Breasts are personal, to say the least. That goes for preferences in breast size, too. For everyone who believes “more than a handful is a waste”, there’s at least one other who yearns for a double-D cup or greater. Breast enlargement or breast augmentation in Singapore continues to top the pops – followed closely by breast reduction surgery and then breast lift. We find out more about these procedures from the three surgeons at AZATACA – Dr Terence Goh, Dr Christopher Chui and Dr Zulfikar Rasheed.
Breast size changes
Losing or gaining weight is just one reason for our breasts changing over time. Pregnancy and breastfeeding, not to mention ageing, can wreak havoc on their size and shape. Some women, like myself, learn to live with moderate changes, especially when they creep up gradually. Others are deeply unhappy at losing what they regard as part of their feminine identity – especially while still feeling in the prime of their lives, or faced with something as drastic as mastectomy.
Fortunately, none of these losses has to be irrevocable, says Dr Goh. The team at AZATACA offers the complete range of options for breast surgery in Singapore: breast augmentation with implants or fat transfer (and breast implant revision), breast lift (or mastopexy), and breast and nipple reduction.
#1 Breast augmentation in Singapore
Breast size can be enlarged with implants, or by injections with your own fat. If you were wondering, breast enlargement with implants is the most common method globally, but Asian women often prefer the fat transfer option. Fat grafting is fairly simple: your own fat is harvested from an area of unwanted fat (I bet you can think of one), processed, and then injected through small incisions around your breasts.
According to Dr Rasheed, breast enlargement through fat transfer would be a great option for someone who, like me, has one breast that’s slightly larger than the other. (I had to ask the question.) “But if it’s a marked asymmetry,” he says, “as in the case where one breast is absent, then we can reduce the one side and augment the other.” He assures me that the new-generation silicone implants have been shown to be safe. Ruptures are uncommon, and the leading brands that AZATACA uses have a long track record.
“However, implants usually need to be changed after a period of 12 to 15 years. Leaving them in any longer may increase the risk of rupture.”
#2 Lift (mastopexy)
My South African friend and ex-colleague, Andrea, had a breast lift while we were in our mid-twenties and working together. Slim and sporty, she felt that her prematurely “droopy boobs” let her down. Being a determined sort of woman, she vowed to fix them, and fix them she did.
The goal in mastopexy is to lift the nipple to the desired height, and to reshape the breast to a more aesthetic form. Some patients can achieve lift with implants alone, explains Dr Chui. Others require incisions around the breast, and excess skin may have to be removed. Nipple or areolar reduction are options, too. If you want to add volume at the same time, this would be called an augmentation mastopexy.
Is there an upper age limit? No, says Dr Chui – “as long as you’re fit and able to undergo the anaesthesia and the surgery”.
#3 Breast reduction surgery
As with breast lift, many techniques are available to reduce breast size and improve their shape. Depending on your unique physiology and personal preferences, unwanted tissue can be excised through different scar patterns – vertical, horizontal or anchor. Liposuction can also be used to reduce breast size.
Last word on breast size changes
You don’t necessarily have to wait until after you’ve had your family, says Dr Goh. “Breast augmentation or surgery that preserves the ducts will not affect breastfeeding, so aesthetic procedures can be performed before pregnancy.”
He and his colleagues find great satisfaction in their work, he adds. “It is certainly rewarding to help restore women’s confidence as they regain bodies affected by childbirth, ageing or even cancer.
“We enjoy helping women to achieve their desired body shape, while keeping them safe with advanced and proven techniques.”
AZATACA Plastic Surgery Centre #14-09 Royal Square Medical Centre, 101 Irrawaddy Road 6778 8648 | azataca.com
This article first appeared in the February 2023 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase the latest issue or subscribe, so you never miss a copy!
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