Buying your Breasts from A to DD

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Comments can be sent to the Staff Writer at the address listed at the end of the article. Looks like they could use a few "real-life experiences" to add to the total picture of implants!

Patty

http://www.orion-online.net/vnews/display.v/ART/2002/12/11/3df6963fb9647

Buying your breasts from A to DD

MusgraveStaff Writer

December 11, 2002One day while walking through campus, you pass by an attractive young woman who appears to have perfect breasts. Quickly critiquing this woman's physique, you conclude that she is either one of those unusually lucky gene-pool recipients or those babies were implants. Then, later that same day you encounter another pectoral phenomenon, and this set looks suspiciously familiar. Over the next several weeks you develop an astute "rack radar" and come to the conclusion that Chico either attracts females with naturally flawless breasts or these college coeds have found the next best thing -- breast implants. Breasts have become ostensibly alluring for males and females alike in our society. Illustrated masterfully in the coveted 's Secret catalog, there's nothing sexier than a buxom bust resting buoyantly under a slinky tank top . But there's nothing a woman can do to obtain a buxom bust if she isn't born with it. This is where plastic surgeons come into play. Breast implants are more popular than ever before, according to Important Facts about Breast Implants by Zuckerman, Ph.D., and Flynn, master of public health. Today there are more than two million women in the United States with implants. In 2000, 203,310 women underwent breast augmentation surgery, yet almost half of these surgeries were performed to replace broken implants or fix complications with the implants. There are no available statistics on how many women undergo their first breast surgery every year. Over the years, plastic surgery has had its ups and downs, but today it is more up than ever. It's not just for the rich and famous anymore, said Dr. Brevator Creech, a retired reconstructive and cosmetic surgeon, who recently retired after heading a prestigious practice in Chico for 25 years. "It is more acceptable because so many people are having it done, and it's not as costly," Creech said. Chico State University interior design senior, , 22, who asked that her last name be withheld, had her breasts enhanced four years ago in her hometown of Walnut Creek. Her 5-foot-8 frame looked unbalanced with her size 34A breasts, she said, and a fuller chest gave her the curves she desired. "It wasn't out of vanity that I got implants," she said. "I did it strictly to give my body proportion." Her expected outcome after surgery, which set her parents back $5,500, was two cup sizes bigger, a 34C. She now tops out at a full 34D, because her breasts grew on their own after she had the procedure. "The doctors never said anything that I remember about my breasts growing on their own after I had the implants," she said. "In about five years I plan to have them downsized to a 34C because they are bigger than they should be." The only complication she endured was a slight numbness in her left breast, which still hasn't abated. "At this point, chances are that it will never go away," said. Her implants were inserted under the areola (the dark part of the nipple) and under the muscle, so when she has children and breastfeeds it will be safe both for her and the child. "Before I have kids I will go back to the doctor and make sure everything's still safe and normal," she said. Although said she didn't have the operation for narcissistic reasons, she does concede that it's done a lot for her confidence. "It wasn't like those trashy talk shows where the girls get implants and all of a sudden they're big and bad," she said. "I just feel more comfortable with my body." She receives more attention, which at first was strange because she wasn't used to it, but it usually isn't a problem, she said. "On a normal everyday basis, I don't get harassed," she said. "But sometimes guys make comments that aren't acceptable." Creech said being able to perform the procedures at private, outpatient locations instead of the hospital and because of new, safe anesthetic drugs, the costs of breast augmentation have come down considerably. For young women, ranging from 18 to 25, the top surgeries are breast augmentation, liposuction and rhinoplasty (nose jobs), Creech said. The costs for these operations vary. Breast implants range from $4,000 to $6,000, liposuction from $2,000 to $5,000 and a nose job from $3,000 to $5,000. Creech performed surgeries on about one college-aged woman a month, he said, but turned at least two to three away because of immaturity or lack of preparedness. When Creech first began his practice, it consisted of 95 percent reconstructive surgeries and 5 percent cosmetic surgery. But when he retired several years ago it was just the opposite he said. Dr. performs surgeries on four to five college-aged women a month, he said, with the overwhelming request being for breast implants. "Most of them come in here wanting to look better in clothes and swimsuits," said. "They feel pressure from themselves and society to look as good as they can." Women usually ask to be enhanced two breast sizes, with common end results being between 34 to 36C or D. The bigger the implant, the higher the risk for complications, he said.. Jackie s, a Chico State junior, opted for breast implants even after her older sister had to have her implants replaced several months after her first surgery because of complications. Although her sister had complications, s' decision wasn't hindered after she saw the results of the second surgery. s increased her 36C cup breasts to a 36D because she was unsatisfied with the shape of her natural breasts. "I felt like my boobs were like ski jumps," s said. "They were full on the bottom but not on the top. I was always worrying about them sagging and having to wear push-up bras. I was very uncomfortable with them. I absolutely love them now." s' surgery was performed by another local surgeon, Dr. , and set her back $3,800 -- all of her savings. She elected to have them inserted underneath the breast because she was concerned with breast-feeding in the long run. Other methods include implanting through the armpit or belly button, however both these methods are either too invasive or leave noticeable scars, s said. While a portion of her lower breasts is numb, a drawback the doctor said should decrease within a year, she does have increased sensitivity in her nipples. This came as a surprise to her, she said, because she heard stories of women who had lost all sensation in their breasts after surgery. Another surprise for s was the amount of pain she experienced after her surgery. "I heard so many horror stories about the pain afterward," she said. "I was pretty swollen for a couple of weeks, and they ached a little, but nothing I couldn't handle. I've had menstrual cramps that hurt more." This desire to conform to the beauty standard society has developed is nothing new, as women have been altering their bodies across cultures for thousands of years. In ancient China women disabled themselves by binding their feet because society told them it was beautiful, said Kline, professor of psychology at Chico State. Today women risk permanent disfiguration, loss of sensation and even death for something society tells them is attractive. "Women are taught that their self-worth is based on how they look," Kline said. "They want to be valued, and some think it is based on how they look." Looks have always been important in every culture, but what is attractive changes over time, she said. Lance Fox, a Chico State graduate, doesn't have that much of a preference over implants or natural, just that there's something there. "It doesn't really matter to me if they're fake," Fox said. "Natural is always preferred, but if a girl has really small or unattractive natural boobs, then I'd go with implants." While the stereotypical beauty standard will always be lurking in the shadows, tempting young women to go under the knife to comply with it, apparently age brings some wisdom with it, as Creech asserted. "You cannot put your self-worth onto one part of your body, whether it be your breasts, your nose or even your brain," Creech said. "You are who you are in your totality." However, there's always that one underlying fact that didn't escape Jackie s or most of the women in this country for that matter, and it's that which will keep plastic surgeons in business for a long time. "It's pretty simple," she said. "Guys like boobs." Musgrave can be reached at emusgrave@...