I'm the one that's going to need some stuff changed after a significant weight loss. I promised myself that if I truly stuck with it and lost that much weight, I'd have a lift. It will take a long time to save for it, but it will take a long time to lose the weight as well.

Julie

[Skittles]

22. I would never do it

the idea of implanting silicone bags under my skin makes me sick

[LeftyMom]

23. re: breastfeeding, it depends on where the cuts were, where the implant is

Generally, implants that are deep under muscle interfere with breastfeeding less, those right in the breast tissue more. Some women will be able to lactate but will not produce a full supply, others get the full amount, with or without special effort to keep supply up.

Generally only women whose nipples have been moved will not be able to breastfeed due to implants, because their nipples aren't connected by nerve endings, generally don't become erect, and as a result the lack of nipple stimulation does not encourage further milk production.

A competent doctor should discus this with a woman of childbearing age as one factor in deciding on the best procedure for her needs.

[Mind_your_head]

27. First off the cut for augmentation is under the breast

the implants can either be under the chest wall musles or not.

SOME women have augmentation because their breast have turned to *MUSH* after having several children and breastfeeding.

My breasts looked liked deflated baggies after having my third child.At least the women in "National Geogrphic had a most likely understand male companion. That's not "possible" here in amerika.I couldn't stand to look myself in the mirror.

I've had an augmentation. I did it for good reason (MY own happiness about my body)

It's not perfect, but No regrets...None.

[LeftyMom]

28. Not always.

Lately one of the things that at least some doctors are doing is to make the cut at the navel and tunnel up (which was how I learned never to eat and watch Discovery Health at the same time.) Sounds like a lot of extra pain at recovery to me, but the lack of a scar could be a huge advantage, and possibly worth it to some people.

And please don't feel you have to justify yourself, I was just answering the question about the effects of implant surgery on lactation, I wasn't in any way suggesting that anybody should or shouldn't do the procedure- they're not my breasts and it's not my business, the end. I wouldn't do one myself, simply because I'm pretty happy with my breasts, and even if I wasn't, I'm a world class wuss when it comes to medical stuff.

[Mind_your_head]

26. This thread is rolling two VERY DIFFERENT issues together.....

Breast augmentation and breast reduction....

The reasons that one does an augmentation is very different than the reasons that a person does a reduction. The fact that they both have to do with a woman's "boobs" (as some of the lowlifes here tend to think of them) makes the issue of reduction/augmentation "the same".

It's not the same. The issues and psychology behind the choice for a reduction or an augmentation is very different/unrelated to each other.