Virtual reality technology is being used to allow women to preview their boob jobs before going under the knife.
A handful of clinics in the UK are using “boob goggles,” or 3D plastic surgery simulators, to allow women to try before they buy.
Gerard Lambe, a consultant plastic surgeon at the Reflect Clinic in Manchester and a spokesman for British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, is one of those surgeons offering the service.
They can be used to show what a woman’s breast would look like if they were made bigger or smaller.
Gerard, who has been using the technology for a year, told The Sun Online: “They have been a huge advance, in my eyes.
“I have been doing plastic surgery for a long time and augmentation [making them bigger] was a bit in the stone age.
“You would have three or four sizes (of implants) that would just get stuffed in a bra and the woman would say it looks OK or it doesn’t.
“This software allows you to show what a round implant would look like as opposed to a tear drop one, it allows you to simulate what it would look like under the muscle and under the muscle.
“In every single patient I have had so far none of them have said they don’t look like the simulation afterwards.”
Gerard added that the technology also simulates corrective surgery.
“It allows you to simulate a reduction in volume, or removing an implant, moving the nipple up or down, showing scars, putting different sized implants on each side.
“I’ve just recently done a revision on a woman after breast cancer who had a very bad job done on the opposite side by a breast surgeon and I was able to simulate changing the size and correcting the skin and she found it really helpful because she was very distressed about it.”
The goggles were even featured in an episode of Real Housewives of Cheshire this week.
WAG Dawn Ward took her daughters, Darby, 21, a singer and Taylor, 19, a model, for a consult.
Taylor explained that one of her boobs is smaller than other and that this is something she would love “evening out”.
Dawn admitted she is fully supportive of her daughters, especially since they want a natural look – unlike when she had her own boobs job years ago and the look was huge “Baywatch” boobs.
Gerard added: “By offering patients the opportunity to use the state-of-the-art Crisalix virtual reality visors there is greater confidence pre-surgery that they are making the right decision for the body size.
“By looking in a virtual-reality mirror, this technology allows patients to see their post-surgery breasts before I perform the operation.
“This gives assurance to my patients, which is of utmost importance to me.”
The googles were developed by Swiss-based tech company, Crisalix.
They can also simulate other cosmetic and reconstructive surgeries tummy tucks and even botox injections.
To check where you can use the technology in the UK visit the Crisalix website here.