The continued popularity of breast implants is as prevalent now as it has ever been in the past. Breast implants have continued to be one of the most popular cosmetic surgeries you can get all around the world. From the United States to China, the United Kingdom, Brazil (and beyond), breast implantation is a widely sought-after treatment by patients of all ages. Even in the public eye, for better or for worse, they are a constantly discussed subject. Tabloids, celebrity news sites and late-night talk shows hosts keep this subject in the front of our minds. You could say this is a subject with an ever-growing interest. However, in terms of their actual size among patients, implants are getting significantly smaller in size and shape. If you want to learn more about the types of breast implants available to the public, along with the pros and cons of having them placed in the body, you will find the information you want right here.
Breast Implants and Breast Reduction – Stats and Facts from the Past Decade
Since around the mid-2010s, popular social media trendsetters and major celebrities have been seeking out breast implant reduction or removal. It should be noted that some of these patients have sought to have breast implant reduction for medical reasons. Their breasts are often too large and makes wearing certain clothing uncomfortable as well as makes their back and neck hurt from the constant weight of the breasts.
There have been studies in both the United States and the United Kingdom that have shown the demand for breast reduction surgery has grown by at least 6% since 2018. The amount of people searching online for “breast reduction” has also risen in multiple countries since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. As times change, so do fashion and trends and this includes fads and trends in breast augmentation. In fact, the history of breast implants shows many different trends throughout the years.
Breast Augmentation History
The very first report of breast enlargement surgery occurred in 1962. The procedure was performed on Timmie Jean Lindsey. This 30-year-old mother was taken from a B cup to a C cup when she came into the hospital to have a tattoo removed. In addition to ger tattoo removal, she was offered the chance to have this new type of surgery.
The culture surrounding Lindsey at the time was evolving into a new standard of beauty. Both Playboy Magazine and Barbie dolls had been influencing the perception of feminine beauty in the last couple of years. Hourglass figures and ample breast sizes were standing out as the new standard for beauty.
Near the end of World War II, industrial silicone began to be considered for use in breast augmentation. This trend actually started in Japan where sex workers would inject their breasts with silicone to make themselves more attractive to the occupying American soldiers. However, this practice was unsafe and usually led to gangrene around the injection site.
It wasn’t until the 1960s that safer, hospital-grade silicone implants appeared on the market. After Timmie Jean Lindsey’s operation, silicone breast implants became a popular cultural trend that continued for many years. The breast implants placed in patients were eventually upgraded to ones that contained silicone gel. As implants grew more popular, so did their actual size thanks in part to celebrities like Pamela Anderson.
Breast Implants Ban in the 1990s
The year 1992 saw a study that revealed a large number of women had reported problems such as leakage and infection. The cultural trend of large breast implants started to die down around this time. In fact, a backlash gradually grew against breast implants that had a fake look and this eventually resulted in silicone gel breast implants being banned all together in multiple countries such as Italy, France, Germany, Spain and Austria.
These bans, which lasted in the United States until 2006, caused a major upset as multiple large corporations like Bristol-Myers Squibb and Dow Corning had to either file for bankruptcy or leave the silicone implant market completely.
Many medical experts feel that unnaturally large breasts became directly associated with tackiness and an overall feeling of fakeness. Modern women do not want to be associated with such terms. This has led to the rise in popularity of a more natural looking breast. An overall rise in cultural popularity towards athletic and slender looks has also contributed to the new popularity of breasts that are smaller in appearance. Medical experts also believe that health concerns, along with fashion trends, play a big role in these changing trends. These two factors combined have created a world where most plastic surgeons are performing operations with smaller silicone implants that are supplemented with fat cells from other parts of the body. While trends in fashion as well as medicine will always change and evolve, it seems people will often prefer more subtle changes to the appearance of their breasts in the long run.
