In 2006, after having been off the market for 14 years, silicone gel implants for breast enlargement became legal again, after a ruling by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. During those 14 years, women wanting purely cosmetic breast enlargement had to have saline implants, which many women considered to be a less attractive option. The reintroduction of silicone gel implants reignited the desire by many women to have larger than usual implants put in. While many plastic surgeons will not use implants larger than 500 cc in volume, some women are asking for very large implants, as large as 750 cc.
Are there alternatives for achieving such a dramatic shape? It depends on who you ask. Many plastic surgeons are against the extra large implants on women with all but the largest frames because there is a higher risk of problems with them, and it is very hard to make them look at all natural. According to numerous plastic surgeons, corrective surgery is far more likely in women who have elected to have very large implants due to stretching of the skin, compression of the natural breast tissue, and quicker sagging. The problems caused by very large implants are not easy to correct, even for skilled surgeons.
Alternatives to large breast implants basically come down to the choice of more realistic breast implants and / or the use of alternative methods of breast enlargement. Besides silicone and saline breast implants, autologous fat transfer, and the injection of a substance called Macrolane are the major alternatives for bust enhancement.
Autologous Fat Transfer
Autologous fat transfer is a process where fat is suctioned off areas of the body where there is excess fat (usually the hips and thighs in women), and transferred to the breasts. It isn’t easy to get a dramatic increase in breast size with this process. A certain percentage of the fat cells will die off, and in some people, fat cells are absorbed, meaning that the ultimate results may be disappointing. Some surgeons have concerns about tissue hardening of the transplanted fat, and how that may show up on breast screening tools like mammograms. While autologous fat transfer appears to be safe and effective for applications like filling in facial lines, large scale fat transfer, such as to the breasts, has unpredictable results with current state of the art techniques.
Macrolane
Macrolane is approved for use in Europe and the UK. It is a gel made from hyaluronic acid, the ingredient in the injectable facial line filler called Juvederm. In fact, it is made by the same company, the Swedish pharmaceutical firm Q-Med. The amounts of Macrolane that can be used effectively are limited, so going, say, from an A cup to a D cup using Macrolane alone is not feasible. Macrolane is also quite expensive, with treatments costing £3,000 (more than $4,500 US) initially and another £1,000 ($1,500) for “booster” injections every 18 months or so.
Because there are so many women who wish they had larger breasts, there are numerous sellers – both honest and dishonest – of alternative methods of increasing bust size. The major alternatives that are promoted on the internet, in magazines, and on television consist of pills or supplements, exercises, creams or lotions, and even acupuncture and hypnosis.
Pills as Alternatives to Large Breast Implants
A simple Google search on “breast enlargement pills” (without the quotation marks) yields nearly 1.5 million search results. Clearly, there is great demand for such pills, and plenty of suppliers willing to address those demands to varying degrees of success and honesty. While some of them could theoretically cause an increase in breast size due to the presence of herbs with estrogen-like effects, it is not clear whether these pills are safe, and whether the results are noticeable.
Blessed thistle, dong quai root, fennel seed, and fenugreek are four herbs that are commonly found in breast enhancement pills.
Blessed thistle has been approved by Commission E in Germany to treat indigestion and loss of appetite. It was historically used by nursing women to increase milk flow, but there aren’t any published clinical studies as to whether this herb is effective or safe for regular use to increase breast size. Blessed thistle can cause production of stomach acid, and so it should be used with care in people with gastrointestinal problems. It should also not be used in pregnant women, because it can increase the risk of spontaneous abortion, and there is evidence that links it with birth defects. It belongs to the same plant family as daisies, chrysanthemums, and ragweed, so allergy suffers should beware.
Dong quai root is a Chinese herb that has been used to relieve symptoms of menopause like hot flashes, and to regulate menstrual cycles and reduce cramps. The only “study” concerning dong quai and breast enlargement was a case report of a man who took a combination herb pill containing dong quai who experienced temporary breast enlargement, and the pill was believed to have been contaminated with synthetic estrogen. Dong quai has been found to increase the growth of breast cancer cells in test-tubes. Because dong quai contains chemicals that slow blood clotting, it shouldn’t be taken by those who take blood thinning drugs like Coumadin or Plavix.
Fennel seed has been used in food and medicine for centuries. Traditionally, it was used to increase breast milk flow in nursing women, to increase female sex drive, and menstrual flow. There have been no published studies of the use of fennel seed as an alternative to large breast implants in humans. There has been one study in rats where females who ate fennel seed for 10 days had increased weight of breast tissue, and higher doses increased the weight of the uterus, which may mean that fennel seed mimics the effects of estrogen.
Fenugreek has been the subject of unsubstantiated claims that women who were in harems were fed the herb to increase breast size, but there have been no studies to that effect. Fenugreek contains diosgenin, which in laboratories can be converted into estrogen and progesterone. It is not thought that the same conversion happens in the body, however. Fenugreek has some unpleasant side effects, too, such as diarrhea, gas, and low blood sugar. People who have peanut allergies may also be allergic to Fenugreek.
Exercise as an Alternative to Large Breast Implants
Because breasts contain fat cells, milk ducts, and glandular tissue held together by soft connective tissue, there is really no exercise you can do to increase your breast size. Alternately, exercising will generally not reduce a heavy bust (unless weight and fat are lost from the whole body). However, exercising does have its benefits. Because exercises tone the muscles that hold up the breasts, exercises can make the breasts more prominent.
Pectoral presses using 3 lb. or 5 lb. weights should be done as follows. Lie on your back, knees bent, feet on the floor. With arms outstretched at the sides, bring arms up and together, hold for two seconds, then slowly lower arms back to the floor. Eventually you should be able to get up to three sets of 12 repetitions every other day.
“Butterfly” presses are done like this: sit on the edge of a straight backed chair, back straight, arms hanging at your side, holding a 3 lb. or 5 lb. weight in each ha nd. Raise arms up until they are straight out at shoulder level. Hold for two seconds, then slowly lower arms back to your sides. Ideally, you should do three sets of 10 reps every other day.
Wall push-ups are done standing facing a wall, with your feet about 24 inches away from the wall. With hands at chest level flat against the wall, slowly lean toward the wall using arm and chest muscles until your nose is about to touch the wall. Push back to the starting position. Try to work up to 15 of these every other day.
Creams and Lotions
While there are no creams and lotions that are medically approved for use to increase breast size, there are many creams and lotions on the market that claim to “firm” and “enhance” breasts – loose descriptions that avoid being very specific. There is, however, something to the theory that healthy skin is stronger, firmer skin, and that good skin on the breasts can help the ligaments that hold the breasts up. While you can’t get a breast lift from creams or lotions, and while they won’t make your breasts bigger unless they contain potentially unsafe estrogen compounds, healthy skin is still more attractive than dry, dull skin. Protecting the chest from sun damage will go a long way to keeping the skin in the area as firm and healthy as possible, so a good sunblock is important.
Acupuncture and Hypnosis
In Taiwan and Southeast Asia, acupuncture as a means for breast enlargement is a fairly popular alternative to surgery, though globally, not that many women have tried it. Gains are said to be modest – increase of a cup size at most – but there are not risks associated with acupuncture, particularly when compared with pills and surgery.
Hypnosis claims to take the patient deep enough into her own mind to produce better communication with the cells in the body. Over a period of 8 to 12 weeks, developers of hypnosis programs claim that you will learn to release mental issues about sexuality and use your brain to change your body. The hypnotherapy is said to increase self esteem and self acceptance, and increase the bust by two to four inches on the theory that your own subconscious view of your body is the body that you will eventually have.
Conclusions
While there is not any one alternative to large breast implants that will produce the amount of change in breast size that can be achieved with surgery, there are reasons why a woman may want to try the alternatives that are available because of the major risks that go along with the surgical installation of implants larger than 500 cc.
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