A New Look for a New Year

The decision to undergo any type of cosmetic surgery is a personal one. This is particularly true of breast augmentation. This is not a procedure you should choose to have for anyone else, but it can be a very rewarding and confidence-boosting procedure for you. Still, breast augmentation is not for everyone. You should spend at least a few months weighing the decision before you ultimately decide whether or not to undergo surgery to augment your breasts. Here are a few questions you should ponder during this time of reflection.

1. Do options like padded bra and inserts make you feel better enough?

If you have never tried wearing padded bras or using bra inserts to create the appearance of larger breasts, give these methods a try. Invest in a good-quality padded bra that really fits, and experiment with a few different padding options. Some people find that these measures alone make them feel confident enough in their appearance that they don't really need to undergo surgery. On the other hand, if you still feel self-conscious about your breast size even after trying these measures, that's a further sign that breast augmentation might be right for you.

2. Do you have the time to dedicate to recovery?

While recovery from breast augmentation is not too terrible or painful, it does take time. You will have to remain basically inactive for about a week. You'll then need to spend an additional two or three weeks slowly increasing your activity level to what it was pre-surgery. If you have the time to dedicate to recovery and are willing to put in this effort, that's a sign that breast augmentation may be a good fit. If not, you may want to make some changes to your life and work schedule, and then re-visit the possibility of breast augmentation later on.

3. Are you sure that your breasts are the issue?

Sometimes patients assume they will feel more confident and secure if they increase their bust size via surgery, but after surgery, they feel just as insecure. This happens because the problem really wasn't their breasts—it was something deeper on the psychological level. If you're not entirely sure whether your breast size is at the heart of your lack of confidence, it's a good idea to talk to a therapist once or twice.

Discuss your lack of confidence and where it may stem from. If you and your therapist agree that changing your breast size would address your issues, then go ahead and plan your surgery. But if you find that something else is really underlying all of this, you may be better off fixing that something else rather than going under the knife.

Many women do benefit from breast augmentation, but it is not a fix-all for every woman who feels self-conscious about having small breasts. With some self-reflection and time, you'll get a better idea of whether it's right for you.