How to Choose the Right Breast Augmentation Procedure to Meet Your Goals

posted on:
January 19th, 2021
posted by:
Dr. Thomas Bell, MD

The term boob job typically refers to getting breast implants. But there are actually several different types of boob jobs to choose from these days.

For example, our clinic currently offers:

  •   Breast Implants
  •   Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation
  •   Breast Lifts
  •   Breast Lifts With Implants
  •   Gynecomastia (Male Breast Reduction)

There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution in the world of plastic surgery, so we offer different services to cater to any given client’s unique needs and goals.

This blog will cover the most common issues that our patients come to us with, and the most appropriate solutions that can help.

I Want to Add More Volume

Adding more volume to the breasts is the most common goal, and the one most traditionally associated with a boob job.

Breast augmentation remains the most popular plastic surgery in North America, with nearly 300,000 procedures in 2019, and it has held the top spot for several years in a row.

If you’re looking to boost your volume and add more contour, you will probably want to choose either traditional breast implants or a fat transfer breast augmentation procedure.

Breast Implants

You’re basically looking at two different options for breast implants:

  •   Silicone, or
  •   Saline

Silicone breast implants are the most popular type. You may have also heard them referred to as gummy bear implants because of their texture and feel. When expertly done, these implants are going to look, feel, and move more naturally than their saline counterparts. This is why they’re the go-to choice for women that want to add volume without sacrificing a natural look or feel.

On the other hand, saline breast implants are filled with sterile salt water (saline) solution. They are typically used because they have been around longer than silicone implants, and they have a longer history. They can also be inserted through a very small incision through the armpit or through the areola, which leaves a very small scar.

The implants can be filled with the solution once they have been placed, making incisions much smaller.

If you’re looking for breast implants in Toronto, you’re fortunate to live in a city with two world-class surgeons working in the same clinic. Dr. Thomas Bell is one of Canada’s most experienced and respected surgeons. His incredible work has produced some fantastic breast augmentation before and after photos.

Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation

This is a great alternative to breast implants if you would rather go with something that doesn’t involve a foreign device. You also get to remove unwanted fat from another part of your body.

How does it work? Your surgeon will basically harvest the natural fat cells from another part of your body and transplant them to your breasts to add more volume and improve your body’s contour. It’s a lot like the Brazilian butt lift procedure that you have most likely heard of.

With fat grafting procedures, it’s hard to get the same level of predictable size and shape as the other two implant procedures that we’ve discussed. However, this is still a fantastic way to add volume to your breasts.

I Want to Change the Shape

If you don’t love the shape of your breasts, you’re not alone. Research shows that roughly 90% of surveyed women are unhappy with the shape of their breasts.

If you’re looking to address sagging breasts, your best bet may be a breast lift procedure and you should jump to the next section. Otherwise, most other shape issues can be helped with silicone breast implants.

Our cohesive silicone gel breast implants give you the most options in terms of different shapes, textures, heights, widths, and projections.

They are highly in demand because of their natural and breast-like teardrop-shape, as opposed to less-natural-looking round implants. If breasts look too round, they are far more likely to look fake, like Victoria Beckham’s ultra-round bazooka boobs that she later had removed.

You can also address shape issues with a fat transfer breast augmentation procedure. However, as we mentioned in the previous section, the results are less predictable.

Your best bet is to have an in-depth discussion with your surgeon about your goals. They should be able to recommend the best course of action, and literally show you how various sizes and shapes would look on your unique body through our Vectra 3D breast imaging system.

I Want to Fix Sagging Breasts

Time and gravity are rarely kind to a woman’s breasts. Over time, most women will see their breasts sag progressively more, while their nipples may also start to point downwards and the areolae may stretch in size.

In most cases, a breast lift surgery is the best way to combat this and restore a youthful perkiness to the breasts.

There were well over 113,000 breast lift (mastopexy) procedures performed in 2019, which was a 3% increase from the previous year, and a whopping 114% increase from the number of breast lifts in the year 2000. This procedure is most popular with women in the 40-54 age group, as they accounted for 40% of all breast lift procedures in 2020. Meanwhile, women aged 30-39 accounted for nearly 30%.

Our Dr. Bray is one of the industry’s leading breast lift experts, and can help you choose the right type of breast lift to suit your body and your goals.

Your options include.

The Crescent Lift

This method is one of the most popular and the least invasive procedures. Basically, Dr. Bray will expertly elevate your nipples’ position by removing a crescent-shaped section of the skin above them.

Anchor Lift

The anchor lift is the most invasive option, but it’s the go-to option for patients that are dealing with the most sagging. It involves an incision along the breast crease.

Lollipop Lift

This is likely your best option if you’re dealing with sagging breasts that are coupled with downward-pointing nipples. Dr. Bray uses a vertical incision from the crease of the breast, over the nipple.

Donut Lift

The donut lift is an effective method that involves fewer incisions than other breast lifts. It is simply a single incision around the areola.

You could also opt for non-surgical options like:

  •   Evolve TITE non-surgical
  •   Forma RF skin tightening
  •   BreastTite

Dr. Bray can help you select the best procedure to suit your needs. He is well-known for his personalized level of care with every patient, and he never offers one-size-fits-all solutions.

I Want to Raise My Breasts and Add Volume

You could also use a combination of breast implants and a breast lift to completely revitalize your body’s contour.

Like all of our procedures, this combination will be fully personalized and designed by our expert team to align with your goals and to suit your unique body.

The end results give you:

  •   More volume in your breasts
  •   Perkier breasts and nipples
  •   An improved body contour
  •   A more youthful, yet natural, body contour

Once again, Vectra 3D breast imaging technology can help you determine the right boob size for you and show you exactly how different options will look on your specific body.

I’m Looking for Male Breast Reduction

The growth of male breasts can be an embarrassing subject to even talk about. However, gynecomastia (AKA the male breast reduction procedure) can help make a massive difference.

Male breast reduction was the 4th most popular plastic surgery among men in 2019, with well over 24,000 procedures performed. It was actually even more popular than hair transplantation. Interestingly enough, men also accounted for about a third of all breast reduction procedures in 2020.

Many men find themselves developing more volume in their chest area than they would like, as they age. Contrary to popular belief, it is not always tied to a sedentary lifestyle or poor diet, although those two things are certainly factors. Some men are simply more genetically predisposed than others to developing man boobs or moobs.

Other men simply suffer from a hormonal imbalance that leads to elevated estrogen levels and/or lower testosterone levels. They can go crazy with dieting, pectoral workouts, and cardio, but still not be happy with how their breasts look.

Our surgeons use energy-assisted liposuction devices to melt the glandular tissue that is causing your issues. This is an incredibly safe and effective procedure that can give you a more chiselled, more athletic-looking, and more masculine chest in a matter of hours. Our team’s Dr. Peter Bray is more than an expert in energy-assisted lipo—he has helped influence how the liposuction procedure is performed in clinics across Canada.

He is an expert in:

  •   BodyTite™
  •   SmartLipo™
  •   VASERLipo™

It also has a very quick recovery period. Many of our patients can return to light activities in 2 or 3 days, with a full recovery in about 3 weeks.

Alternatively, you might consider non-surgical and non-invasive procedures such as Evolve Trim or CoolSculpting.

I Want My Pre-Pregnancy Body Back

You may have heard of a popular procedure called the Mommy Makeover and wondered if it’s right for you. It could be!

The Mommy Makeover is not actually a single procedure. It’s a combination of procedures that may include:

  • Breast augmentation
  • Labiaplasty
  • A tummy tuck/ stretch mark reduction
  • A liposuction procedure
  • Cellulite treatment
  • Fat grafting in the buttock area
  • Laser hair removal

Those would be the surgical options. If you’re looking for a non-surgical solution, you may consider using the following treatments on targeted areas of fat:

  • Venus Freeze
  • VelaShape
  • Vanquish
  • SculpSure
  • Evolve
  • EMSculpt
  • CoolSculpting
  • BodyFX

Once again, we don’t believe that one-size-fits-all solutions exist in the world of plastic surgery. We take the time to get to know your body and your goals, then work with you to come up with a customized plan.

This is how you see the best results.

I Want to Remove My Breast Implants

The techniques and technologies being used on modern breast implants have never been more advanced, and the results have never looked better or more natural. However, some women do still choose to have their implants removed for any number of reasons.

This could include:

  •   The desire to upgrade to newer materials
  •   An interest in switching to a fat grafting breast augmentation
  •   Rare cases of hardening around the implants, also called capsular contracture
  •   Other personal reasons

Our skilled surgeons can remove your implants in roughly 2-3 hours, with a relatively short recovery time following your surgery. The procedure involves your surgeon removing your implants, along with any possible scar tissue that may have formed in the area. From there, your new implants can be added, or fat grafting to the breasts can be performed.

Are You Ready to Speak to a Breast Surgery Expert?

If you have read this far, the odds are very good that at least one of the procedures we discussed today jumped out at you. But you probably have a lot more questions about it.

You have questions and we have answers! Prior to COVID-19 restrictions, we enjoyed having our initial meetings in our clinic and we loved meeting you face-to-face. It was a nice and private setting where we could talk openly and candidly. Now, however, we’re hosting our pre-op and post-op meetings over video calls so we can minimize the number of people in our clinic.

What can we do for you? Reach out today to find out!

 

Posted by:

Dr. Thomas Bell, MD

Dr. Thomas Bell has been one of Canada’s most renowned cosmetic surgeons for 25 years. He prides his excellence on the harmonious balance of vision, aesthetic appearance, and patient care.

More on Dr. Bell

You May Also Be Interested In

December 19th, 2023

David Beckham Cosmetic Surgeries

Read More
June 30th, 2021

Silicone Vs. Saline Implants: Which Do I Want?

Read More
June 25th, 2020

2 Surgical Solutions to Fix a Crooked Nose

Read More

You're only a step away from a new life!

Schedule a consultation