Let's Talk About Natural Breast Augmentation

Breast augmentation is one of the most popular aesthetic treatments in the United States, helping women feel more confident and more content with their appearance and their self-image. While silicone and saline implants get the lion’s share of attention, today, many women are opting for an alternative approach: natural breast augmentation using fat transfer.

As a top-rated cosmetic surgeon in San Diego, California, Rishi Jindal, MD, helps women at Rejuvenate Plastic Surgery achieve their own aesthetic goals with the most advanced techniques combined with a patient-centered approach. In this post, learn more about natural breast augmentation and how it can help you achieve your own personal goals.

Natural breast augmentation 101

Also called fat transfer breast augmentation, natural breast augmentation with fat grafts gently reshapes and enhances your breasts using purified fat removed from other areas of your body, typically from the belly, thighs, or flanks.

Using your own fat has multiple advantages. First, because the technique harvests excess fatty tissue from other areas, it achieves two goals in one: enhancing your breast shape and size while slimming down problematic areas, like your tummy or thighs. The end result is a more balanced appearance and improved contours in multiple areas.

Fat grafting is also less invasive than traditional implant procedures. Instead of making a large incision in each breast to insert an artificial implant, fat grafting uses injections or suction techniques to remove fat from one area and relocate it to your breasts.

Using your own fat also eliminates the risk of rejection and it avoids the use of artificial materials and the potential concerns they can cause. Finally, fat transfer maintains the natural feel and movement of your breasts because the enhancement uses your own natural tissue.

Best candidates for natural augmentation

It’s important to know that fat transfer breast augmentation won’t offer the dramatic results that can be achieved with artificial implants. Instead, it’s a good choice for anyone who wants a more modest size increase, usually no more than one or sometimes two cup sizes. 

Just like fat elsewhere in your body, fat in your breasts can change over time particularly if you lose a lot of weight. And finally, if you don’t have a lot of fat to harvest from other areas of your body, this approach to breast enhancement may not be ideal.

During and after treatment: What to expect

Fat transfer augmentation occurs in three distinct stages. First, fat is harvested from the donor site using liposuction. This technique uses a long, flexible cannula or hollow tube inserted into the fatty tissue via a small incision.

Once the fat is extracted, it’s purified during the second stage. This step removes wastes and debris while separating out healthy, viable fat cells for transfer for optimal cell survival once the fat is placed in the breast area.

In the third and last stage, the purified fat solution is injected into specific areas of your breasts. Our team maps out every stage beforehand to ensure optimal results in both the donor site and the breast area.

Recovery and healing

After your procedure, you can expect mild soreness and swelling in both sites for a few days as the areas heal. A compression garment around the donor site speeds healing and reduces uncomfortable swelling. You can expect to return to light physical activity within about a week, with a return to your regular routine within about 2-3 weeks.

Over the next 3-6 months, the transferred fat cells “settle” in their new locations. While some fat is absorbed by your body, most remain to create your new, enhanced curves. Maintaining a healthy weight following your transfer ensures those curves are maintained for years to come.

A custom approach for ultimate satisfaction

At Rejuvenate Plastic Surgery, Dr. Jindal and his team celebrate individual uniqueness, tailoring every treatment plan to each patient’s individual goals for optimal outcomes every time. 

To learn more about natural breast augmentation and other aesthetic treatments that can help you look and feel your best, request an appointment online or over the phone at our San Diego, California, practice today.