Feeling confident in your body can have a powerful impact on how you carry yourself every day. For many women, changes in breast volume, shape, or symmetry can affect self-esteem and make it difficult to feel fully comfortable in clothing, swimwear, or intimate settings. Breast augmentation is a procedure designed to enhance your natural proportions and help you achieve a fuller, more balanced appearance.
At her boutique plastic surgery practice in Westport, CT, Dr. Ellen Mahony provides a highly personalized approach to breast enhancement. With advanced surgical training, a refined aesthetic eye, and a commitment to exceptional patient care, Dr. Mahony helps women achieve elegant, natural-looking results tailored to their individual goals.
What Is Breast Augmentation?
Breast augmentation is a cosmetic surgical procedure that enhances the size, shape, and fullness of the breasts using implants or other enhancement techniques. The procedure is customized to each patient’s anatomy and desired outcome, whether the goal is subtle enhancement or more noticeable volume.
Women choose breast augmentation for a variety of reasons, including:
-
Restoring volume after pregnancy or weight loss
-
Improving breast symmetry
-
Enhancing naturally smaller breasts
-
Creating fuller contours
-
Boosting overall confidence
Breast augmentation can also be combined with related procedures like a breast lift or mommy makeover for more comprehensive rejuvenation.
Benefits of Breast Augmentation
Breast augmentation offers both physical and emotional benefits for many patients. In addition to enhancing breast size, the procedure can improve body balance and help clothing fit more comfortably and with greater confidence.
Benefits may include:
-
Fuller, more proportional breasts
-
Improved breast symmetry
-
Enhanced body contours
-
Increased confidence and self-image
-
Long-lasting results
Because every woman’s goals are different, Dr. Mahony carefully tailors each treatment plan to create results that feel balanced and natural.
Breast Implant Options
There are several implant options available, allowing patients to personalize their results based on their body type and aesthetic goals. During your consultation, Dr. Mahony will help you determine the ideal implant type, size, and profile for your desired outcome.
Common implant choices include:
-
Silicone implants
-
Saline implants
-
Round implants
-
Anatomically shaped implants
-
Moderate or high-profile implants
Implants can also be placed either above or below the chest muscle, depending on the patient’s anatomy and preferences.
Candidates for Breast Augmentation
You may be a candidate if you:
-
Feel your breasts are too small for your frame
-
Have lost breast volume over time
-
Notice uneven breast size or shape
-
Want enhanced cleavage or fullness
-
Are bothered by changes after pregnancy or weight loss
A private consultation with Dr. Mahony is the best way to determine if breast augmentation is right for you.
The Breast Augmentation Procedure
Breast augmentation is typically performed as an outpatient procedure under general anesthesia. During surgery, Dr. Mahony carefully places the implants through strategically placed incisions designed to minimize visible scarring.
Incision locations may include:
-
Along the breast crease
-
Around the areola
-
Within the underarm area
Every aspect of the procedure is planned with precision to achieve smooth contours, natural proportions, and beautiful long-term results.
Why Choose Dr. Ellen Mahony for Breast Augmentation
Dr. Ellen Mahony offers a uniquely personalized experience for women seeking breast augmentation in Westport and Fairfield. Her boutique practice is intentionally designed to prioritize quality care, privacy, and meaningful patient relationships over high patient volume.
Patients choose Dr. Mahony because of her:
-
Board certification in plastic surgery
-
Extensive surgical and reconstructive training
-
Sophisticated, natural-looking aesthetic approach
-
Warm and attentive bedside manner
-
White-glove patient experience
-
Commitment to individualized treatment planning
Her background in physical therapy, public health, and microsurgery provides a comprehensive understanding of both aesthetics and healing, helping patients feel supported throughout every stage of their journey.
Frequently Asked Questions
I love it when my patients actively plan for their recovery when considering breast procedures, since maintaining an exercise regimen is important to their overall health! You’ll need to completely rest and relax for 48 hours after surgery, and I’ll approve a return to light exercise after your second-week post-op visit. I’ve had patients resume no-impact cardio (stationary cycling, walking, elliptical) as early as 2 weeks after getting implants, but it all depends on how your overall recovery is progressing.
These are two different procedures. A breast lift is usually performed on women who are happy with the size of their breasts but want the nipple position (and breast) raised above their breast fold, for a more youthful appearance. Likewise, the excess skin below the fold is “tucked” to prevent sagging. Some women have low-set breasts just by nature, and others acquire them after having kids. Depending on the amount of breast volume, I might add an implant for a little bit more fullness. Breast implants/breast augmentation is for women with small breasts who want more shape and volume, or women who have lost volume after kids and want to simply boost their chest up a size or two, for proportion and preference. There is some beneficial lift with breast augmentation, but it’s not the main goal of the procedure. The bottom line is that for women whose nipple, and the majority of breast skin/tissue, is below the fold, a breast lift should be considered as a part of breast enhancement.
Your breasts are mostly done growing by your 20s, but they will certainly continue to change in shape and size, due to hormonal fluctuations, weight gain or loss, and during/after any pregnancies. If you’re thinking a C or D cup is a better fit for you, this is a wonderful time to come in for a consultation. Keep in mind that after breast augmentation, your breasts will still experience the impact of time and gravity. I usually tell women that there’s a 30-50% chance that they will consider another breast procedure at some point in their lives.
I can completely understand your fears. You don’t want a lovely new pair of breasts and not be able to feel them! Rest assured, the incidence of long-term loss of feeling is very low, especially with a skilled, board-certified plastic surgeon. Some patients have initial numbness – especially if they are increasing in size significantly or there are incisions around the nipple. For most, it’s not particularly noticeable. Nonetheless, it’s always good to know what to expect.
I think the best way to figure out implant size is to try them on in my office. With a sports bra, I can’t tuck an implant in between you and the bra. Bring in a couple of different tops and see how you look! It’s also really helpful for you to get a sense of their weight, which you’ll notice as you go through this process. Inevitably, your decision will just fall into place!
The placement of the implant is determined by several factors, including the position of the breast on your chest, the thickness of your breast tissue, and the look that you want to achieve. When I have a chance to meet you, I’ll be able to sort that all out with you, and it will make sense. We’ll be able to discuss the pros and cons of each.
Not as much as you might think. Sometimes the anticipation is worse than the reality. Imagine it this way: Your breast tissue and muscle will be stretched, so they’ll both feel tight. It’s sort of like going to the gym and doing too many chest press exercises. And one of the best ways to make that discomfort manageable is to apply ice to your chest. By the time we finish our breast consultation, you’ll feel much more confident about your expectations!
If you have very little sagging, breast implants may be enough to give you the firm, lifted shape you want. However, I will never compromise your results by doing less than what is optimal, and many women require a breast lift along with breast augmentation. If your nipples are below the breast crease, you will most likely require a breast lift for excellent results. No woman wants or deserves to come out of her breast augmentation with larger, saggier breasts.
There is a lot more to consider than “how big?” when it comes to breast implants. With the remarkable implant options available today, there truly is something for everyone. During your breast augmentation consultation, you will learn about all of your breast implant choices to make sure you get the results you want. Options include:
- Fill material can be saline or cohesive silicone gel; both are considered safe by the FDA, and each has unique properties.
- Shape can be round or anatomical (teardrop), and you’ll learn the benefits and drawbacks of each.
- Size is measured in volume (cubic centimeters, or cc), not bra cup size (for which there is no standard).
- Profile determines how far the implant projects from the chest wall. Breast implants are available in low, medium, and high profiles, and some profiles are better for certain body types.
Incision pattern and the right implant placement of your implants will be determined based on the look you want from your breast augmentation, as well as your unique physical characteristics:
- Incisions can be placed discreetly along the breast fold, around the areola, or in the underarm crease. There are unique considerations for each of these, and we will go over them all.
- Implant placement behind the chest muscle provides the most natural-looking results for most women. The implant can also be placed directly behind the breast tissue and on top of the chest muscle.
Achieve Fuller, Natural-Looking Curves With Breast Augmentation in Westport, CT
Breast augmentation can help restore confidence, improve balance and proportion, and enhance your overall silhouette, with results tailored to you. Dr. Ellen Mahony combines advanced surgical expertise with compassionate, personalized care to help patients feel comfortable and confident throughout the process.
To learn more about breast augmentation in Westport and Fairfield, contact Dr. Ellen Mahony, MD, at 203-221-0102 to schedule your private consultation.
