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 Dr. Mole |
According to Dr. Mole, many French cosmetic patients often prefer smaller breast-augmentation procedures, choosing smaller increases in cup size than their U.S. counterparts. In France, a typical breast augmentation patient may choose a 300 cc implant per breast, which may be considered too small for cosmetic patients in the North America, as the breast implants often selected in the United States are closer to 400 cc to 500 cc per breast, he says.
IDEALS OF BEAUTY "There is a fundamental difference in the perception of ideal beauty when comparing the French and American societies," Dr. Mole says. "Moreover, I believe that the reason why many patients may choose larger implants is because they want the cosmetic augmentation performed to be very visible. They pay for it, so they want the change or augmentation to be clearly seen."This way of thinking is in stark contrast to the French philosophy of "less is more," Dr. Mole says. French patients do not consider cosmetic surgery to be taboo; however, most place a great amount of emphasis on a natural-looking final result. The sizes of implants ultimately chosen in France reflect this philosophy, Dr. Mole says.
Facelift procedures in France also are less extreme in terms of the degree of tissue lifting compared to those performed in the United States, Dr. Mole says.
"Recently, I believe that the 'less is more' philosophy seen in France and many other European countries is slowly but surely becoming more popular in the United States," Dr. Mole says. "There is a definite trend toward more natural-looking aesthetic results in the U.S., as more and more patients are requesting smaller procedures and more subtle changes in their looks. This change may also be fueled by the increase in complications associated with larger-volume implants."
