Menopause & Breast Enhancement
Menopause is a natural part of aging for all women. It is defined as beginning 12 months after a woman's final menstrual period and happens on average in the United States at around 51 years of age. Symptoms of menopause can include thinning of the hair, vaginal dryness, hot flashes and loss of breast fullness. Breast-enhancement surgery has become increasingly popular among menopausal women who desire a fuller look to their bustline.
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Types
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A number of different types of breast-enhancement procedures are available to menopausal women including breast lift; breast augmentation and breast reduction. Each of these procedures involves surgery and has certain risks associated with them. A woman who is considering breast-enhancement surgery should consult with her personal physician and a qualified plastic surgeon before making a decision to undergo breast-enhancement surgery.
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Benefits
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Menopause can cause the loss of fullness in a woman's breast, which can affect her self-esteem. Breast-lift surgery combined with breast augmentation with implants can restore a more youthful appearance to the breasts, which may help boost her self-confidence.
Considerations
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Some woman respond to menopause by putting on weight. Since the breasts are composed primarily of fatty tissue, it is possible that the breasts will become overly heavy and sag due to weakening of the connective tissues. Breast-reduction surgery coupled with a breast lift can help to reduce the stress placed on the shoulders and back from breasts that are too heavy for a woman's frame.
Effects
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Neither menopause nor breast implants have been shown to increase a woman's risk of developing breast cancer. However, the risk of developing breast cancer does increase with age and the ability to detect possible suspicious breast anomalies by mammogram may be impaired by the presence of breast implants. Post-menopausal women who have breast implants should inform radiologists prior to mammograms, so they can take X-rays from a variety of angles to provide the best possible diagnosis.
Warning
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Breast-enhancement surgery involves a number of risks including scarring, bleeding, infection and changes in sensation of the breasts and nipples that can be permanent. There is no guarantee that breast-enhancement surgery will last a lifetime. Menopause, weight change and other factors of life can affect the future appearance of the breasts. Because most women are older than 50 when they enter menopause a woman should consider her overall health as an important factor in her decision to have breast-enhancement surgery.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit "Marilyn Mannequin" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: oceanaris (Matteo X) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
