Celebrity plastic surgery confessionals are trending, thanks to Kylie Jenner. And the effect is trickling down to social media.
Previously, there hasn't been much transparency around boob jobs on Instagram with influencers keeping their elected surgeries under wraps. But there's been a shift in recent weeks, notably with the influencer @Lornaluxe telling her 1.4 million followers about how she's researching a new procedure, called Mia FemTech, to boost her bust size.
A lot of the buzz around Mia FemTech focuses on the way the silicone implants are inserted into the breast. Traditional breast augmentation involves cutting the breast tissue along the crease of your boob and inserting the implant underneath. Mia FemTech implants sit on top of the breast tissue and “get ‘injected’ via a small incision in the armpit, using air pressure – so there's minimal downtime and a barely visible scar.
One writer decided to opt for the surgery. Here's her story…
Becci's Mia FemTech journey
I’ve always felt self-conscious about my bra size. Now at 41, I decided to go under the knife. I took up boxing around eight years ago. At first it was a simple fitness class but now I regularly spar and have been encouraged by my coaches to take part in my first fight.
I love boxing, but one reason I had been stalling is because you have to walk out in a sports bra and shorts. The last thing I wanted was to feel nervous about the fight, but also to be preoccupied with feeling flat-chested.
Then, at the end of last year, I started hearing a lot about Mia FemTech – a new kind of boob job that takes you up by a maximum of two cup sizes and that only involves local anaesthetic. I’ve only ever wanted my boobs to be that little bit bigger so I didn’t feel the need to wear a padded bra every day. I’m also a freelance journalist and teach boxing at weekends, so major surgery with a lengthy downtime wouldn’t work for me.
A natural-looking result is the new aesthetic
According to Nora Nugent, president of the British Association of Plastic Surgery (BAAPS), Mia FemTech is an example of how techniques are moving in the direction of ‘preservation’ surgery. “Preservation surgery aims to preserve our normal anatomy as much as possible during surgery while still allowing the enhancement or rejuvenation changes to take place,” she says.
This trend extends to facelift and rhinoplasty surgery, too, she adds. "With breast surgery, the majority of women nowadays want natural appearing breasts rather than overdone, clearly augmented breasts.”
Cosmetic surgeon Patrick Mallucci agrees: “I’ve spent many years talking about ‘natural breast beauty’ and there’s a real second wave around this right now - maintaining proportions as well as just looking for volume.”
I decided to book in for a consultation with Adrian Richards, a plastic surgeon at iQonic Aesthetics, who has performed over 10,000 breast augmentations over the past 12 years and is one of only a handful of surgeons in the UK currently offering Mia FemTech.
I was able to see what the implants looked like and, as promised, they’re a completely different shape to traditional implants. Unlike a flat back and rounded front, these were almost diamond-shaped. This, Adrian tells me, means they “nestle into the breast tissue in a more natural way, creating a volume boost – a bit like a padded bra – rather than a more obvious-looking larger implant.”
Using 3D software I was also able to see what my boobs would look like if they were a single, 1.5 or two cup sizes larger. I also brought a few tops with me so I could see what I would look like IRL after an enhancement. I opted for the largest size of implant – the ‘demi’ – which would take me from a 34A to a 34C as we decided it suited my 5”7 frame better.
Skin boosting is in.
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Pre-surgery prep
Legally, you have to wait two weeks between consultation and surgery. After the cooling off period, my mind was made up that I would go ahead with the procedure. I nipped into the clinic for a pre-op assessment, which was everything you’d expect – urine test, blood test, weight and height check.
I was also reminded that, despite not having a general anaesthetic, you’re not allowed to drive immediately after the surgery, and they advise you to have someone with you for the first 24 hours post-operation. This is just in case you have any side effects from the anaesthetic and because you’ll need to rest.
Lifting heavy things isn’t advised either so if, like me, you're always drinking tea, you’ll want someone else in the picture to pour the kettle.
The day of the procedure
My call time was 1.30pm and I wasn’t allowed to eat or drink anything bar water beforehand. The incision points were marked up, a cannula inserted and I was asked what playlist I wanted on – not that I heard any of it. Even though the anaesthetic was local, I was out of it for the duration.
I could feel the odd tug here and there when a small tool was inserted into the breast via my armpit, which then expanded to create space for the implant, a bit like a balloon. Then I was stitched up (with dissolvable stitches) and I could vaguely hear the surgical team telling me it was almost done – but that was it.
In total, I was in theatre for about 45 minutes but the actual procedure itself was a short and sweet 15 minutes – hence its nickname. Like most surgical procedures, I had to wait to eat and go to the bathroom, but by 4.45pm I was discharged.
Post-boob job dos and don'ts
I was prescribed a course of antibiotics for five days and painkillers for three but essentially, it’s just paracetamol and you can have Codeine the first night.
When it comes to practicalities, I ordered a V pillow to sleep on because you can’t turn onto your side for at least two weeks, and you have to wear a support strap around your boobs day and night for a week, which feels pretty uncomfortable.
For the first week, you can’t lift your hands to wash your hair so I’d also advise investing in some dry shampoo and only wearing front-fastening support bras, zip-up hoodies, cardigans and shirts.
I felt pretty out of it the day after the operation and spent most of my time sleeping. You’ll want to clear your diary while you recover anyway as you can’t drive for a week. Nor can you drink alcohol during this time.
“You’re on a course of antibiotics for the first three days and you may naturally feel a bit groggier than usual, so adding alcohol to the mix isn’t advised as it can cause unwanted side effects such as dizziness, headaches and drowsiness," says Adrian. “Alcohol can sometimes prolong the swelling, too, which we want to avoid post-op.”
That said, you can have sex when you feel ready. “It’s just important to be mindful of your healing process," says Adrian.
And gentle exercise and movement like walking is advised – just nothing too strenuous for at least two weeks to allow the body to heal properly, says Adrian. “Vigorous movement can increase swelling, strain the incision sites, and elevate blood pressure, which may lead to complications such as bleeding or delayed recovery,” he notes.
What are the risks?
As with any operation, there are risks, including the risk of infection. But given Mia FemTech is considered to be a minimally invasive surgical procedure, "the risks are generally considered to be lower in comparison to traditional breast augmentation surgery as there is no general anaesthesia required, nor is there cutting of the breast tissue itself,” says Adrian.
That said, Patrick admits that misplacement can be a concern as surgeons don’t have “eyes on” exactly where they're inserting the implant. It's another reason why you need to do your due diligence when researching your surgeon – and probably why only a few are currently offering the procedure.
Technically-speaking, Mia FemTech is reversible – but it's not advised, says Patrick. “There is a system with Mia FemTech where you can go in and suck the implant back out again, but this isn’t ideal. [It's] potentially much more difficult to deal with complications than with traditional breast augmentation, where you have more visibility.”
It’s incredibly rare, but I ended up having something called Mondor’s Cords under my right armpit, which felt like a tight elastic band and meant it took slightly longer to heal.
Essentially, Mondor’s Cords are irritated veins beneath the skin that look like vertical ‘cords’. There's nothing you can do except stretching and gentle massage. Within six weeks they had disappeared and there is now no pain or discomfort.
Is the Mia FemTech boob job painful?
While the down-time isn’t as long as traditional breast augmentation surgery, Mia FemTech wasn’t completely pain-free. For me, it was the incisions that hurt the most – it felt a bit like someone was holding a lighter under my armpits, but it came and went and it wasn’t unbearable.
“Most patients describe the sensation as pressure or tightness and any discomfort typically subsides within a few days," explains Adrian, adding that over-the-counter pain relief is usually sufficient.
Mia FemTech: My verdict
The time I first took my support bra off to shower properly (three days after the procedure) I was a little worried as my boobs were still sitting higher and they felt super heavy – like rocks. But a week after the surgery, I had a video consultation during which I took the plasters off the incisions and Adrian reassured me that the implants can take up to six weeks to settle.
I was also told that I could ditch the compression band, which was a relief as it almost makes you feel a bit out of breath.
Six weeks later, I had my final face-to-face consultation and my new bra size confirmed – a 34C. My boobs looked totally normal – the scars had gone down and were barely noticeable. They were squishy enough to feel like my own and they didn’t have that obvious round ‘fakeness’ to them like traditional implants.
The few friends I’ve told couldn’t get over how there were no ‘giveaways’ but if you’re looking for an obvious, fuller breast augmentation, Mia FemTech might not be for you.
Then there’s the cost: £9,000 - £11,000 (inclusive of all consultations and check-ups every 12 months). This is where Mia FemTech is still quite prohibitive as it rings in at a higher price than traditional breast augmentation because it's so new. "It will be interesting to see if this changes over time as the technique is more widely adopted and therefore more widely available,” adds Nora.
Like any cosmetic surgery, breast augmentation is a very personal decision. There’s nothing wrong with having small boobs and I don’t think your figure should define you. I just never felt confident being an A cup and, while it might sound cliché that I just wanted bigger boobs ‘for myself’, it’s true.
Mia FemTech has been more like the volume boost you’d get from a padded or push-up bra, which is exactly what I wanted. No-one but me has even noticed – mission accomplished.
Disclaimer: As with every cosmetic procedure or surgery, we totally support your right to take it, leave it, or simply just learn about it. Your body, your choice. All cosmetic surgeries should always be undertaken by a fully qualified, BAAPS registered surgeon.
