Underdeveloped Breasts

Many women only experience a small amount of breast growth during puberty, and consequently may feel self-conscious about their breasts and their sexuality. Consequently this can impact on their self-esteem.

Whilst it is entirely normal to develop small breasts, a variety of individual and personal motivations cause women to seek advice on options for enlarging and/or re-shaping their breasts.

The most frequently performed procedure is augmentation (enlargement) using a silicone breast implant. A variety of breast implants are available, with variations in shape, size and shell material. The key is that the best possible implant for you is chosen, along with the most appropriate breast augmentation technique for you. This cannot be emphasised enough, as there will be different decisions for different people, depending on their situation, their breasts and their goals.

An alternative to breast enlargement with a silicone implant is using one’s own fat. This is known as fat grafting, lipomodelling, liposculpture or lipofilling. Fat is taken using liposuction techniques from selected areas of the body and transferred to the breasts. The operating is usually done as a daycase procedure and takes 60-90 minutes. The very attractive aspects of the surgery include the fact that it is all natural, so there are no implants that might need replacing in the future and the breasts feel very natural following surgery. However, frequently 2-3 operations are required to get to the desired size as some of the fat is usually absorbed in the weeks following surgery. This has cost and logistical implications, so is not for everyone. However, the lifetime cost of fat transfer breast augmentation is less than the amount spent on breast augmentation surgery and subsequent revision.

In addition to the above procedures, breast lifting, or nipple repositioning techniques can be performed at the same time or at a later date if desirable.