I Kind of Want Breast Implants. Why Do I Hesitate?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. That’s what we are taught to believe. But our society has norms and expectations about beauty that make it difficult to stray too far from the “acceptable” look. This is particularly – but not exclusively – true for women. How do breast implants figure into this debate?

Coloring Our Hair: We All Do It

Just consider the matter of gray hair. As we age, our hair turns gray. It’s completely natural. And gray isn’t synonymous with ugly by any means. We’ve all seen older women who beautifully pull off the gray, distinguished look. Gray – or better yet silver – hair is totally acceptable.  But what’s less acceptable is graying hair. Most of us resort to coloring our hair when the first streaks of gray start to appear so as to not look like we’re letting ourselves go, and then we are doomed to keep on doing it forevermore.

If you went back 50 years in time, you wouldn’t see nearly as many blond middle-aged women as nowadays. (Blond, so my hairdresser tells me, is easier to maintain, because it is the closest to gray, hence the phenomenon of so many of my formerly brunette friends having turned into blondes.) Back then, coloring your hair was more of an exception. And because fewer women did it, perhaps it was also a tad less acceptable, as in “she is cheating.”

Fixing Our Crooked Teeth: It’s Expected

Over time, “cheating” nature with plastic surgery to improve upon it has become more acceptable – expected, even – in many arenas. Just think of orthodontics. Improving the positioning of our teeth for purely aesthetic reasons is seen as a necessity by anyone who can afford it. No one in their right mind would try to hide the fact that they had dental work done.

Steadily, plastic surgery is going the way of orthodontics. It’s just another thing you set money aside for, much like occasionally updating your wardrobe to keep up with current trends. Botox has become a household name, so much so that you organize parties to have it done. It’s the new Tupperware. Ten or fifteen years ago you would have hidden any “help” you might have enlisted for a smoother face. In today’s world, we trade tips on where to get the best Botox special just like our mothers did their favorite pound cake recipes. Even procedures like liposuction are openly talked about – “I had my bra bulges and muffin top done, only took two hours!”

Breast Implants: We Prefer Not to Talk About Them

And yet a breast augmentation and particularly breast implants – the classic case where we may want to improve upon what nature has given us – is not quite yet treated with the same nonchalance. Perhaps because breasts are inherently more intimate and we are uncomfortable talking about them? Or perhaps because breast surgery is more invasive than Botox or liposuction, and we inherently shy away from more invasive treatments?

There are plenty of arguments in favor of breast surgery. Convenience is one. We justify the expense and repeat treatments for laser hair removal by arguing that it’s so much more convenient to not have to shave every day. And yet we don’t quite do the same when it comes to our breasts, even though finding the right push-up bra for every occasion can be quite the hassle. Most of us don’t go around discussing the best places for boob jobs, and we don’t throw implant-sizing parties in our neighborhoods.

Breast Surgery: What You Gain From It

Aside from the obvious upside – you will look awesome! – a breast augmentation has other benefits. It’s a one-time procedure and can be had with much less hassle than, say, CoolSculpting. And it’s also a lot of fun. You get to pick the shape and size of your breast implants, much like picking options for a new car. And just like when buying a car, you can finance your breast augmentation for as little as $99/month by qualifying for a payment plan.

Breast surgery is not only a great way to enhance your cup size for a fuller look, it can also be used to correct uneven or unshapely breasts. You could get a single breast implant, two different sized implants of whichever shape you prefer, or have your existing implants removed or replaced. And of course you can also “downsize” with a breast reduction.

Plastic surgery in general is much less invasive than it used to be. Most procedures are performed under IV Sedation and local anesthesia, meaning little downtime and a speedy recovery. And of such procedures, breast augmentations are among the easiest to recover from. When weighing the benefits of looking great and dumping all the pads and other push-up assistance in your underwear drawer, getting beast implants is one of the best body contouring investments you can make.

Fast-forward another 10-15 years, and perhaps most of us will no longer hesitate to get breast implants.