BRA-VO
Uplifting boob op that prevents sagging thanks to ‘internal scaffold’ made of pig skin could be the ‘end for bras’
What the surgery involves and how much it costs
FOR WOMEN who suffer the daily agony of bra straps and wires cutting into their skin, the idea of going bra-less when out and about can seem like a distant dream.
But an op dubbed the "internal bra surgery" - which involves using mesh or pig skin as "scaffolding" for the breasts - claims to allow just that.
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Women in their 70s who've undergone the procedure no longer need to wear a bra, surgeons carrying the op out claim.
The internal bra technique is exactly what it sounds like: the procedure aims to helps to support and lift the breasts, giving them a perkier appearance.
Mimicking a push-up bra, a biodegradable piece of mesh is placed along the lower portion of your breast, acting as scaffolding.
The procedure is offered is some UK clinics but it doesn't come cheaply - costing upwards of £6,500, according to .
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It doesn't tend to be offered as a standalone procedure, but will often be tacked onto a breast reduction or boob job.
A typical breast augmentation using implants can cost between £3,500 and £8,000 on average in the UK.
Internal bra surgeries have also become popular in the US, with one Indianapolis-based surgeon claiming his patients, who include women in their seventies, have been able to divest of bras altogether after going under the knife.
“I’ve got patients in their seventies that we’ve done breast lifts on, and they don’t need to wear a bra," plastic surgeon Bruce Van Natta told .
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Meanwhile, Dallas-based plastic surgeon William Adam told the magazine that effects of the internal bra method aren't permanent.
But he said adding the internal bra method to a breast surgery “probably doubles the length of time that something lasts".
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Other experts do note that the name of the procedure can mean it's misunderstood, warning that it won't necessarily replace the need for a bra.
"Although the catchy phrase “internal bra” was coined to reflect the way the surgical technique mimics the support of a bra, this procedure is not at all meant to replace a regular bra," warned.
"This surgical technique is used to create better breast support internally, but it is still important to continue to wear a supportive bra everyday as all breasts, regardless of surgery, are subject to gravity."
Meanwhile, New York City plastic surgeon David Hidalgo considered calling the procedure an “internal bra” more of a marketing strategy.
“The notion of a structural internal bra is—well, fantasy is too strong a word, because it may prove to have some value,” he told Elle.
What does the procedure involve?
Internal bra surgery will see surgeons suture mesh scaffolds under and around the breasts, usually as part of a breast augmentation or reduction op.
It's important to note that the mesh used is not the same material used for vaginal mesh implants, which has been embroiled in scandal after it left some women with life-changing and traumatic complications.
Called poly-4-hydroxybutyrate, the biosynthetic material is is secured to the internal tissue of the chest wall and encourages new healthy tissue to be produced, according to Elle.
London-based plastic surgeon Paul Harris - who uses mesh to perform breast uplifts - said on his website that the material gradually "dissolves away and is replaced by new collagen formation, which recreates the supporting framework of the breast".
Another material surgeons use is acellular dermal matrix (ADM), which is taken from living tissue, generally from a cadaver or a pig, and then chemically treated.
With ADM, the tissue remains but integrates into the body and becomes populated by its cells.
But both poly-4-hydroxybutyrate and ADM can have their downsides, as "some thinner patients can sometimes feel it under the skin", according to Elle.
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And like any other surgery, internal bra procedures are not without risk, as the tissue that grows in and around the mesh can become infected.
If it does so, the entire structure will typically need to be removed.
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