Bigger breasts at a fee
• The new craze for artificial organ enlargement
By Henry Umahi [Umahi@sunnewssonline.com]
Saturday, November 29, 2008

•PHOTO: The Sun Publishing Ltd

Are you a bold and daring gal? Do you have what it takes to pump up the size of your mammary gland? Do heads turn when you step put? If you are certain that when the roll is called you will be there, let your boobs speak for you, loud and clear.
Flaunting augmented breasts is fast becoming a fad among ladies in Nigeria and elsewhere. Hence at every occasion these days, one finds some bulging breasts adorning high tables and platforms.

Since Miss Modupe Ozolue happened on the scene a couple of years with her body enhancement philosophy, more Nigerian women have been bitten by the buy of breasts augmentation.
Ozolua, who is the CEO, Body Enhancement, proudly says: “I went for cosmetic surgery because I was very uncomfortable with my breasts after breastfeeding my son”. Now, having won many converts, she volunteers: “ We have given much joy to many women who have taken advantage of our services. It’s been a worthy business investment”.

Indeed, the cosmetic surgery industry is booming despite the financial meltdown. Breasts augmentation is one of the most popular cosmetic procedure. Today, the trend is that almost every lady of substance has gone through breasts augmentation procedure in Nigeria or elsewhere. While those who have not done so are preparing to give it a shot. In fact , on the fashion scene, it has become a sort of status symbol. So, those who have not acquired high breasts lines are regarded as operating, on the lower league. Ironically, in time past, women endowed with large breasts were unhappy and sought ways to reduce them.

Saturday Sun check reveals that politicians and lawmakers, especially at the federal level are some of the beneficiaries of the cosmetic breasts surgery. One of them was a former Senator from South South and a former Special adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo and President Umar Yar’Adua. She is a regular face at parties, flaunting her larger and fuller bust. Also, women in the professions, actresses as well as those successful in business are known to carry out the exercise.
In the same vein, more and more men are going for penile enlargement for enhanced performance.

What you want is what you get
Breasts augmentation or cosmetic breasts surgery is essentially a procedure designed to enhance the size, shape and symmetry of the breasts. Women who are less than satisfied with the appearance of their breasts and or figure seek the procedure. With it, a woman can be pumped upfront, achieving enhanced or desired results. In other words, it provides a woman the opportunity of having the breasts size she desires. Also, some procedures merely uplift the breasts without alterning the size.
According to a report, for enhancement, either saline or silicone gel implants can be used. The former consists of saltwater solution while the latter comprises cohesive gel.

“The breasts augmentation procedure consists of macing an incision, creating a pocket in the chest/breasts area, and placing a breasts implant. An incision may be made in any one f the following places: the crease below the breasts, around the areda, under the armpit, or through the navel.
“Breast implants can be placed either under the chest muscle or above, directly under the breasts. Placement considerations include the anatomy of your breasts, soreness after surgery, exercise activities (upper body strength and conditioning sports such as weightlifting, tennis, volleyball and others), and possible interference with mammograms”.
It was gathered that the procedure usually takes between one and three hours to complete. However, the duration depends on a number of factors including the technique adopted, implants placement, patient’s anatomy among others.

Cheque book boobs
Boob job is an expensive venture. In other words, it is not for the poor, like most other things. Little wonder these newly acquired breasts are flaunted with reckless abandon by their owners, who seem to be saying: ‘go get yours if you can’.
Saturday Sun gathered that in Britain, breasts enlargement costs between £3,500 and £4,500. in Nigeria, it cost over N1million to have the big boobs you want. In fact, at Body Enhancement, Victoria Island, Lagos, an appointment with the CEO attracts a fee of N8,000.

Painful exercise
Boob job is not only an expensive venture, it is also painful because it stretches the tissue. We gathered that “this is especially true when the implants are placed under the muscle and in young women who have never had children. The pain is greatest within the first 48 hours, but improves with each day and can be somewhat relieved by pain medications. When you wake up you will feel tired, sore and stiff.
“Your breasts will be wrapped with gauze bandages as well as a tighter bandage for protection that support after breasts implant surgery. You also may have drainage tubes coming out of the incision for several days post of breast augmentation, to help drain some of the excess fluid”.

Wear and tear
It also gathered that breasts implant has a life span. That is to say, augmented breasts retain their enhanced size or look for the life of the implant. So, when it expires, the breasts begin to sag. The sagging process is faster in larger breasts than smaller ones. Therefore, when beefed up, breasts expire as it were, the patient may require surgery to address the situation if she chooses large implants.
But sagging is not the only thing the patient may contend with. A patient discloses: “I’d had my breasts done before, but they had ruptured and got smaller, so I went back to the original surgeon and he wouldn’t do them”.
She adds, however, that had them reconstructed at another centre, revealing that she even got something bigger than she had lost.

Wide range
However, cosmetic surgery is not restricted to breasts augmentation or reconstruction. There are, indeed, a wide range of procedures on offer.
They include penal enlargement, turning tuck, tribal marks removal, nose job (Rhinoplasty), arm tuck, vaginal tightening (inner and utter), hair transplant, liposuction, ear tuck (Orthoplasty), face-lift, thing lift/tuck, scar revision, blepharoplasty and botox.
With the avalanche of surgical and non-surgical procedures, women, particularly, are having themselves a ball, the obvious pains notwithstanding.

As someone remarks, “the truth of the matter is that when it comes to self-improvement, going under the knife has become déclassé at best, morally repugnant at worst. Yet while many women are squeamish about the idea of being cut and terrified of the pain, more and more are going under the knife”.
It would be recalled that Nigeria’s former first lady, Mrs. Stella Obasanjo, died in Germany while having a tummy tuck in preparation for her birthday. Invitation cards for the event had been printed and were being distributed to expected dignitaries when she embarked on the trip aimed at acquiring a new, younger appearance.

Also, it was while former Bayelsa State governor, DSP Alamieyeseigha, was recuperating in his London home after undergoing a tummy tuck procedure in Germany that his political enemies moved against him. At the end of the day, the former Airforce officer lost his plum job and bagged a jail sentence for money laundering.

Creams and harbal medicines
Breasts and penile enlargement are not restricted to surgical procedures. Saturday Sun learnt that there are creams and herbal preparations used to stimulate and replicate the natural process experienced during puberty. These are regarded as affordable alternatives to cosmetic surgery.
According to the manufacturers of a particular breasts cream, the product is a soothing, all-natural topical cream designed to give women larger, firmer breasts by stimulating new cell growth in the mammary glands. They claim that although it stimulates mammarial tissue growth, it does not promote milk production as is the case with a pregnant woman, whose body produces the hormones critical to breasts development.

Dr. Baradin, a herbal medicine practitioner based in Port Harcourt told Saturday Sun on phone that he offers a hormonal based treatment that increases the breasts significantly within 31 days at the cost of N21,000. He adds that he has a herbal preparation that enhances penile enlargement also within 31 days costing N12,500. However, according to him, these medicines are not to taken by hypertensive and diabetic patients.

Similarly, an outfit dealing in adult love products, markets creams and tablets which it claims increase the penis and breasts, respectively. For maxim results, the creams must be applied to a thoroughly washed organ every morning and night nonstop for three months. The sales representative who identified herself simply as Esther explains that result will begin to manifest after six weeks of application. And more maximum effect, the patient is required to use two bottles, each going for N16,000. The organization also markets tablets that enlarge breasts. It costs N10,000. there is a caveat however. Esther informs Saturday Sun that the penis will decrease somewhat when the patient stops using the cream, adding that it costs N750 to deliver the products within Lagos.

Indeed, there are so many herbal medicine practitioners claiming to have developed preparations that could increase the size of the breast and penis even for as little as N5, 000. And they are using all sorts of adverts to seduce prospective clients. Some are of the opinion that the advertised procedures are ineffective and dangerous, maintaining that it is another means of swindling people.

Issues
Expectedly, the increasing use of cosmetic surgery by Nigerians attracting diverse reactions. While those who have gone under the knife give high praise to the innovations, saying they have gained self-esteem or confidence, those on the otherside canvass the view that it could be a manifestation of complex problem.
According to Pastor (Mrs.) Aity Dennis-Inyang, a gospel artiste and co-pastor of Sure Word Assembly, Lagos, it is a case of different tales for different folks.

She said: “People go into cosmetic surgery for different reasons. For instance, there are those who were involved in accidents such as fire which affected them badly and they go for that kind of surgery. That would not be bad because they are trying bring themselves back to shape, to what they looked like before. You know, so that they won’t look like monsters. But when someone thinks he has so much money and is looking for ways to spend it and he thinks going to change one aspect of his face to look like something else, I don’t think that’s necessary. I think people should come to terms with the fact that they are going to grow old and grow old gracefully.

“You know, no matter how you lift your face or another aspect of your body, it does not stop you from being who you are. It does not reduce from your age anyway. But if we learn to grow old gracefully, that would be better. And if we learn to accept ourselves the way we are, we are okay. It is because some want to change themselves that they go into bleaching. People who are black want to bleach and become ‘white’ or fair. They think that if they become fair, people will like them more.

Aity added that the development has complex dimension. “Indeed, the problem is that such people have not been able to accept themselves. They have a low self-esteem. So, we should work at the self-esteem to the extent that people should be satisfied with their natural endowments. For instance, Whoopi Goldberg is a wonderful artiste, I love her and she has made so much impact. She has made no effort to destroy her original self. To this extent, she remains a model to many because she has accepted herself the way she is. Whether anyone thinks she is beautiful or not, she has added value to society. In short, it is a complex that makes one want to love live who he is not”.

Nike Badmus, a marketing strategist, opined that people venture into breasts and penile enlargement for a number of reasons, including pleasing one’s partner.
She said: “I believe that some women do breasts enlargement or uplift to please the men in their lives. For instance, if a man constantly complains about the size or shape of his woman’s breasts, she could be encouraged to do something about it, which could be to have a procedure that enhances her endowments.

“Also, if a man’s organ is ridiculously, small as it is the case with some men, he could be compelled to go for penile enlargement. It may not necessarily be because of his partner but just to enhace his personal worth. You know, some men are really small down below and it could make them to be ashamed to attempt sexual intercourse, which, in any case, could be an embarrassing engagement. There are full grown men with organ as small as that of an eight-year-old boy.

Ironically, there are men and women who are blessed with extra-large organs. For instance, a friend once told me that she almost fainted when her boyfriend pulled out his manhood to make love to her the first time. She said that because she loved the guy so much she decided to try and have sex with him that night but when the pains became unbearable she ran for her life even though it was late in the night. And that was how the relationship ended. So, it is different tales for different folks”.
She said that while she is not against anyone having a procedure to achieve a certain result, but her worry is the overall health implication at the end of the day.

“I think that any attempt to alter the work of nature could have side effect. I know that when the silicone implanted in the breasts expires, they lose shape, one might be bigger than the other. That’s my concern”.