When should I change my breast implants?

Common signs you should change your breast implants. 

Those of us who have had breast implants were made aware at the time that they were not for life; that at some point they would need to be changed. So when is that moment, and what are the signs that this needs to happen soon? 

There are many questions surrounding when implants should be changed, you could be experiencing pain or discomfort, dislike the shape or just simply are not satisfied with the ones you have. The following are the most common reasons to change implants and how to know when it is time to get checked by your doctor. 

Common signs you need revisionary surgery (or breast implant change)

PAIN / DISCOMFORT 

You have been experiencing pain or discomfort due to your implants - if the implants themselves are causing this pain or discomfort then you must request a breast implant revision. There are a number of causes for implants to become uncomfortable such as: 

• Capsular Contracture - There are varying levels of severity of this - the formation of scar tissue surrounding the implant is normal for the healing process yet when this ‘capsule’ becomes hard and contracts around the implant this can lead to aesthetic and physical problems (pain in extreme cases). 

• Lymph node damage - Some patients with breast implants have been found to have enlarged lymph nodes, or lymphadenopathy, often occurring in the armpit area.

• Seroma - The symptoms of seroma include swelling and possibly leakage of fluid at the site of the wound/scar. Occasionally accompanied by redness and mild pain, and can appear as a lump or cyst.

• Badly placed implants - the positioning of the implants could be interfering with the body’s natural situation, for example, if the implant was not placed correctly the muscle could be sitting differently causing you to feel uncomfortable. 

• Rupture - if you have silicon implants there is a possibility they can rupture or leak if the integrity of the implant is disturbed.

Pain is not a normal occurrence with breast augmentation, so you should seek your surgeon’s advice if you are experiencing any (once you have fully recovered from surgery). Daily life with breast implants should be just as it was before, you shouldn’t feel any discomfort at all. 

RUPTURE

While this is not life-threatening, a ruptured implant should be treated as urgent, seeking medical attention immediately is strongly advised in order to prevent any infection or internal scar tissue. 

How can an implant rupture? Generally the materials which implants are currently made form are extremely durable however if extreme pressure was placed on the area there is a possibility of a rupture. A car accident for example. Another cause can be that the shell of the implant may have weakened over time. 

Ruptured Saline Implants

If your implant is a saline version the affected area would be visibly noticeable straight away as the implant would naturally deflate once ruptured. This is nothing to worry about internally as the fluid within the implant is absorbed naturally by the body and does not cause further complications. Aesthetically though the breast will appear deflated. 

Ruptured Silicon Implants

These are not easy to detect and so need to be diagnosed via ultrasound or MRI. If a silicon implant ruptures the gel leaks out slowly meaning that the difference would not be visible immediately if at all. 

BOTTOMING OUT

If your implant shifts and sits lower than it should, below the breast crease, this is known as bottoming out and is obvious to look at. It can appear almost as a double breast as the implant slips below the nipple area sometimes causing the nipple to rise a little and the outline of the implant becomes visible. This is more common with larger breasts due to the weight of the implants but skin laxity with age can also cause this to occur. The tissue within the breast area is unable or no longer able to support the implant and causes it to ‘bottom out’. 

ROAMING IMPLANT

The breast implant should always be in the correct place once it has settled in its position, if your implant is rotating or moving dramatically then this is cause for concern and medial attention. Implants can shift for the following reasons:

• Lateral displacement- if the area within the breast, or the implant pocket, is too large then the implant has the space to move too far away from the centre line of the chest.
• Symmastia -when the implants move too close together - this can occur (very rare) if too much tissue is removed from around the breastbone area as this can cause detached muscles between the breasts.
• Rotational displacement - rotation can also be caused if the implant pocket is too large. This can be difficult to notice with round implants but the teardrop shape will appear unnatural should it change position.

IMPLANT SHAPE CHANGE

If the shape of your implants has changed significantly this could be due to any of the causes above. Generally this won’t occur to both implants at the same time so it can be detected easily. Again, this is not a huge medical risk but may cause serious dissatisfaction and emotional stress. 

CAPSULAR CONTRACTURE

When the body treats the implant as a foreign object and creates excess scar tissue in order to isolate it, this can cause capsular contracture. An overproduction of hardened tissue which is graded at four different levels of severity - 

1. No interference with the implant or the augmentation results, no symptoms.
2. Minor cosmetic symptoms - can feel firmer to touch but aesthetically fine. 

3-4. Hard misshapen breasts which are not aesthetically pleasing and can even become painful. 

Grade three and four are often treated with a change of implant. 

NOT HAPPY!

If you are simply not satisfied with your augmentation then this may prompt you to seek a breast implant change. Whether you prefer to go larger or smaller it is advised to allow the body to heal prior properly before you proceed with another surgery. Speak to your surgeon and they will advise you how to best move forward. 

For more information on breast augmentation or breast implant change at Ocean Clinic, please contact us today. 

Why Are Eyelid Surgery Patients getting younger?

The late 20s are the new over 50s when it comes to upper blepharoplasty, find out why! 

What is Upper Blepharoplasty?

Upper Blepharoplasty, also known as an eyelid lift or eyelid surgery is one of the top five most performed cosmetic surgical procedures around the globe. The surgery involves a delicate incision, and the removal of a slither of skin on the upper eyelid. The space provided by the removal of the skin serves as the base for the lifting of the remainder of the lid, the incision is secured with tiny sutures. Patients, both male and female (blepharoplasty is a highly popular choice in male patients) requesting upper blepharoplasty tended to range between the ages of 50-75 as the ageing process affected the weight, laxity and skin quality of the eye lid. Some cases in younger patients were due to genetics and having excess skin in the region however in recent years the number of under 45s opting for the procedure has surged. So what has prompted this increase in younger patients? 

The COVID effect? 

Upper blepharoplasty is a surgical procedure, the idea of which is generally less popular in younger patients who tend to opt for the non-surgical options before considering surgery. There are non surgical cosmetic alternatives to the surgical option however none that are as effective and long lasting. This does not negate the fact that under 45s were far less concerned with their eyelids and so we still haven’t uncovered why upper blepharoplasty is trending with the youth. A lot of recognition points to the fact that during COVID many people were affected by the ‘Zoom-effect’, constantly communicating by way of video calls which entails being able to see your own appearance up close and personal a lot more of the time. The Zoom-effect caused anxiety, depression and raised self-consciousness considerably. This heightened awareness of our appearance has definitely spiked the trend, as well as the simple fact that the eyes were all that was visible whilst wearing a mask, so these were the main focal points for improvements. Mask wearing also gave way to healing from surgery in private even when out in public! This could explain some of the rise in requests for surgery for under 50s but not all, the trend was apparently on the rise before COVID struck, so some could be pinpointed to being knock-on effects from the virus but it is not the only reason. 

IS this just The New Normal? 

So what other reasons are there for younger patients requesting more invasive procedures? One perspective is that the cosmetic improvement world is so much more available these days, it is more accessible, more ‘normal’ - as a collective we are far more aware of it. Cosmetic injections, fillers, and noninvasive treatments are being used more and more as preventative methods for anti-aging rather than restorative and therefore the patients are younger than in previous years. With this becoming the new normal, it is not surprising that procedures such as eyelid lifts are becoming the next step for younger patients, they wish to maintain their youth rather than attempt to turn back the clock once the ageing process has become apparent. If you were born with heavy or hooded eyelids this can speed up the ageing process as the excess skin will become heavier over time, this is another prompt to maintaining a youthful look earlier on and beginning the removal of the excess at an earlier age - before it starts to sag more. 

Lack of Surgical Stigma?

The stigma behind plastic surgery is slowly dissipating, the idea of altering your appearance surgically is becoming far more acceptable in society and as techniques, practices and procedures become more advanced, the results are less obvious and the desire to maintain a natural look more achievable. 

The A List Effect?

Celebrities are of course an influence in such procedures becoming more popular, as well as this, the enormous rise in popularity of TikTok, Instagram and other social media sites makes every day people into minor celebrities, or influencers, the majority of which are young and highly focussed on their appearance - thus inspiring their followers to do the same. 

The rise of the ‘fox-eye’ look has a lot to do with surgical requests by younger patients - that feline lift at the outer corners of the eyes is achievable with a lift rather than make up. Though many times this effect is overdone and can leave a person looking as though they are squinting or pulled too tight. An experienced surgeon or practitioner must be highest on the agenda when it comes to considering any form of surgery, for more information please contact our clinic to discuss. 

Make up?

There is such an onus on makeup and trends within the cosmetics world that having a hooded eyelid or not having clean palette around the eye to work with is undesirable. For a younger patient the results of an upper blepharoplasty are pretty discreet but at the same time highly effective in offering a brighter, wider eye shape and more defined lid. 

No Fear! 

Younger people do not seem to be concerned with the notion that, if they opt for a blepharoplasty at a young age, it is quite possible they’ll need to have another procedure done further down the line as the ageing process is not halted completely by their initial surgery. 

Alternative Options…

Keeping the face looking as natural as possible is definitely one of the main goals in the current trend of aesthetics, and so a plus for younger patients is that they can go for smaller procedures to aid with anti-aging which can go undetected. They may not yet be good candidates for surgery and their are minimal invasive alternatives that are very natural looking and appear over time - such as radiofrequency treatments, dermal fillers, muscle relaxants, biostimulators or a combination of treatments to suit the individual.

Contact Ocean Clinic’s team of skilled professionals to discuss your options.