Beyond Aesthetics: How Dr. Jennifer Harrington Sees Breast Augmentation as Key for Rebuilding Confidence

If you’ve been considering breast augmentation, you may already have run into well-meaning friends telling you that you should accept yourself as you are, and there’s merit to that. However, Dr. Jennifer Harrington has discovered that for many women, breast augmentation leads to an increase in confidence and improved quality of life.

Dr. Harrington is the founder of Harrington + Associates Plastic Surgery, a clinic based in the St. Paul/Minneapolis region. Although she performs cosmetic surgeries on the breasts, body, and face, breast augmentation is one of her most commonly requested procedures.

When some people picture breast augmentation, they imagine women requesting larger-than-life results. But as Dr. Harrington has found, many breast augmentation clients come in asking for subtle changes.

“We're in Minneapolis, Minnesota, not in Miami or Dallas or L.A. or anything like that, so the feel and the vibe are a little bit more natural,” she explains.

Those natural, subtle results often involve relatively minor surgical adjustments. For the women undergoing the procedures, though, they can prompt a major confidence boost.

This is particularly true for women who are insecure about their breasts. Many people think breast augmentation patients are women who feel self-conscious because they believe their breasts are too small. That is indeed the case for some of Dr. Harrington’s patients. However, others are self-conscious about asymmetries or breasts that appear disproportionately large.

While detractors often claim that cosmetic surgery is about vanity, the positive effects of a breast augmentation procedure go far beyond aesthetics.

When a procedure reduces or eliminates insecurities, the patient’s increase in confidence has a ripple effect. Because she feels better about her body, she may have an easier time participating in social activities and meeting new people.

That social confidence can then carry over to the workplace. Self-confidence is palpable, and it could increase the patient’s chances of success in job interviews and networking environments.

For some women, breast augmentation is the final step in a long journey of self-actualization.

After significant weight loss, it’s not uncommon for women to experience permanent breast sagging or loss of volume. These issues can’t be fixed with diet, exercise, or muscle development. When they’re corrected through breast augmentation, the patient will finally have the new and improved physique she’s been working so hard to achieve.

If a woman wants to experience the positive effects of breast augmentation, choosing an experienced surgeon is critical. Because these procedures are common, many people mistakenly believe they’re easy to do.

However, inexperienced surgeons can easily botch a breast augmentation. Even if a patient doesn’t experience dangerous complications like implant rupture, she could end up with results that leave her even more self-conscious than she was before the procedure.Many of Dr. Harrington’s patients are initially drawn to her extensive surgical expertise. In addition to leading Harrington + Associates Plastic Surgery, she also serves as Director of Plastics and Trauma at a leading Level 1 trauma center.

Before starting her own practice, Dr. Harrington completed a rigorous general surgery residency followed by a fellowship in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at a major academic medical institution.

When a patient selects Dr. Harrington to perform her breast augmentation, her increase in confidence often doesn’t come from the surgery alone. Patients come to Harrington + Associates Plastic Surgery looking for world-class, transformative results, which is precisely what they get.

Dr. Harrington knows that to achieve top-quality results, she must optimize the canvas first. That means developing a customized, medical-grade skin care plan for each patient.

“Our whole practice is big on education,” she says. Before planning a patient’s surgery, Dr. Harrington takes the time to explain how the right skin care routine can speed up healing, reduce the risk of infection, and lead to healthy, radiant skin before and after the surgery.

Dr. Harrington has seen firsthand how breast augmentation can make her patients’ confidence soar. However, she makes sure anyone considering the surgery understands that it isn’t a magical cure-all.

A quality breast augmentation can improve confidence, self-esteem, and overall well-being. But if a patient is experiencing problems in her marriage or dissatisfaction with life in general, she shouldn’t expect these issues to evaporate once the procedure has been completed.

Although many women seek breast augmentations for the aesthetic benefits alone, they may be surprised to find that their self-image and general outlook on life improve, too. As Dr. Harrington can tell you, breast augmentation might not be the right choice for every patient who walks through her clinic’s doors. For the right candidate, however, it just might lead to a lifelong sense of empowerment.

BDG Media newsroom and editorial staff were not involved in the creation of this content.