It's Only Natural

By: Lara Haworth
Created on 12th January 2010

Lara Haworth reveals all in her personal account of the new Macrolane breast enhancement treatment she had with Dr Martin Kinsella at RE-ENHANCE

Never having been blessed with voluptuous breasts I've compensated over the years with various unglamorous aids - namely padded gels bras and the dreaded ‘chicken fillets'. Fellow sufferers will empathise with the embarrassing situations that can occur - the most humiliating being stopped going through security at Manchester airport. After searching through my hand luggage it dawned on me and the bashful security guard that the liquid being detected by the X-ray scanner was, in fact, my gel bra.

These aids are a good boost to your confidence when dressed, but once removed self esteem goes out the window - and as Robbie Williams says: "All we've ever wanted is to look good naked"!

Over the years I have considered implants and gone as far as booking in with a leading surgeon. The night prior to the op they called and cancelled as the surgeon had to be elsewhere. I deemed this to be fate and was actually relieved as I was still unsure about the procedure and the eventual outcome.

I have also been put off by friends who, having had implants couldn't get used to their new size and ended up having them reduced and, in one case, removed. Having a boyish frame, I was certain I didn't want to end up with Victoria Beckham's bolt-on boobs - although even she seems to have seen the light and had them replaced with smaller, more natural implants.

Over the last couple of years I've been following the reports on the new boob injectable, Macrolane. Arguably, a big advantage is that it involves no general anaesthetic or long recovery period - vital for those like me who enjoy a busy, active lifestyle. Other pros include a natural looking result as only 100-150ml of Macrolane is injected, whereas with surgery 300ml implants are generally the norm.

No wonder some women can't adjust to implants - horse riding and the gym would have to be ruled out for me!

After considerable research I found out that Macrolane, as developed by Q-Med, is a man-made gel version of hylauronic acid (HA) which our body naturally produces and which has been safely used in the medical world for many years on osteoarthritic knees and hips and to treat bladder problems.

I finally decided action needed to be taken as my daughters, now aged twelve and ten, were overtaking me on the breast front. After much research I decided to see Dr Martin Kinsella, MBCHB, of RE-ENHANCE for a consultation.

Sensitive to the client's concerns, Dr Kinsella has a natural ability to put you at your ease. Throughout the many appointments and follow-ups he was both discreet and informative. Convinced that I would be in capable hands and that Macrolane was indeed the treatment for me, I decided to go ahead.

After arriving early at the clinic feeling slightly nervous (although the usual morning school run mayhem had taken my mind off the reality of the situation), I was given the option of a sedative to relax me, which I readily accepted. With my senses slightly muffled I was led to my fate by Dr Kinsella's assistant Lucy. The local anaesthetic took rapid effect. The Macrolane was carefully administered - a procedure which took around thirty to forty minutes in total. There was no pain involved, just a strange pulling sensation.

One of the great advantages of Macrolane is that during the procedure the patient can sit up and monitor progress. If more volume is desired overall or in certain areas this can be targeted.

With immediate results I left shortly afterwards, confident and delighted, but still very light headed - a mixture of elation and medication! Over the next few days there was a dull ache from internal bruising which made me nostalgic as it reminded me of my breast feeding days and the feeling of having breasts heavy with milk.

I returned to the clinic a few days later to get them checked over, talk through any concerns and discuss the volume increase. Frequently Macrolane is administered in two stages due to the skin's elasticity and a return visit can be made four to six weeks later if required.

Post care is taken very seriously at RE-ENHANCE and what is very evident at every stage is the attentiveness and care of the staff. Treatments carried out by Dr Martin Kinsella are limited on a daily basis so you are assured of his diligence. This is a family-run business offering a complete personal service and not a conveyor-belt style as is often the case with many larger competitors.

While the result is not a dramatic increase (my cleavage certainly won't stop people on the streets), I am more self assured and positive about my shape, especially when naked and stripped of any padding. And having recently been on holiday I was relieved not to have to pack any gel bikini bras this time and sailed through security without a beep!

EXPERT OPINION

Dr Martin Kinsella is registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) and is also a Member of the British Association of Cosmetic Doctors. Dr Kinsella has built up a practice with a substantial patient base throughout the North West and Yorkshire
(www.re-enhance.com).

"I recommended Macrolane to this patient because she had been very nervous about having breast enhancement procedures in the past and the great thing with Macrolane is that it isn't permanent so the patient is not committing to a lasting change.

Also with the Macrolane procedure you go up just one or two cup sizes which was great for this particular patient as she didn't want to go too big but just wanted increased cleavage and shape."

CS&AM