Alternatives to Breast Implants
Alternatives to breast implants will always be marketable, whether they work or not. Though breast implant surgery is safer than ever and relatively affordable, as cosmetic surgeries go, infection, complications from anesthesia, and less than satisfactory aesthetic results are always possible. Considering the seriousness of these risks, it's not surprising that consumers are interested in even the most improbable alternatives to surgical breast augmentation.
Function
Biologically, large breasts are not more feminine than small breasts. And large breasts do not produce more milk for a baby than small breasts do. Mammary glands, the primary functional structures in the breast, are small and relatively inconspicuous, unless they are full of milk. Naturally large breasts occur on a woman only if she is genetically predisposed to have a lot of fat cells in the breast area, and her body fat percentage is high enough to maintain the plumpness of those fat cells.
Misconceptions
Makers of massage or suction devices claim that increased circulation to the breast area stimulates growth. However, the minimal reported increase in breast size is probably due to temporary swelling and edema in the skin and fatty tissues. Suction cannot cause an increase in amount of fatty tissues in the breast. Interestingly, suction pumps have been used by lactating women for decades, but no increase in breast size is reported as a side effect.
Considerations
Unless they contain hormones, oral supplements and creams cannot change basic body composition and therefor cannot increase breast size independent of overall weight gain. Furthermore, over-the-counter creams are never supposed to penetrate the deeper layers of the skin, and if they do, they are as potentially dangerous as oral medication. Hormones like those in birth control pills can indeed increase breast size in both men and women, but these act on the endocrine system and therefore can have serious side effects.
Potential
Some doctors use injectable dermatological fillers like hyaluronic acid for breast enhancement. Fillers currently available in the United States are not permanent, but longer lasting fillers are being used in Europe and may be available in the U.S. in the future. At present, fillers are most useful for correction of minor defects in breast shape rather than significant increase in volume.
Theories/Speculation
Some cosmetic surgeons feel the most promising surgical alternative to breast implants is injection of subcutaneous fat harvested from other areas of the body, into the breast area. At present though, results are highly variable. Some of the fat tissue may not survive transplantation, causing uneven shape. Also, the liposuction procedure used to harvest the fat tissue carries its own surgical and cosmetic risks.
Prevention/Solution
Silicone, water-filled or fiber-fill bra inserts are the favorite standby of multitudes of small-busted women worldwide. Under clothing, they're 100 percent effective, absolutely safe and, of course, completely reversible. However, they don't replicate natural breasts very well in a bathing suit, and aren't useful at all in the nude. So surgeons will continue to improve breast augmentation procedures, and entrepreneurs will continue to sell alternatives that capitalize on optimism, even if they don't deliver cup size.
Tags: breast size, increase breast, increase breast size, breast area, large breasts, Alternatives Breast Implants, breast augmentation
