Do Breast Implants Need to be Changed Every Ten Years?

A Los Angeles plastic surgeon is frequently asked by his or her patients whether breast implants need to be changed every 10 years. A simple answer is no. Breast implants do not need to be changed if there are no problems with them. For most patients, Los Angeles breast implants will last a lifetime. However, some women will need to undergo a second surgery. There are several reasons for which this may be necessary.

- Capsular contracture occurs in about 8-9% (3 year study) of women undergoing breast augmentation using silicone or saline implants. Capsular contracture is a thicker than usual capsule that is formed around the implant causing the implant to feel harder and deforming its shape. For severe forms of capsular contracture, revision surgery may be necessary to remove or release the capsule.

- Implant infection requires implant removal but fortunately happens very rarely.

- Implant asymmetry is another reason for which women may seek revision surgery.

- Implant rupture has an incidence of about 0.5% for silicone implants and about 3 % for saline implants (3 year study). Ruptured implants need to be removed.

Today breast Los Angeles breast augmentation is performed primarily using silicone implants. The new generation silicone implants have a lower leak rate than older silicone implants. Los Angeles breast enlargement has become and more socially acceptable procedure. Breast augmentation is frequently performed with other procedures such as rhinoplasty Los Angeles, Liposuction Los Angeles, or tummy tuck Los Angeles.

Breast augmenation at an early age

Breast augmentation Los Angeles is frequently requested procedure by young females. Saline and silicone Los Angeles breast implants are approved for breast enlargement. Most Los Angeles plastic surgeons will perform breast enlargement on patients as young as 18 years old. FDA allows silicone implants to be used on patients 22 years of age and older.

What is the youngest age at which rhinoplasty can be performed?

Rhinoplasty Los Angeles or (nose job Los Angeles) has been a popular procedure among teenagers. Unless a significant breathing airway obstruction is present, nose surgery should after facial growth has been finished. Typically in girls nose reshaping can be performed starting late 15 years of age and in boys starting age 17. As a rule a Los Angeles plastic surgeon will obtain a detailed growth history to ensure the patient has stopped growing.

Can a tummy tuck be performed in women who have not had children?

Tummy tuck Los Angeles is a procedure that removed abdominal skin and fat excess as well as tightens abdominal muscles. Most commonly this procedure is performed in mothers after childbearing. However, women who have not had children also present to Los Angeles plastic surgeons for a tummy tuck. Typically, these women have lost weight. The resulting skin excess and possibly remaining fat excess cause a lot of physical and social discomfort. In these patients a tummy tuck can also be performed. These patients are informed that during pregnancy the skin may stretch.

Does Facial Yoga Help Get Rid of Facial Wrinkles?

Aging is unavoidable process that every person goes through in his or her life. A lot of effort has been spent around the world on finding ways to minimize the signs of aging from simple makeup to plastic surgery. New trends and treatments appear in the media regularly that claim to slow down or reverse the aging process.

Recently, facial yoga has gained a wide popularity. The proponents of facial yoga state that by exercising and tightening facial muscles, facial wrinkles can be minimized or prevented. As an example of some of the facial yoga exercises are grimacing or opening the mouth with the tongue out for a prolonged period of time while contracting various facial and neck muscles.

It is true that any exercise in general is a great way to maintain health. However, most plastic surgeons in Los Angeles will disagree that tightening facial muscles by grimacing will diminish wrinkles. It is clear today that strong facial muscles cause more wrinkling of the skin on animation and eventually resulting in permanent skin wrinkles. For example, a person with a strong forehead muscle (called frontalis muscle) is more likely to have deeper horizontal wrinkles on the forehead . Someone how has strong mimetic muscles around the eyes will have more pronounced wrinkles on the sides of the eyes (referred to as crow’s feet). People with strong neck muscle (called platysma) are more likely to have the vertical neck bands.

By weakening or paralyzing facial muscles, the skin wrinkles become less noticeable. This is why Botox has been effective at diminishing or preventing the appearance of wrinkles. When injected into the facial muscles, Botox renders the muscles incapable of contracting for about 3-6 months. When the muscle does not contract, little or no skin wrinkling can be produced on animation. People who have used Botox on a regular basis clearly have smoother foreheads and areas around the eyes than their peers who have not use it.

Vladimir Grigoryants, MD

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon in Glendale

Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon specializing in rhinoplasty, Breast augmentation, tummy tuck, and liposuction.