The mega boobs of Baywatch years have fallen out of fashion and, according to surgeons, more women having their breasts enlarged are looking for something more subtle and natural. So it’s not surprising that non-surgical breast lifts are on the rise.
And they’ve certainly hit the headlines recently, with the vampire breast lift included in 2016’s Oscars’ goodie bag.
So we’ve taken a look at three of the top options to see what’s best.
The Vampire Breast Lift (aka PRP)
Weird treatments always tend to grab headlines because, well, they’re weird. There’s been a lot of talk about Vampire Breast Lifts so, in case you don’t know what a vampire breast lift is, it’s an injection of platelet-rich plasma (PRP), harvested from your own blood, and injected into the breasts for a small lift. It’s the same treatment technique that’s used in the vampire facial and O-shot.
Some doctors are offering it, and are reporting good results on individual patients. However, there’s plenty of criticism from the medical community for this procedure, largely because there’s little scientific research to it. “More research needs to be done here,” says Dr Giese. “My concern is placing increased concentration of growth factors (that’s what’s in the PRP) to breast tissue.”
Fat Transfer To Breast
Fat transfers to the breasts is the most common and most reliable method of alternative enhancement; although it’s not technically non-surgical, as the fat is removed from your body using liposuction technique and then injected into the breast. Top New York plastic surgeon Dr Sharon Giese says she’s seeing women of all ages enquiring about it. But, she says, “There’s still not a big demand for fat grafting the breasts.”
Dr Auclair, leading plastic surgeon at luxury Nescens Clinic in Paris says, “It can help in many cases when an implant is not necessary, for example for correcting uneven breasts.”
Plus sides are it’s a great 2-in-1, as you’ll have fat removed from somewhere like the tummy or thighs, and the downtime is less than an implant procedure. Also, using your own fat makes it a safe procedure. However, it’s only a temporary fix. “The end results is popular due to its natural look, the body will eventually reabsorb the fat back into the body,” says Dr Auclair.
Breast Fillers
This isn’t really an option at the moment, but it’s a possibility for the future. There have been previous attempts to launch a hyaluronic acid (HA) filler for breast enhancements, but there was insufficient evidence to support it. But Dr Auclair does not rule it out for the future: “I think HA fillers for breast augmentation will be a popular option over the coming years, due to being non-invasive and having no down time. ‘Quick fix’ solutions are taking a front seat,” he says.
But Dr Giese is not so sure. “I don’t think HA filling is likely to be seen in the near future. It is expensive for a small temporary change,” she says.
Less invasive alternatives to implants are certainly appealing, especially if you’re after a subtle lift. But there is a limit to their magic. “In general fat grafting can be used to increase up to one cup size in the breast. Implants can increase by two or three cup sizes in a single operation,” says Dr Giese.