5 things you should know before getting a boob job

According to statistics by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, breast augmentations were the most requested cosmetic surgical procedure in 2014. Double board certified New York plastic surgeon Adam R. Kolker, M.D. who specializes in breast enhancements, shares with Cosmopolitan.com his insider tips on what you should know before getting breast surgery.

1. Your first breast surgery probably won't be your last. Twenty-five percent of women will need another surgery after 10 years because implants don't last forever. The implant could begin to leak over time or a "scar shell" could develop around it, warping the shape and causing a need for new implants. Weight loss, pregnancy, and change in preference are other factors that could lead the patient having another surgery after a few years.

2. It will cost you around $3,678. This average total, according to the 2013 statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, is based on the surgeon's fee only and does not include the cost of anesthesia, facilities, and materials (stitches, bandages, drapes, etc.). The price will also depend on doctor, patient, and region. The cost of reduction, though, varies greatly patient to patient. A reduction procedure could take three to four times longer than an augmentation, and the cost would reflect that.

3. Generally, patients will only have to take five to seven days off work for a breast augmentation and about the same for a reduction. You won't be feeling 100 percent after that week, but you'll be in good-enough shape to head back to the office if your job doesn't require manual labor. However, if the implant is placed behind the muscle instead of on top (many women choose to do this for a more realistic look and less chance of a scar shell forming around the implant), recovery will be a little harder and you might be sore longer.

4. Breasts with implants feel different to the touch than real breasts. Although silicone breasts feel similar to real breasts, they are still manmade and don't feel like natural breast tissue. You'll be more likely to notice there's an implant in a woman who began with little breast tissue than a woman who had more breast tissue to begin with. Smaller implants and those that are placed below the muscle are harder to detect.

5. Breast augmentations and reductions could possibly affect your ability to breastfeed in the future. Women who have implants oftentimes choose not to breastfeed so the data sets on these women are unclear. However, if you have an areola incision, there's a small risk you could damage minor ducts and could disconnect the areola complex with the main portion of the gland, hindering your ability to breastfeed. Women who have underarm incisions or incisions in the crease of the breast should not have a problem.

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