Boob Job Blues

• Friday May 19, 2006 in: Female Perspectives Tag(s):

  A lot of awful things have been written about breast enhancement and breast implants. Surf the Internet and chances are, you'll come across an article enumerating reasons not to have a boob job. There's also this ongoing Silicone implants vs. Saline implants debate which has yet to be resolved.

  And yet according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, a total of 364,610 procedures were performed last year, a nine percent rise from 2004. That's a significant figure for a cosmetic surgical procedure that has lately had more than its share of publicity, both good and bad.

  In my opinion, most of the women who have undergone the procedure understands the fact that breast augmentation, just like any other forms of surgery, can go wrong if not done properly. Conversely, breast augmentation procedures will most likely be successful given the right conditions and the right surgeon.

  Currently, a new technique is being developed that would give rise to a new era in breast enhancement technology. The technique, discovered by Jeremy Mao, lead author and director of the tissue engineering laboratory of University of Illinois in Chicago, uses implants derived from stem cells to produce breasts that are firmer, more aesthetically pleasing and last "many years" longer than silicone- or saline-filled ones.

  This is good news for those who want a boob job. The technique, however, is very young, and appears to be not yet fully implemented. But when it finally is, it is touted to be the answer to the sagging and leaking problems brought about by silicone gels, as breasts filled with stem cell implants repair themselves, hold perkiness for decades and grow along with their owners.

  But no matter how good this technique, or any other new discoveries in the near future, may be, it would always be wise to observe the necessary precautions and preparations before undergoing breast augmentation, or any other cosmetic surgery procedure for that matter.