Breast Implants - Advice Please

[Wicked Blue]

A friend of mine has decided that she wants implants. She asked me if I could do a little research on the procedure, since she doesn't have Internet access.
I tried doing a yahoo search, but I was getting mainly porn. I was wondering if anyone here has any stories, personal experiences, opinions, or just knows about if from a medical standpoint. I would also appreciate some good links
My opinion is that she looks just fine the way she is, and unnecessary surgery is foolish. She is also planning on financing the cost, which I also think is foolish, but she is a grown woman, and is entitled to do as she pleases. She is not a stripper, model or actress, so it is not something she is doing to help advance her career, just to make her happy with her body, and I guess I can understand that. I am happy that she wants to do a little research before signing on the dotted line, and I'm glad she came to me.
Thanks in advance!
Rose

[xizor]

All I have is an opinion, but I personally have never thought to myself "That woman would be more attractive if she had bigger boobs."

[psycat90]

I know you are on the East Coast, Blue, so I will assume your friend is as well. The only advice I have is if she decides to go ahead and have it done, try to get it done in or very near NYC. Simply because I would assume that a surgeon near or in a large city would have more experience and operations under his belt than one out in the middle of a corn field.

[dropzone]

They look and feel fake. Like rocks. Extremely gross from a real man's point of view. And they cause stretch marks. Perhaps she should find a better class of guy. One sure-fire way is to go braless with her blouse unbuttoned fairly deeply. She'll have guys sniffin' around her like she was raw meat no matter how small her breasts are.

Trust me, even guys who like the visuals of large breasts are turned off by the texture.

Have her come over and check out this link. She might feel better about herself.

[GuanoLad]

If she's talking about doing it just for herself, then chat to Michi, as she has done the very same.

However, if she's doing it for other reasons, i.e. to attract men, then I surely to goodness hope you can convince her not to do it!

Seriously, the guys that count aren't into such horribly superficial artificiality.

[Michi]

Originally posted by dropzone
They look and feel fake. Like rocks. Extremely gross from a real man's point of view. And they cause stretch marks.

This is just not true. If the surgeon knows what he is doing, the fake ones look just as good as the real ones. Now the only female breasts I have ever felt were my own, but I'd wager that mine feel just as normal as natural ones. They even bounce when I exercise. No, I will not provide video of that, you will just have to take my word for it.

Getting my breasts enlarged was one of the best things I ever did for myself.

[JDeMobray]

I have never understood why people feel the need to twiddle with their physical appearance so much.

However, if it is something that she really thinks will make her happy, I suppose she should go for it.

[Strait]

Go to http://www.about.com and do a general search on breast implants. You will not get all the porn BS that you would on yahoo, excite, etc. search engines. You will get many helpful links. I find this to be a "decent" search engine. Good Luck to you on your search, and to your friend in her decision.

[Strait]

OOOPPPS!! I forgot a link. You could also try http://www.healthcentral.com

[Bear_Nenno]

Here is a good link, I think. It is a large video feed, but it shows a girl getting ready to have her surgery. It has a little interview with the woman and shows the doctor explaining the surgery to her and marking her chest and showing her how the surgery will go. Your friend might find it relevant... maybe not, I dunno. The girl in the video is a friend of mine.

http://www.voyeurdorm.com/guests/AlexBoobs/

[Monster104]

get them, I love them personally

[Monster104]

Anyone ever hear the song "New Boobs" by NoFX

[Anniz]

I think it's a shame that so many does it
and can't accept what they have.
I have a friend who did it,
because she wanted them to look more like
Pamela Andersson.
She have now trubbel with one of them,
I don't know how to say it in English,
but it have been hard on one side,
so she must do it again.
And also you CAN feel it is fake,
because I asked if I could touch it,
(and so you know, just on the outside very little),
and I could fell the implant.
I just don't understand it.

[Bear_Nenno]

If she does decide to do it, tell her to not be cheap! The prices vary greatly on these things as do the methods. If I were her, and I am a guy so I am not, I would find someone with a lot of experience, a lot of material to show me (like videos, diagrams, interviews, pictures etc), a higher price (not a special or inexpensive fee- just like everything else, you get what you pay for). Check out the before-after photos and make sure there is no scarring. Most doctors are not cutting the breast itself, but go through the armpit or side or somewhere else. I guess it is cheaper to cut the breast directly but I have seen some awful scarred boobs. I was at a strip club a while back for someone's bachleor party. I walked up to the stage and this one stripper turned upside down on the pole. She had these huge thick scars under her boobs. Man I almost threw up on her. I think she was expecting some money, but I turned around and walked away- probably with a disgusted look on my face. I hope I did not hurt her feelings. But damn, it's her fault for going to Billy Bob's Discount Boobs!
A lot of people will tell you that the breasts end up hard or fake feeling. These people have experienced a poor boob job. Just because one mechanic screws up my carberator does not mean that EVERY mechanic will do the same shotty work. I have fondled some very real-feeling fake boobs. And I have seen some awful ones, too. Never felt them though.
You have to find a good doctor. And most importantly, find a doctor you are very comfortable with. One that you feel free to openly discuss the operation with and ask any questions you have.

[Shaky Jake]

As far as searching and filtering out all the porn...

Go to Google and type in "breast augmentation surgery". I got no porn hits in the first few pages. The first few pages of hits do appear to be from plastic surgeons, who will obviously have a particular slant on the whole idea. Further searching may find sites with more balanced information.


Shaky Jake

[Jman]

Personally, I find fake breasts to be an extreme turn-off. Even when done in moderation, they do not react or look natural. They do not support themselves in the same way as real breasts, and they just make the woman look sort of manufactured. I've seen good jobs too, but they still just do nothing for me. I'll take small, even quite strangely shaped real breasts over implants any day of the week.

Jman

[iampunha]

Don't like the idea of anything that isn't human flesh being inside someone like that.

Just . . . ick. No offense to those who've had them. I just don't like the idea of playing with a plastic bag.

[Thudlow Boink]

If quantity is that important, why not go for three or four breasts instead of just two?
Not that it necessarily counts for anything, but I just wanted to add my agreement to those who have opined against fake breasts. I like the fact that they come in different sizes, and I think real ones of any size are sexier than fake ones.
Has she considered stuffing socks in her bra?

[Lumpy]

An important consideration is how susceptible your friend is to scarring. Hardening of the breasts after augmentation is due to buildup of scar tissue around the implant. Regardless of how well the surgery is done, some people simply are scar-prone and thus poor candidates for any elective surgery.

[Turpentine]

Oh god, tell her not to do it.

They are gross. So disgusting. And everybody can always tell they are fakes.

Except for Michi - she was probably just lucky, but that rarely happens.

Also, woman seem to overdo it, to overcompensate. They are disproportionate often. Get a B, if you're going to do it at all, not a C- it won't look right.

Large breasts aren't all that great looking, and trust me, it often sucks to have them. I can't run as well as i could in 9th grade. People stare at me and they are only looking at my breasts and not ME. Plus, they make you look fat.

I also have a friend who is a stripper. She is very good at it and i have come to see her dance a few times.
She is flat- not even an A- and yet all the men think she is hot as hell. She gets a lot of tips.

[Michi]

You are right Turp, I must be the only woman out of the millions who have had this surgery to have a good out come.
No hardness, scarring, unnatural look. If I didn't tell everyone I had this done, no one would ever guess. And my boobs don't make me look fat at all, in fact they make me look slimmer. Guess I must be a freak.

[SouthernStyle]

Your story's not unique, Michi.

I've known several women that have had the surgery and only one has had any real complaints. It's probably worth noting that only one went from an A/B cup to a D cup, the rest went up only one size.

If the desire is to increase about one cup size, have the implants placed under the muscle. There will be more initial discomfort, as well as a longer adjustment period, but the look and feel will be more natural as this type of enhancement basically takes what is already there and makes it more prominent.

[Turpentine]

Originally posted by Michi
You are right Turp, I must be the only woman out of the millions who have had this surgery to have a good out come.
No hardness, scarring, unnatural look. If I didn't tell everyone I had this done, no one would ever guess. And my boobs don't make me look fat at all, in fact they make me look slimmer. Guess I must be a freak.

No, millions of women only think that they have had a good outcome.
They are so happy to be a D or C instead of an A that they don't notice that many people can tell that they are fake and laugh at them.

The only freakish thing about you is the delusion that you looked bad without fake breasts.
I was trying to say before that small breasts are NOT unattractive. I don't see why so many women think that they need to improve themselves with unecessary surgery.
And I was also trying to illustrate with my stripper-friend example that even men don't find small-breasted women unattractive.

I think if the girl in the OP whose friend feels she needs fake boobs to feel better about herself, then they are not going to make her happy. To feel that insecure probably means there is something else causing the low self-esteem.

[Nanno]

Thank you posting this question, I have been considering having this procedure done also. I am not looking for larger breast just ones that stay up. After three children and of course with age, they arent what they used to be. I will check out all the links everyone has provided. Just give your friend your support in what ever she decides.

[Ruffian]

After breast-feeding her son, her breasts flattened out and sagged similar to a National Geographic spread. They weren't completely flat, but close...and considering she had been a D cup, they were long flat things. She had surgery to get them lifted, and I have to tell you, if mine get like that after breast feeding, hell yes I'll get them lifted.

Where I think she's nuts is she had them augmented as well...from a D to a DD. On a 5'4" frame.

Yup...nuts.

[Rysdad]

A nurse friend of mine told me that the enlargements come in three sizes: Large, huge and burlesque

And now, my opinion, since you didn't ask for it...it would be a big waste of money and an unnecessary medical risk.

PS- I've seen some "done" boobs that look perfect. I wish I could tell you more regarding their resilience, etc., but they belonged to the sister of my then-girlfriend, and I wasn't allowed to research the matter any further than the brief visual checking out I gave them when everyone went skinny dipping.

[Lizard]

Originally posted by Ruffian
Where I think she's nuts is she had them augmented as well...from a D to a DD. On a 5'4" frame.
Yup...nuts.

Hey Ruffian...aww, never mind.

Personally, this trend of women running out and getting breast implants terrifies. I won't lie; I LOVE big boobs, although I would never judge someone on them alone. But guys, consider this: how long will it be until women put two and tow together and start expecting us to have dick surgery?? I for one would promise to be with an AA-cup girl for the rest of my life if it meant my weiner would always be considered sufficient.

[Michi]

I went from having nothing to a B cup. I don't think that is so unusually large.

My chest resembled that of a 12 year old boy's. I thought it unattractive. I find it unattractive in other women. There was something I could do about my chest, so I did. Now I like the way I look. I don't think I have any issues that I was trying to deal with through plastic surgery. If someone doesn't like plastic surgery, don't have it. But don't try to psychoanalyze those of us who do. I'm sorry if I sound annoyed, but frankly, I am.

[Chef Troy]

What I don't understand is why the implants have to be a shape that is so completely unrelated to the normal shape of the real thing. I was looking at a...um...pictorial of two young women (I was, of course, forced to look at gunpoint); one had implants and the other didn't, and even though the woman with no additives or preservatives had the smaller breasts of the two of them, they were SO much more appealing than the unnatural, quasi-spherical fishbowls on the other woman it wasn't even close. Why can't they at least approximate the teardrop shape of la poitrine naturel?

Michi, please understand that I'm not talking about the way YOU look, which is yummy (and I'm not just talking about your...ahem... rack, either, you totally alluring thing you). Judging from the pictures I've seen of you, your surgeon did a hell of a job... grrrrrowwwwwl. I completely support your decision to do it, too... it sounds like you did it for the right reasons.

[Akatsukami]

Blue Twylight writes:

A friend of mine has decided that she wants implants. She asked me if I could do a little research on the procedure, since she doesn't have Internet access.
I tried doing a yahoo search, but I was getting mainly porn. I was wondering if anyone here has any stories, personal experiences, opinions, or just knows about if from a medical standpoint. I would also appreciate some good links

For the largely pro-implant side, you may want to go to the
Breast Augmentation and Breast Implants Web at http://www.implantinfo.com/ (for some reason, enclosing this URL in vBulletin URL tags causes this message to be corrupted). Naturally, you and your friend will take the information with a grain of salt (or salt substitute if you are on a low-sodium diet), the more so as this site appears to be largely, if not entirely, sponsored by plastic surgeons.

For the anti-implant side, read alt.support.breast-implant (which you can do via DejaNews, as well as by tapping Usenet directly. Be aware that some of the posters on a.s.b-i a few sandwiches short of a picnic, and the theories that they discuss are not always well founded (and that's putting it politely).

I explicitly disclaim any responsibility for the actions taken if a.s.b-i posters decide that you're not toeing the party line strictly enough and feel therefore that you should be harassed by mail bombing, lawsuits, or having your personal information researched and posted on the Web (and, yes, that has happened).