What I wish I'd known before my breast augmentation
When I was deciding on breast augmentation, I couldn't find anyone who'd just tell me how it really goes, so here's mine. We'll cover whether it's the right call for you, choosing implants and size, what the surgery and its risks actually involve, and how recovery and the results play out. A consultant plastic surgeon reviews everything for accuracy.
Latest articles
- Breast Augmentation Myths: What's True and What Isn't
A patient's surgeon-reviewed look at common breast augmentation myths, from implants lasting forever to breastfeeding and the fear they always look fake.
- Questions to Ask at Your Breast Augmentation Consultation
A patient's surgeon-reviewed checklist of questions to ask at a breast augmentation consultation: credentials, implants, risks, complications, and revision.
- Is Breast Augmentation Worth It? An Honest Look
Is breast augmentation worth it? A patient's surgeon-reviewed look at the real pros, cons, satisfaction, regret factors, and the lifelong commitment.
- Breast Implant Removal (Explant): What to Expect
A patient's surgeon-reviewed guide to breast implant removal (explant): with or without replacement, the en bloc debate, and how breasts look afterwards.
- Breast Implant Revision Surgery: Why It Happens and What It Involves
A patient's surgeon-reviewed guide to breast implant revision: why revision happens, what the operation involves, and how it compares to the first surgery.
- Breast Augmentation vs Breast Lift: Which One Do You Need?
A patient's surgeon-reviewed comparison of breast augmentation vs breast lift: volume vs position, how to tell which you need, and combining the two.
- Do Breast Implants Feel Natural? What Affects How They Feel
A patient's surgeon-reviewed answer on whether breast implants feel natural: how implant type, placement, and your own tissue shape feel, plus rippling.
- Breast Augmentation and Pregnancy: Timing, Size, and Results
A surgeon-reviewed guide to pregnancy after breast augmentation: how it can change size and shape, when to time surgery, and how it relates to breastfeeding.
- Sleeping and Bras After Breast Augmentation
How to sleep and which bras to wear after breast augmentation: back-sleeping, propping up, surgical and sports bras, when to switch, and support while you heal.
- Exercise After Breast Augmentation: When It Is Safe to Return
A patient's surgeon-reviewed guide to exercise after breast augmentation: when to walk, when to lift, and how to protect your results with the right support.
- Mammograms With Breast Implants: How Screening Works
How mammograms work with breast implants: tell the radiographer, special Eklund views, what implants hide on the image, and why screening still works.
- Breast Augmentation and Breastfeeding: Can You Nurse With Implants?
Can you breastfeed with breast implants? Usually yes. How incision and placement can affect milk supply, what to know, and a patient's honest take.
- Breast Implants Are Not Lifetime Devices: Why Future Surgery Is Likely
Breast implants are not lifetime devices. Why future surgery is likely, typical timelines, how common reoperation is, and how to plan and budget for revision.
- Breast Implant Illness (BII): What the Evidence Actually Says
An honest, surgeon-reviewed look at breast implant illness: the systemic symptoms people report, what the FDA acknowledges, the evidence, and explant.
- BIA-ALCL Explained: The Rare Lymphoma Linked to Textured Breast Implants
What BIA-ALCL is, how rare it is, the warning signs to watch for, and what the FDA advises, explained plainly by a patient and reviewed by a surgeon.
- Breast Implant Rupture: Signs, Detection, and What to Do
A patient's surgeon-reviewed guide to breast implant rupture: silent silicone vs saline deflation, the signs, detection by MRI or ultrasound, and what to do.
- Capsular Contracture After Breast Augmentation: Signs, Grades, and Treatment
A patient's surgeon-reviewed guide to capsular contracture: what it is, the Baker grades, signs, causes, treatment, and how to lower the risk.
- Breast Augmentation Risks and Complications, Explained Honestly
An honest, surgeon-reviewed look at breast augmentation risks: capsular contracture, rupture, infection, sensation changes, BIA-ALCL, and reoperation.
- Breast Augmentation Results: What to Expect and When
A patient's surgeon-reviewed guide to breast augmentation results: drop and fluff, the 3 to 6 month timeline to your final shape, and realistic outcomes.
- Breast Augmentation Scars: What to Expect and How They Heal
A patient's surgeon-reviewed guide to breast augmentation scars: where they sit by incision type, the healing timeline, and how to help them fade.
- Breast Augmentation Surgery: What Happens on the Day
A patient's surgeon-reviewed walkthrough of breast augmentation day: admission, general anaesthetic, the 1 to 2 hour operation, waking up, and going home.
- Preparing for Breast Augmentation: A Pre-Op Checklist
How to prepare for breast augmentation: the consultation, pre-op tests, stopping smoking, pausing medications, and arranging help and time off, step by step.
- How to Choose a Plastic Surgeon for Breast Augmentation
A patient's surgeon-reviewed guide to choosing a plastic surgeon for breast augmentation: credentials, registers, experience, before-and-afters, and red flags.
- Breast Augmentation vs Fat Transfer: How They Compare
A patient's surgeon-reviewed comparison of implants vs fat transfer: scale of change, how each feels, longevity, recovery, and who each option suits.
- How to Choose Breast Implant Size: cc, Profile, and Proportion
A patient's surgeon-reviewed guide to choosing breast implant size: how cc and profile relate to cup size, sizing to your frame, and the too-big regret.
- Breast Augmentation Incisions: Inframammary, Periareolar, Transaxillary
A surgeon-reviewed guide to breast augmentation incisions: where inframammary, periareolar, and transaxillary scars sit, and their effect on sensation.
- Breast Implant Placement: Over vs Under the Muscle
Subglandular, submuscular, and dual-plane breast implant placement compared: how each looks, recovery, capsular contracture, mammograms, and who suits each.
- Breast Implant Types: Silicone, Saline, and Gummy Bear
A surgeon-reviewed guide to breast implant types: silicone gel, cohesive gummy bear, and saline, how each feels, how each behaves on rupture, and how to choose.
- Breast Augmentation Recovery: What the First Weeks Are Really Like
A surgeon-reviewed breast augmentation recovery guide: the first days, the week-by-week timeline, returning to work and exercise, and when results settle.
- Having Breast Augmentation Abroad: What to Weigh Up
A surgeon-reviewed guide to having breast augmentation abroad: why people travel, checking accreditation and surgeons, aftercare at home, and the real risks.
- How Much Does Breast Augmentation Cost?
A surgeon-reviewed guide to breast augmentation cost: typical US and UK private prices, what the fee includes, why it varies, and why it's cheaper abroad.
- Am I a Candidate for Breast Augmentation?
A surgeon-reviewed guide to breast augmentation suitability: who it's right for, realistic expectations, who should wait, and how to choose without regret.
- Breast Augmentation: Implants, Risks, and What to Expect
A patient's surgeon-reviewed guide to breast augmentation: implant types and placement, the surgery, the real risks, recovery, and the results to expect.