I waited over a year to write this blog series so I could best reflect on my experience and share the full patient experience with you.  I am very comfortable in my body and happy with my decision to have a breast augmentation.  I no longer feel “surgical”.  I just feel like me.  My body image adjustment and uncertainty about the result was real, and I was honest with myself through the process.

Yes, I AM a selfie addict.

I did a follow up with my surgeon at Women’s Plastic Surgery conference (YES, in the bathroom in front of other colleagues who agreed I look fantastic and natural!), and I plan to continue seeing her at meetings over the years and decades going forward.

Am I planning a revision surgery?  No.  Am I happy with my results?  Yes.  Do I share my experience with patients when they are learning about breast augmentation?  Absolutely!

I was interviewed by my lovely colleague Dr. Jamie Moenster at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons annual meeting in 2019 (remember when we could meet in person and get close, face-to-face?) about my surgery.  It was fun to share my experience with her.  See part of the interview here:

What bra size am I?  I have no idea!  I haven’t been professionally fitted for a bra after surgery, although it will be interesting to do that someday.  In fact, the 36A bras I bought 2 years ago and was disheartened that I didn’t feel them out actually fit perfectly now!

Does that mean I’m an A cup?  Not really.  I’m definitely fuller than that (probably a C) but it just goes to show that bra cup sizing varies from manufacturer to manufacturer.  Just like dress sizes, I can be a small, medium or large, depending on the dress.  I’m a perfect Calvin Klein size 6 (my go-to office dress) and I now fill out the top of this dress a little more.

Did I have to buy all new clothes?  No.  My existing dresses and tops fit me the same or a little better up top.  One exception are the skimpy tiny triangle bikini tops I wore for years with small, flat breasts and my look was a mostly bony sternum.  These now look a little ridiculous since the tiny triangle only covers past the areola – and I’m not looking to show off or look trampy, so I gave some of these older bikinis away.

I still haven’t been formally measured since my breast augmentation surgery – I would guess I’m a small “C”, but the letter doesn’t really matter! I feel proportional and just right for me.

Shopping for new swimsuits has been fun, and I actually bought some lingerie!  I feel feminine, proportional and empowered with my decision to have surgery.  I would do it again in a heartbeat.  And I hope that sharing my personal experience is helpful to other women that are considering a breast augmentation.

Did I need a lift as well?  No.  My nipples were in a good position on the breast, and I did not have a tubular breast shape.  Breast augmentation in small breasted women is usually relatively straightforward, as it was for me.  But if a lift was recommended by my surgeon for the very best results, I would have no problem with the lollipop scar.

Over one year after my breast augmentation, my scar is a thin line that hides even in my string bikini tops. It is still fading from its darker brown color, which is normal for me.

How do my scars look now?  I never see them!  This picture shows my scar appearance at 16 months after surgery.  As described in an earlier blog post, I tend to hyperpigment so the brown pigmentation around the scar is expected.  I stopped applying scar gel a few months after surgery (I got lazy and the scars looked fine to me).  I know they will continue to fade over several more years, but even if they stayed dark, it doesn’t bother me at all.

Did you know – I collect bikinis!? And I wear one every weekend at #ClubHorton.

Will I need more surgery in my lifetime?  Possibly.  Breast implants are not designed to last forever, and I intend to follow up with my surgeon and check in for an in-person examination at least every 10 years going forward.  But “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” applies to breast augmentation results.  I have the luxury of being able to diagnose any breast implant-related problem, should it occur in the future, and to get myself to the most appropriate surgeon for me!

Who knows, after menopause, I may choose to have my implants removed, as several of my patients in their 50s, 60s or 70s do and as Chrissy Tiegen recently did.  Straightforward breast implant removal (explantation) can usually be done in the office under local anesthesia, using the existing scar if a lift or tissue rearrangement is not required.  Downtime is mild soreness for 1-2 weeks after surgery.  It’s nice to know your options for implant removal, should you ever change your mind!  Breast augmentation is fully reversible. 😉

Want to see MY before and after results?  Here’s a bit of #drkarenhorton trivia:  If you follow @drkarenhortonbeforeandafters on Instagram and scroll to the very first before and after image case, it is actually ME!  I don’t claim to have performed the surgery; instead I describe the patient’s journey and show results at three weeks postoperatively.  Nipples are covered to comply with Instagram rules (and no one needs to see my fully naked breasts!).

Want to learn more about breast augmentation?  Follow my blog to receive updates when new blogs are published.  Thanks for reading and sharing my journey with me.

XO Dr. Karen