Women in their 70s no longer need to wear bras thanks to an operation that may involve inserting pig skin into the breast, surgeons say.
‘Inner bra surgery’ lifts the breasts naturally and prevents them from sagging over time.
In the delicate operation, biodegradable mesh is inserted into a woman’s chest. These act as a scaffold for the development of tissue that acts as internal support, pushing the breasts upward and giving them a more natural and perky appearance.
Cosmetic clinics from Los Angeles to London now offer the procedure, which experts say is gaining popularity, costing more than £6,500.
One surgeon who offers the procedure said it was so successful for women that some older women abandoned traditional bras altogether.
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“I have patients in their seventies who we’ve done breast lifts on and they don’t need to wear a bra,” said William Adams Jr, a Dallas plastic surgeon. she.
However, other experts warn that the name of the procedure is misinterpreted and say that surgery is not guaranteed to replace brasserie.
Patients are often advised to continue wearing a supportive bra to preserve the effects of surgery.
In the UK, an internal bra lift is usually offered as an added extra to a breast operation or breast reduction, which can cost around £6,000.
In inner bra surgery, which has no formal name and is instead added to other procedures such as lifts or reductions, a qualified surgeon inserts custom-made mesh scaffolds under and around the breasts.
The mesh itself, unlike the fragile material that is inserted into women’s vaginas and has sparked a medical scandal, can be made from a variety of materials.
Two of the most common are a biosynthetic material called poly-4-hydroxybutyrate and an acellular dermal matrix (ADM), which is usually made from carefully prepared pig skin or donated human tissue.
The surgery usually lasts a few hours.
The mesh is attached to the inner tissue of the chest wall, although some versions attach it to the bones of the rib cage.
The implant acts as a scaffold, since during the absorption process an internal scar made of collagen is created.
This ‘scar’ is stronger than the tissue the body normally has in this location and therefore acts as an internal support, giving the procedure its name.
This new tissue is said to be approximately five times stronger than normal tissue in this area, providing a long-lasting “lift” to the breasts.
In the case of poly-4-hydroxybutyrate, the mesh dissolves over time and is replaced by collagen.
With ADM, the tissue remains but is integrated into the body, being populated by the woman’s cells.
In theory, because the mesh is gradually replaced by the patient’s own biological tissue, it should not have an impact on the accuracy of tests such as breast cancer detection.
Doctors warn that thin women can often “feel” the mesh structure beneath the surface of the skin, which can ruin the experience.
Since the tissue is also natural, it will continue to age and fall over the years, although at a slower rate than normal, compared to artificial cosmetic implants.
Lacey Wildd, whose real name is Paula Simonds, had to undergo an internal bra procedure to support the weight of her colossal 21-pound breasts in 2012.
The OnlyFans model has undergone multiple surgeries over the years in her quest for a larger bust.
Additionally, like any surgery, internal bra procedures are not without risks.
Tissue growing in or around the mesh can become infected, and if it does, the entire structure will usually need to be removed.
Additionally, depending on the nature of the procedure, such as the size of implants being added and how many previous augmentations a patient has had, there is a risk of the mesh protruding from the skin.
Most British cosmetic surgery clinics offering the procedure say they use GalaFlex mesh, although some also offer AMD.
One Briton who underwent a version of the procedure is Claire Coleman, who was the fifth patient in the United Kingdom to have it done with an older polyester mesh model.
Now in her 50s, Mrs Coleman, from Gloucester, suffered an unfortunate side effect of losing a lot of weight: her breasts became saggy and shapeless.
‘I felt abnormal and hated my reflection. “I would come out of the locker room crying because the low-cut tops looked so bad,” she said.
Having the procedure in 2010, Ms Coleman said she was ecstatic with the results, going from a 36D cup to a C cup.
‘I feel much better about dating and relationships in the future because I feel totally comfortable being naked now. In fact, I even went braless during the day,” she said at the time.
While internal bra surgery has gained popularity as a purely cosmetic procedure, it has also been used in breast reconstruction in patients who have had one or more breasts removed as part of cancer treatment.
In 2017, Lesley Bruce, a business consultant who lives near Stafford, underwent the pigskin version of the internal bra procedure for her left breast.
Bruce, who was 65 at the time, said she was incredibly happy with the results after her mastectomy and subsequent reconstruction.
“I feel very relieved that the threat of cancer is gone and that I still have a natural-looking breast,” she said.
The procedure is also used in extreme cosmetic surgeries where women seek the greatest possible increase in their bust size.
Onlyfans model Lacey Wildd, whose real name is Paula Simonds, had to undergo an internal bra procedure to support the weight of her colossal 21-pound breasts in 2012.