Breast augmentation affirms the identity of the person undergoing such surgery. It affirms who they are to themselves, and in turn, to those around them. This is because, in general, there are probably few other zones of the body we consider to be more significant than a woman’s breasts. Regardless of one’s gender or sexual orientation, we all recognize the significance most societies place upon them. For better or for worse, they are part of how we define women, much like how we treat faces as part of how we define people.
However, unlike a new hairstyle, make-up, or overall change in fashion, surgical breast augmentation takes on a deeper meaning. It’s surgery. Not something that is easily separated from the person. It becomes a part of the person. This is why it’s so important to the person who makes the decision that they do so with a certain degree of comfort, of understanding, of willingness to enter the process, and the support of those close to them.
Implants, for the purpose of breast augmentation, have mainly been used for two reasons: reconstruction and cosmetic. Regardless of the reason, implants have changed since the ones...