Say Anything Blog

Tired of wearing a bra? Implants sagging? Want your boobs to look youthful once again? Well here's your answer.

IOL - A doctor in Germany has invented the world's first titanium bra - and it's meant to be worn under the skin.

Dr Ziya Saylan, president of the European Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, has developed a technique to implant cups of titanium mesh under the breasts.

They are then attached to the patient's ribs and muscle. The effect is claimed to be instant, youthful-looking boobs with invisible lift.

In the past four months, more than two dozen women have undergone the procedure, which costs the equivalent of R47 000.

"The advantage is that a woman with these implants will never have to wear a bra again," says Saylan. The surgical technique is unique to Germany at the moment, but is expected to become available elsewhere in due course.

Titanium is flexible, but extremely strong. It is completely inert, so will not cause an allergic reaction in the body, and Saylan claims it will never sag.

I wonder how that would...feel. And not just to the owner of the titanium bra either. I could imagine one of these ladies' signifcant other being a little creeped out by the feel of a "titanium mesh" under her breasts.

All that aside, apparently the mesh could have some very real health benefits.

Apart from the cos-metic effect, patients who go bra-less could get health benefits, too.

An American survey of almost 5 000 women showed the odds of getting breast cancer increased dramatically the longer women wore bras.

The study concluded that the constricting effect of bras suppressed the lymphatic system below the armpits, blocking a network of vessels supposed to flush toxic wastes from the body.

That information, if accurate, could convince a lot of women to have this procedure done. There are though, as always, some potential drawbacks as well.

Mike Bowen, a gynaecologist in London, believes the implants could lead to less attractive breasts in the long run.

"It is well known that titanium meshes can lead to fibrosis in the tissue - unsightly lumps and bumps," he says.

Another potential problem is called erosion - the mesh works its way through the fat and starts poking through the skin.

More seriously, all implants increase the risk of infection.

Breast tissue can die if the blood supply is interrupted, leaving scarring.

Says Bowen: "Titanium is not biodegradable and stays in place permanently. It will be difficult to remove if things go wrong. Women may gain weight or change body shape as they get older. With a conventional bra, you can just buy a different size. A titanium implant cannot be swopped for a D cup".

So who knows. Its a risky proposition. If I were a woman considering this I think I'd wait a few years to see how it works for some other people.

Here's a link to the website for the procedure. Its in German but it does have some illustrations and pictures which should be self explanatory. Warning, the link contains photos of naked breasts so don't click if that sort of thing offends you.