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November 17, 2024
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The truth is, it’s not as unusual as it sounds. Just as the rest of our bodies change with different phases of our lives and with factors such as age, genetics, and workout routines, our breasts do the same.
Read on for four reasons why your breasts might be looking smaller than usual, and what you can do about it too!
Reasons for smaller breasts
Your genes
Genetics are, first and foremost, the blueprint for how big your breasts are and how they look. Yes – this means that, if you come from a family of A-cup breasts, it’s most likely that you’ll have boobs that are on the smaller side too.
You’re losing a lot of weight
News flash: Your breasts are made of fat tissue, alongside the nipple, areola, and mammary glands. And, if you’re losing a lot of weight as you’re working out, your breasts aren’t exempt from “slimming down” together with the rest of your body.
Since the size of the breasts is dependent on the amount of glandular tissue and fatty tissue present, breasts can become smaller when you lose weight too.
You’ve stopped breastfeeding
If one major highlight of pregnancy is that your breasts can increase up to two cup sizes, one disappointing downside is that they’ll shrink after you’ve stopped breastfeeding.
When you wean off breastfeeding, your breasts will lose fat and glandular tissue, causing them to appear more “deflated” than they were before. Unfortunately, the size of your breasts may or may not return to normal after that.
This might be the reason your breasts look smaller than usual, even in comparison to their pre-pregnancy size.
Your age
Women approaching menopause shouldn’t be surprised to discover that their breasts become saggier and smaller.
During this time, the body starts to produce less estrogen – a hormone responsible for keeping the connective tissue in the breasts hydrated. The drop in estrogen levels causes the connective tissue to become dehydrated and less elastic, which means the breasts, too, become less firm.
As the breasts are packed with estrogen receptors, low estrogen levels also cause the breasts to become less dense and softer.
Since the decrease in estrogen also causes the breasts to shrink, it’s normal for women in their late 40s to 50s to experience smaller and saggier breasts.
Can I increase my breast size?
Smaller breasts aren’t inferior to large breasts, but if you’re concerned about how your boobs look, swap your loose bra for one that’s well-fitted to provide your breasts with the proper support or wear a push-up bra to accentuate your breasts.
At the end of the day, however, there’s nothing that you can do to increase the size of your boobs, especially when they’re due to genetics, ageing, and other natural bodily changes like breastfeeding.
But, if you’re intent on making your breast more prominent, the one thing you can do to see a noticeable result and lasting change is this: surgical breast augmentation.
Breast augmentation or a “boob job” is a form of cosmetic surgery that increases your breast size. It is done either through breast implantation or fat grafting.
Breast augmentation: Differences between fat grafting and implants
What are breast implants?
Breast implants are often used for breast reconstruction after mastectomy, trauma, or to correct development defects. It is also popular among women who want to correct breast asymmetry or to increase their breasts by more than a cup size.
Saline-filled and silicon gel-filled implants are the two types of FDA-approved breast implants. Made of synthetic material, both have a silicon outer shell in varied sizes, thicknesses, surface textures, and shapes.
Before considering this form of breast enlargement surgery, understand the risks associated, such as Breast Implant Illness (BII), capsular contracture, implant rupture, and breast implant associated-anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), which is a cancer of the immune system.
It is also important to understand that breast implants cannot last for a lifetime and the longer that one has breast implants, the greater the chances of developing complications.
The lifespan of breast implants also varies by person, which means that people with breast implants will require additional surgeries in the future.
What is autologous fat grafting for the breasts?
Breast augmentation through fat grafting has been gaining traction in recent years as a two-in-one procedure for breast enhancement and body contouring.
The procedure involves using liposuction to remove excess fat from another part of the patient’s body, later to be reinjected into the breasts to enhance them. The results? Larger, natural-looking breasts and a more contoured physique too.
ADR-C Breast Enhancement with fat grafting is Amaris B. Clinic’s signature treatment. It is carried out by Dr Ivan Puah, the clinic’s medical director who has over 17 years of experience in body sculpting and enhancement.
How does the procedure go? The first step of ADR-C Breast Enhancement is to remove fat using the MDC-Sculpt®️ Lipo Technique. A proprietary fat removal technique, MDC-Sculpt®️ Lipo allows Dr Ivan Puah to thoroughly remove fat whilst sculpting the body and firming up loose skin.
Once the fat is removed, it is processed and purified to maintain its integrity. Finally, Dr Ivan Puah reinjects the fat into the breasts through small, strategic incisions to add volume and improve shape.
To find out more about fat grafting for the breasts, we spoke to Dr Ivan Puah, who received fat grafting training under French plastic surgeon, Dr Pierre François Fournier. Dr Ivan Puah is also the Chairman of the Lipo Peer Review Committee Singapore.
“Many women prefer an au naturale look nowadays. Although they want to enlarge their breasts, they don’t want to look overly round, artificial, and disproportionate to their body,” explained the clinic’s medical director, Dr Ivan Puah.
The breast augmentation alternative? Fat grafting to the breasts. “Autologus fat grafting is customisable to the patient’s body goals and provides good breast shaping,” the doctor underlined.
“Unlike breast implants where scarrings are long and obvious, minimal scarrings are involved with fat grafting, and the downtime is shorter compared to breast implants. As fat is biocompatible, there is also no risk of rejection, which may, unfortunately, happen with breast implants,” continued Dr Ivan Puah.
Besides replacing lost volume, fat grafting also improves the overall appearance of the breasts. “When the doctor uses the right surgical techniques, autologous fat grafting can also improve the skin texture and shape of the breasts.”
Finally, it is essential to find a doctor with experience in fat grafting for breast enhancement, according to Dr Ivan Puah. “I need to stress that the doctor’s skills, artistic sense, surgical approach, and experience will determine the results for the patient as this procedure is skill-based,” he explained.
Should you be deciding between breast augmentation through breast implants or autologous fat grafting to the breasts, consider your goals and the risks involved with each procedure.
If you’re looking to correct your body shape while simultaneously increasing your breast size or are worried about the long-term side effects associated with breast implants, ADR-C Breast Enhancement (fat grafting to the breasts) is a viable option.
