There is a new way to augment breasts that seems quite barbaric. In Europe, women now how the option of skipping implants for the more subtle, natural look of injecting a compound called Macrolane directly into their breasts. It’s called a “boob jab” and I agree with Jezebel, it scares the crap out of me as well. It bothered me so much, that I knew I had to research more. I’m not sure if anyone remembers, but back in the day, Japanese women used to inject themselves with silicone gel… directly. Well low and behold, that didn’t work out very well, which made me wonder what exactly this new injectable compound consists of.

Advocates of Macrolane boast that it is a gel compound made up of nonanimal hyaluronic acid, which is a substance that is already in our bodies. They say it’s similar to Restylane and Juvederm, so of course it’s completely safe (however the website has a disclaimer at the top, “Not intended for US and Canada). Why not us, I thought? Never fear, Macrolane was first used in Japan 3 1/2 years ago (watch out kids, remember my intro) and was injected into over 30,000 women. The procedure takes approximately 45 minutes, uses local anesthesia and injects the Macrolane substance through a knitting-needle sized canula. It’s brutal and fully Europe approved, see below. As a side note, YouTube has banned the original video (I told you it was brutal) I had planned on uploading; this is the new viewer approved version.

 

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Biggest perks: no major surgery required, less volume than implants (avg. volume 80ml-100ml as compared to avg. implant volume 200-300ml), ideal for women that just want to increase bust by one cup size, no recovery time, is “biodegradable” (meaning it breaks down in your body and is supposedly completely eliminated after about 12 months). Something I thought was interesting: one site says, “Macrolane consists of Hyaluronic acid which already exists within your body and thus is not recognized as a foreign substance.” Hmmm…what are they trying to say…that some implanted things ARE recognized as a foreign substance??!! Who would have thought?

Disadvantages: Macrolane costs approximately $4,000 for the initial breast injections, then the price decreases for “top up” treatments. Although the hyaluronic acid may be found naturally in the body, Macroplane is a gel-compound, so what else is in there? I’ve looked and that information is not readily available to the public.

Brighter minds than mine have sought to understand injectable fillers and have basically said that adverse reactions are common amoung injectable fillers and that more information is needed to evaluate potential risk. One study in Berlin looked at injectable fillers. The adverse reactions are more substantial (continuing pain, swelling, nodules, pigmentation, abcess formation, erythema) than the ones reported by Macrolane (redness, swelling, tenderness, pain, bruising or itching).

Dermatologists, plastic surgeons, and maxillofacial surgeons in Berlin were asked to report patients with adverse reactions. Fifty-six patients who had been treated with nine different fillers were assessed. In 48 patients treated with only one filler, 167 areas had been treated. In 129 (77.3%) areas adverse reactions occurred 12.2+/-15.6 (SD) months after injection. Adverse reactions to biodegradable fillers occurred after 4.9+/-5.8 (SD) months, and reactions to nonbiodegradable fillers after 18.3+/-19.0 (SD) months (p=.005). As adverse events, continuing pain, swelling, nodules, pigmentation, abscess formation, and erythema were found.

CONCLUSION: Adverse reactions can be documented for all injectable fillers. Time until reaction as well as type of reaction, however, vary between different fillers. Further research is necessary to evaluate potential risk factors.

Dermatologic Surgery: Official Publication For American Society For Dermatologic Surgery [Et Al.] [Dermatol Surg] 2008 Mar; Vol. 34 (3), pp. 326-35; discussion 335. Date of Electronic Publication: 2007 Dec 20.

Pay attention guys, the next big thing may be coming to a plastic surgeon’s office near you. For now, apparently the US and Canada are safe…but for how long?

However, if you just can’t wait to inject yourself with the newest thing, America, apparently our wonderful surgeons here are happy to perform a “Botox Breast Lift“. For $500 you too can have perky breasts by (get this) relaxing your muscles so you can STAND UP STRAIGHT and make your breasts APPEAR larger. What??? Thank goodness not all surgeons are onboard.

Macrolane and other scary procedures are listed in the Top 10 Cosmetic Procedures You Should Avoid. Read up and steer clear!

~Kacey