A Little Breast Implant History ...

It first started in 1890, yes; I couldn't believe it either when I first read it. That was the time when the first surgical breast implant procedure was carried out by using paraffin injections.

Paraffin injections were directly injected into the breast. This was widely used by women all over, but with time, the complications came to light. Paraffin injections did achieve breast augmentation, but it also led to many complications such as infections and lump formations in the breast.

Complications with this earliest attempt in the history of breast implants soon led to the use of fat transplants in the 1920's. Extra fat from the belly or buttock areas were surgically cut, and the fat tissues were then transferred into the breast. This too was not successful as the body soon absorbed the fat and left the breasts saggy, lopsided and lumpy. This transplantation procedure took birth in the 1920's and was given up in the 1940's.

Subsequently, during World War II, Japanese prostitutes tried breast implants to attract American servicemen; they did this by simply injecting silicone injections into the breast, much like the paraffin injections 50 years earlier.

Silicone is both extremely tempting aesthetically and among the most debated materials in the history of breast implants. But this too did not last for long as the complications of chronic inflammation, infections, and lumps made these WWII era silicone breast implants fall out of favor also.

The modern history of breast implants begins in 1962 when a silicone packet filled with silicone gel was used for breast implants for the first time in history.

The checkered history of breast implants is full of progress and obstacles, but the new silicone implants altered the history of breast implants forever. They are now favored and embraced by women and cosmetic surgeons everywhere.