The “boobaversary” of Alix Earle’s breast augmentation, which she celebrated earlier this year, has fueled a trend among Gen Z users on TikTok for breast implants. My concerns about boob-related aesthetics are different because I belong to an older age group. Surgery was more frequently considered for lifting than for volumizing, and I anticipated getting a breast lift in my 40s to address sagging. My doctor prescribed an anti-inflammatory diet to me when I was in my 20s to treat an autoimmune condition. My health improved after cutting out gluten and dairy from my vegetarian diet, but my breasts shrank. Still, I was unconcerned for years because I liked the way they looked.
As everything shifted downward in my 30s, the volume loss in my breasts became more noticeable.
thanks in part to gravity but also the decline in skin elasticity with age. Board-certified plastic surgeon Robert Cohen, MD, explained to me that because of their decrease in size, my breast skin was extra “stretchy” and would be more prone to sagging. I was happy with the shape at the bottom, but missed the corresponding fullness they once had at the top. Even a hint of cleavage was a distant memory.
I was aware that implants were not a good choice for my aesthetic standards, and Dr. Cohen made it clear that they would exacerbate any sagging in my case. More importantly, the genetic MTHFR mutation and my history of autoimmune disease are two major risk factors for developing breast implant illness (BII). I then started looking into alternatives.
The “vampire breast lift,” which uses regenerative platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections for minor reshaping and additional collagen, is on the less invasive end of the spectrum. The gold standard for natural breast augmentation is fat transfers, which are another option. The latter are also subtle, enlarging the breasts by anywhere from a half-cup to a full cup size per operation, and they last forever, as opposed to implants, which need to be changed.
Fat transfers to the face are frequently carried out by board-certified plastic surgeon Amir Karam, MD, who claims that they have been practiced for 40 to 50 years. “It’s interesting because it’s natural and permanent, making it the best volume replacement technique currently available. Not enough surgeons have truly incorporated it into their practices.” The fact that it is literally your own fat (as opposed to a foreign body like an implant) means that there is no risk of rejection or inciting an autoimmune reaction, he continues.
