Reductions and reconstructions for medical purposes aside, when conversation turns to breast surgery, augmentation (aka a boob job) is still the main topic of discussion.
And since we first spied Pamela Anderson in “Baywatch” circa 1993, the big business of bigger boobs hasn’t slowed down. But lately, we’ve been hearing more and more about another “job” — the mastopexy, or breast lift.
While we’re not advocating plastic surgery for non-medical reasons, we advocate that it’s your body, and ultimately your choice. And if you are considering a change to your cup size, it’s important that you have the right tools to make an informed decision (or just have a baseline of knowledge next time it comes up over drinks).
We asked cosmetic surgeon and medical director of Cosmos Clinics Dr. Mitchell Kim to talk us through the who, what, why (and of course, the how much) of giving gravity the bird.
What’s the difference between a boob job, a breast lift, and a breast reduction?
“A ‘boob job’ refers to enlarging the size of the breasts, commonly using implants, which are placed under the skin or under the pectoralis muscle. However, more and more women are also choosing to have their unwanted fat from various other body parts to graft to their breasts, for a completely natural look.”
“A breast reduction involves removing excess breast tissue and/or fat to reduce the size or weight of the breasts, commonly in women with very large breasts. The Vaser breast reduction can remove the excess fat around the breasts, and also elevate the breasts at the same time by tightening the skin, without big scars.”
“A lift is the surgical procedure of raising sagging breasts by removing excess tissue surrounding the breasts. This procedure can be done with or without the placement of implants.”
Who are the main women seeking it out?
“Women in all life stages seek breast lifts. A woman’s breasts can change throughout life, due to weight gain or loss, aging, breastfeeding or other conditions. Small-breasted women generally want bigger breasts, and large-breasted women want smaller breasts. Women with saggy breasts want uplifted breasts.”
Are there different types of incisions?
“There are various incisions which are used in breast augmentations. In the placement of implants, incisions can be made under the breasts, in the armpits, or around the nipple. In breast reductions, usually, a ‘lollipop’ scar is used surrounding the nipple. If augmentation is performed using fat grafting, only small incisions approximately 3 millimeters are used, and are virtually invisible. Same goes for breast reduction by the Vaser method.”
Have you seen a rise in popularity?
“Breast surgeries have always been popular. However, there has been a significant rise in the number of women who want their own fat taken from unwanted areas (tummy, love handles, thighs) and grafted to their breasts (or buttocks). I think the appeal is, they are killing two birds with one stone, it feels completely natural, has virtually no visible scars, and has very little downtime compared to other cosmetic breast surgeries.”
What is the recovery like?
“This depends on the specific surgery performed, but after breast augmentation using implants, breast reduction, or a breast lift, the patient can expect to have drains in place for a few days, and possibly overnight hospital stay, and return to normal activities in 1-2 weeks, with full recovery by 6 weeks. With breast augmentation by fat grafting, and Vaser breast reduction, the recovery is much shorter, with most patients returning to normal activities in 2-3 days, with no use of drains.”
How much does it cost?
“This varies greatly, between surgeons, and each patient is different. However, a rough guideline can be $7,000-$18,000.”