Many women are unhappy with the size of their breasts and choose to receive breast augmentation surgery. There are many questions that come with receiving breast implants, as you are making a radical alteration to your body.

So, here are some answers to common questions surrounding breast implants.

Do I choose saline or silicone?

Saline and silicone have been the primary breast implant materials since the 1960s. But what is the difference and which option is best for your body?

Silicone

Silicone is the most popular breast implant option and has been around for years. It feels really natural, but received some criticism as some people claimed it led to breast cancer and other conditions. However, this has been disproven by The European Committee on Quality Assurance and Medical Devices in Plastic Surgery (EQAM). It concluded that there is no evidence to support claims that silicone implants cause breast cancer.

In fact, silicone is a vital ingredient in many beauty products, including beauty creams and lipstick, and women take on more silicone from these products than they do from silicone implants.

Saline

Saline implants consist of a salt solution that resembles bodily fluids. The only downside of saline breast implants is that they can ripple and feel squishy as they are composed of water.

Can you breastfeed after receiving breast implants?

Many women don’t know if they can breastfeed after receiving implants. This all comes down to the kind of surgery you had, as having either saline or silicone implants can cause the nipples to be less or more sensitive than usual. You will most likely be able to breastfeed, as most implants are safe and compatible with breastfeeding.

Will I experience pain after my surgery?

The immediate 24 hours after your breast implant procedure is when you will experience the most discomfort. It is a good idea to have someone drive you home and stay with you for a night or two after your procedure. The next day you should be able to take a shower and some people even return to work after a few days. However, it is recommended you take some extra time off so that you can properly recover.

You may experience these common post-procedural symptoms, but they are not a cause for concern:

• Pain in the breasts – this can be reduced with prescribed medication.
• Swelling of the breasts – this can be reduced by applying an ice pack.
• Soreness in the back, chest and neck.
• Redness, which occurs near the stitches and incisions.
• Nausea, which can be reduced with a little bit of food and a non-alcoholic beverage.

Knowing what size you should choose

There are two factors you need to consider when finding out what size you have become, including:

• Current breast size: This is important because you need to have enough pre-existing breast tissue to cover the implant. If you don’t have enough tissue, some breast implants might be too large to fit.
• Your shoulder & chest width: Breast implants come in a range of different base widths and you should choose a pair that fit your figure.

Your plastic surgeon will be your most trusted confidante when it comes to selecting the right breast implant size as they have experience and understand the variables.

So what are you looking for? Take in some photos of women who share your figure and height and have similar breasts to the ones you want to have implanted. Take a look at pics on the internet of “before and after” shots to know exactly what you want.