Breast Augmentation
Breast augmentation is a surgical procedure that increases breast size or restores lost volume, either by placing a silicone or saline implant or by transferring fat from elsewhere on the patient's own body. It is a true operation—performed under anesthesia, through incisions, with recovery measured in weeks—and the decision belongs in a consultation with a licensed plastic surgeon.
- Breast surgery
- About 4–6 weeks before full activity
- Surgical
Overview
The procedure is usually considered for naturally small breast volume, noticeable asymmetry, or loss of fullness after pregnancy, breastfeeding, or weight change. The implant route uses silicone gel or saline devices that come in different volumes, shapes, and projection profiles, placed above or below the chest muscle. The fat-transfer route harvests fat by liposuction from areas such as the abdomen or thighs and injects it into the breast, producing a more modest, natural-feeling increase.
Augmentation adds volume and can improve balance between the two sides, but it does not meaningfully lift breasts that already sag—that is the territory of a breast lift (mastopexy), which is sometimes combined with augmentation. Neither route is permanent in the everyday sense: implants are not lifetime devices and may eventually need revision or replacement, while a portion of transferred fat is naturally reabsorbed in the months after surgery.
How it works
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