Breast Augmentation Archives

February 6, 2020November 8, 2023

Can Weight Loss Affect My Breast Augmentation?

We all want to be the very best versions of ourselves. Whether that means going to the gym a few extra times a month, or getting a little help from Dr. Beam, we are all trying to improve upon ourselves. However, sometimes these changes coincide. Today, we’re going to talk about what can happen if you lose a significant amount of weight after your breast augmentation.

What You Should Know Before Getting Breast Implants

Before going through with your breast augmentation, there are a few things you should consider. When getting a breast augmentation, it’s always important to note that the body will change as your hormones and age changes. Our breasts can get bigger at special times of the month or during pregnancy, and tend to slope south as we age. While breast augmentation can help with the fullness and volume of your breasts, it cannot stop the body’s natural processes. It’s best you talk to your doctor about your expectations during your consultation.

Benefits of Breast Augmentation

There are many benefits to getting a breast augmentation done at Harold E. Beam, MD Plastic Surgery, including:

Adding size and volume to the size of your breasts.
Correcting uneven breast sizes and placement on the chest.
Improving overall self-image and self-confidence.

While these benefits may seem obvious, these are important factors to keep in mind when considering breast augmentation.

Will Losing Weight Affect the Placement of my Breast Implants?

In short, losing a significant amount of weight may end up affecting the size, shape, and placement of your breasts after a breast augmentation. Just like if you were to forego the surgery, the size and shape of your breasts are dependent on your overall body weight. When we lose weight, our skin has a hard time bouncing back to its original position. This can affect the position and shape of your breasts, even after a breast enhancement surgery. If you plan to lose a significant amount of weight, we recommend holding off on your breast augmentation.

What is the Ideal Weight for Breast Augmentation?

Now, let’s get to the nitty-gritty. When considering breast augmentation, you should be within 10 pounds of your ideal weight, either above or below. These 10-pound fluctuations won’t affect the size, placement and shape of your breasts. If you plan on losing more than 20 pounds in the near future, we recommend holding off on the surgery until you hit your goal weight. If you’re unsure if the procedure is right for you at this time, talk to your doctor during your breast augmentation consultation.

If you are considering breast augmentation, but are unsure if you’re at the right stage in your life for it, contact our office today and schedule a consultation with Dr. Beam. He’ll sit down with you, listen to your concerns help you determine a personalized treatment plan.

December 26, 2019November 8, 2023

Breast Augmentation vs. Breast Lift Surgery in Glastonbury, CT

Our breast size and shape can say a lot about us, which is why it’s so important that we have the silhouette we feel represents us the most. There’s always one question that hangs over our heads when considering plastic surgery to help us get the body we deserve: Do we go with a breast lift or a breast augmentation? The answer can be broken down with a little information about the two.

Breast Augmentation 101

When considering breast surgery, we often automatically think of breast augmentation and making the breasts bigger. This is a great option for women who are unsatisfied with the natural size of their breasts and are looking for something a little more robust. There are a few things to consider when getting an augmentation.

Implant Size and Shape

There are multiple factors to think of when choosing the size of the breasts you want, including your natural frame and your current lifestyle. Board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Harold E. Beam will be able to sit down with you during your one-on-one consultation to talk about the size and shape implant that will look the most natural.

Implant Material

There are two types of materials breast implants are made out of – silicone and saline. Silicone implants, which are most popular, tend to be more expensive but also have a more natural and realistic feel to them. Saline implants work well with patients who naturally have a lot of breast tissue, as it can add volume and shape without necessarily changing the way the breast feels.

Breast Lift 101

After reading about the breast augmentation, you may be a little torn. You want your breasts to look perkier, but you don’t necessarily want to them to be bigger. The breast lift may be the best option for you.

Types of Lifts

There are many different breast lift procedures that can be done depending on the size and condition of your breasts. A small amount of sagging may call for a small incision to be made around the areola, while more severe sagging may call for an incision to be made down the front of the breast and in the breast crease. Dr. Beam will go over the extent of your procedure and the incisions required to make sure you’re satisfied with the results of your breast lift during your one-on-one consultation.

The Power of Two

If you’re unsatisfied with both the size and position of your breast, look no further than combining the procedures together. It is common for women to combine a breast lift and augmentation to give themselves their desired aesthetic results of more voluminous, perky breasts.

Ultimately, the procedure or combination of procedures you choose to be right for you depends on whether or not you’re looking for a lift or more volume to your breasts. If you are interested in learning more about breast lift and breast augmentation procedures, contact us to schedule your consultation with Dr. Beam today.

May 9, 2019November 8, 2023

Glastonbury Residents Ask: Can a Breast Lift be Done Without Implants?

Most women that experience pregnancy, weight loss, or loss of skin elasticity due to aging may begin to notice a gradual drooping of their breasts. While breast sagging is entirely natural, this change in a woman’s body may cause discomfort or lower self-esteem. Breast lift surgery is widely-known as an effective procedure to correct this issue, leaving the breasts perkier and more youthful than before. However, many women shy away from this procedure because of concerns over the safety and longevity of breast implants. Luckily, Dr. Harold E. Beam skillfully performs breast lift procedures for women without the use of breast implants.

What Are the Benefits of a Breast Lift?

Many women who are experiencing gradual sagging of their breasts wish to restore them to a more youthful appearance. A breast lift can accomplish this by restoring a fuller, rounder shape to the breasts for a younger, more rejuvenated look.

Can a Breast Lift Be Performed Without Breast Implants?

The option to have a breast lift performed with or without a breast augmentation depends on the ultimate goals of the patient. If the patient desires a perkier appearance to her breasts along with more volume, breast augmentation is recommended in conjunction with a breast lift.

However, if she is content with the volume of her breasts, a breast lift alone can be performed. During the procedure, an incision is made around the areola and/or down the front of the breast and breast crease depending on the degree of sagging. The breast is then pulled, tightened, and the nipple and areola are moved to a higher position to reveal perkier breasts with a more pleasing overall shape.

Schedule a Breast Lift Consultation

When performed by an experienced surgeon like Dr. Harold E. Beam, a breast lift procedure can boost a woman’s self-esteem, making her feel more confident and feminine. Dr. Beam and his staff provide breast lift procedures along with other breast enhancing procedures at locations in Glastonbury, Hartford, New Britain, New Haven, and the surrounding areas of Connecticut. For more information or to schedule a consultation, contact Harold E. Beam, MD plastic surgery today.

April 12, 2018November 8, 2023

How Do I Know If I Need a Breast Lift or an Augmentation?

Dr. Beam can help determine whether a breast lift or breast augmentation would be better for our patients, but we feel it helps if our patients feel as confident in our decision as we do. Explaining the differences between the two surgeries and the benefits that go along with them helps in this process.

About Breast Lifts

Breast lifts are perfect for the patient who is not concerned with the size or shape of their breast, simply the perkiness of them. Breast sag is common in women who have gone through a significant change in weight, or those who have recently given birth. It is also natural in more mature women whose breasts have been fighting against gravity.

Breast lifts provide a perkier breast in many different ways. Typically, the incision only needs to be made around the areola and down the front of the breast.

Recovery post breast lift is relatively shorter than an augmentation. Our office will prescribe oral pain medication for patients to take post-operation to help comfort them. Support bras are needed as well to help with the swelling that may occur. You may be able to speed up recovery by changing bandages regularly, taking the prescribed medication, and keeping up with your follow-up appointments.

About Breast Augmentations

Breast augmentations are the ideal type of procedure for women who are looking to change their breast shape or size. There are three types of incisions that our office offers, and each slightly impacts the location of the scar and the type of implant available.

Breast augmentations allow our patients to improve their self-image and increase their self-esteem. For women with larger breasts, the medical benefits include decreased back pains and better posture. It is also a helpful procedure for women whose breasts have shrunk or enlarged post pregnancy or after significant weight loss or gain.

If you are interested in learning more about a breast lift or a breast augmentation, contact our office today. Dr. Beam can provide a professional opinion regarding which surgical approach is your best match based on your goals and overall health.

March 22, 2018November 8, 2023

Breast Augmentation Options: Which One Is Right for You?

Breast augmentations continue to be one of the most popular cosmetic procedures. Every patient at Harold E. Beam, MD receives an individualized breast augmentation treatment plan. Choosing the type of incision is part of this plan. The incision type depends on the goals, needs, and anatomy of the patient and thus varies from woman to woman.

About Periareolar Incisions

Periareolar incisions are made on the outer edge of the areola, which is more commonly known as the ring of skin around the nipple. This allows the implant to be placed above or below the muscles, which allows the patient to decide how the implant will settle on their chest. Another benefit of this type of incision is that it can be used with any type of implant, so the patient can have a wider range of comfortable costs. This type of incision is best used for a constricted breast.

About Transaxillary Incisions

Transaxillary incisions are made in the armpit, in the natural skin fold that occurs there, allowing the scar to be in a more discrete location. The “hidden” scar is preferable for patients who spend more time in swimwear, or outside. Both saline and silicone implants can be used with this type of incision, but saline is preferred due to its ability to be inserted during the procedure and filled afterward. Filling the implant after insertion enables the incision to be small and discrete. For female patients looking to grow their family and breastfeed in the future, this incision style may be preferable because it allows the mammary gland to remain intact.

About Inframammary Incision

Inframammary incisions are made in the crease beneath the breast, which means Dr. Beam will have the optimum amount of control when placing the implant. Inframammary incisions are preferred by many patients because the scar can be hidden by the breast itself. This technique also offers the optimal amount of protection for our patients because Dr. Beam will have more control over bleeding and other side effects of surgery. Another added benefit is conservation of the nerves in the nipple.

If you are interested in learning more about breast augmentations are our office contact Dr. Beam today to schedule a consultation.

April 19, 2017November 8, 2023

FAQs on Breast Implants

Are you considering breast augmentation for fuller, more alluring breasts? This procedure can have fantastic results, but most patients have multiple questions regarding the different options for implants, costs, and maintenance before getting breast implants. Here are the answers to a few frequently questions.

What is the difference between saline and silicone breast implants?

Silicone breast implants are silicone shells filled with silicone gel—a sticky, thick liquid. They mimic the look and feel of natural breasts, and they are also less likely to cause rippling or wrinkling around the skin. In the event of a tear, the gel stays in the capsule and will not travel throughout the body, so the breasts maintain their shape. Silicone breast implants have been FDA approved since 2006.

Saline implants are silicone shells filled with salt water, and they come in many different shapes and sizes. If saline implant ruptures, the body will harmlessly absorb the saline.

What is the cost of breast implants?

It is important to understand that the total cost of getting breast implants includes more than just the cost of the procedure itself. The cost for a breast augmentation with silicone implants is approximately $7,900 and the cost for saline implants is approximately $6,900. This price includes the doctor’s fee, anesthesia, facility, taxes and follow-up visits for the year

Do I have to exchange my implants every 10 years?

No. However, at some point in your life, you will more than likely need to get your breast implants exchanged. If there are no problems and you continue to get regular check-ups after your procedure, your implants can last for many years.

Ready to start planning your procedure? For more information about your breast augmentation, contact Dr. Harold E. Beam, an accomplished plastic surgeon serving Glastonbury and surrounding areas. Call 860-226-6502 to schedule a consultation appointment.