Spring Break
The Daily OrangePopularity of breast implants grows despite high cost, long recovery time
By Steve Bollard
Posted: 3/31/04, 1:45 AM EST Section: Feature
Money can buy beauty - but with it comes peril, blood and pain.
With women like Carmen Electra and Pamela Anderson winning the hearts and minds of men with their augmented breasts, it's no wonder this treatment is becoming a routine process. Greater availability, relative affordability and aesthetic benefits have rapidly increased the popularity of breast enhancement surgery.
The number of women undergoing breast augmentation surgery is growing at an incredible pace, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. In 1992, 32,607 women underwent the surgery, but by 2002, this number had jumped to 225,818. These numbers reflect a 593 percent change within 10 years.
"Looks are such a big part of a woman's life at this age," said Rachel Richter, a sophomore geology major. "Guys think girls with big breasts are more sexual."
"The girls that get them are most likely just insecure. Everybody's insecure a little bit," said Mike Hogan, a sophomore mechanical drafting major.
Though the process is becoming safer and more refined, the fact remains that surgery is a painful and expensive experience. According to the ASPS, the national average price for breast implants in 2003 was $3,375. The total expenditure for breast implants in 2003 was an astronomical $857 million.
Although plastic surgery is most popular among the middle-aged, 19-34 year-olds are responsible for a quarter of procedures, according to the ASPS.
The procedure is fairly simple. A breast implant is a sac of rubbery silicone elastomer, which is placed under the chest tissues through an incision in the nipple or the breast itself. The sac is then filled with a saltwater solution through a valve.
The dangers still weigh heavily on the final decision to go under the knife. Though saline implants have replaced their antiquated silicone gel-filled counterparts, the ASPS says lingering health problems, including bruising and extended recovery time, remain a concern.
With women like Carmen Electra and Pamela Anderson winning the hearts and minds of men with their augmented breasts, it's no wonder this treatment is becoming a routine process. Greater availability, relative affordability and aesthetic benefits have rapidly increased the popularity of breast enhancement surgery.
The number of women undergoing breast augmentation surgery is growing at an incredible pace, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. In 1992, 32,607 women underwent the surgery, but by 2002, this number had jumped to 225,818. These numbers reflect a 593 percent change within 10 years.
"Looks are such a big part of a woman's life at this age," said Rachel Richter, a sophomore geology major. "Guys think girls with big breasts are more sexual."
"The girls that get them are most likely just insecure. Everybody's insecure a little bit," said Mike Hogan, a sophomore mechanical drafting major.
Though the process is becoming safer and more refined, the fact remains that surgery is a painful and expensive experience. According to the ASPS, the national average price for breast implants in 2003 was $3,375. The total expenditure for breast implants in 2003 was an astronomical $857 million.
Although plastic surgery is most popular among the middle-aged, 19-34 year-olds are responsible for a quarter of procedures, according to the ASPS.
The procedure is fairly simple. A breast implant is a sac of rubbery silicone elastomer, which is placed under the chest tissues through an incision in the nipple or the breast itself. The sac is then filled with a saltwater solution through a valve.
The dangers still weigh heavily on the final decision to go under the knife. Though saline implants have replaced their antiquated silicone gel-filled counterparts, the ASPS says lingering health problems, including bruising and extended recovery time, remain a concern.
