Breast augmentation surgery has remained as one of the most popular cosmetic surgeries over the last several decades.
If you’re looking for larger breasts or even a breast reduction, choosing the right size of breast implants is a common question among patients.
In this post, we are going to guide you on choosing the right breast implant size and shape for your body type.
Are breast implants the right choice for you?
There are several reasons for getting breast implants:
- They can improve breast shape, fullness and size if you are unhappy with your bra cup size.
- They can restore the volume of your natural breast tissue after weight loss or pregnancy.
- They can balance the size of your breasts and improve correct asymmetry in cases where the breasts differ in size or shape.
- Breast augmentation can be performed alongside other procedures such as tummy tuck and liposuction.
Apart from enhancing your body contour, breast augmentations are also performed in reconstructive surgery.
- Breast implants are in important factor in mastectomy cases (removal or partial removal of the breasts) to restore patients’ breasts.
- Breast implant surgery may also performed in cases where a patient’s breasts are damaged due to injury or trauma.
- Breast implants can also correct breasts that are deformed due to birth defects and abnormalities.
If you have sagging or droopy breasts, implants alone may not fix that; you may have to undergo a breast augmentation along with a breast lift to correct sagging breasts.
How to choose the correct size for your breast implant
Unlike traditional bra measurements, breast implant sizes are measured in cubic centimeters (cc).
The range of the sizes is between 100-1000 cc with the average implant size being 300-400 cc.
For your reference, 1 cc is equal to approximately 1 ml or 0.3 oz.
Knowing the correct implant size for your body is very, very important.
It’s important to understand that due to variations in your body shape and chest wall size, you may not necessarily be able to achieve the cup size that you want for medical reasons. Breast implant sizing is a highly personalised decision that needs to be discussed with your liposuction expert or doctor if you’re undergoing a mastectomy.
Hence, it is best to consult with a qualified professional to set out realistic goals and expectations for your breast augmentation surgery.
Factors to determine your breast implant size
- Your body frame and structure: If you have a petite body, large breast sizes are not suitable for you (and vice versa). Breast size, particularly in relation to body frame, can influence physical comfort and posture, and it’s important to consider this when choosing implant size. Also, if you’re going for a natural look, having large breast implants may cause your body to look out of proportion.
- Your aesthetic goals: Every woman has an ideal breast size. Your implant profile will be determined by how you want to look. If you have small breasts and want them to be noticeably bigger, you may choose a larger size whereas if correcting asymmetry is your goal then a smaller implant (150cc) is all that’s needed.
- Your personality and public perception: Another important factor to consider is how you will be viewed or perceived after the operation. Your friends and family may have mixed reactions to your new breasts. If you have a high profile job, you might attract more attention in public, this can make you uneasy if you are not used to it.
Although the final decision is yours, it is best to consult your doctor and your trusted friends and family before deciding which is the best breast implant choice for you.
Type of breast implants
After you’ve decided on your desired bra cup size, you should know that there are different types of breast implants.
Breast implants are usually classified into two types: silicone gel-based and saline-based.
Many doctors prefer silicone gel implants for several reasons:
- Silicone gel implants are less prone to rippling (wave-like patterns on your breasts)
- Silicone gel implants will stay in shape even if it leaks which is not the case with saline implants
- Silicone gel implants are designed to mimic the look and feel of natural breast tissue, though perceptions of naturalness can vary.
As always, it is best to consult with your liposuction expert to select the right breast implant size for your needs.
You can head over to our information page on breast augmentation which contains plenty of valuable information on the different implant shapes to suit your body type.
Tips for choosing the right size for your breast implants
- Your doctor is your best friend. There are no wrong questions. In fact, it’s better to know too much about breast implant surgery than not enough, especially when it comes to selecting the best breast implant for you.
- Just like with getting a haircut, showing your doctor how you want to look like better than describing it verbally. Your liposuction expert may be highly experienced; however, they may not fully understand the look you’re after until they see it. A photo of your ideal breast size or shape can be very effective at getting your point across.
- Keep in mind that cup size may not be the best way to describe your desired size. Furthermore, cup sizes vary between manufacturers so going with the industry standard of cubic centimeters is the best choice.
- Breast implant samples or sizers are available at most cosmetic surgery clinics. These samples will help you to determine your preferred choice without any guesswork.
- You can bring friends or family members along to help you decide your implant size. Validation from people that you trust is going to help you to look better in the long run. At the end of the day, whether your choose a larger size or smaller implant, you should be personally happy with your new breasts.
- Read up on reviews or cosmetic surgery forums to understand the perspectives of patients who have actually undergone breast augmentations. You may come across valuable nuggets of information that are unique from a patient’s experience.
- Consider the future when choosing your breast implant size. What is attractive to you now may not be as desirable in the future.At the same time, breast implants last a long time but they do not last forever. So, you’ll have to keep in mind about the potential effects of your breast augmentation in 20 or 30 years ahead.
An alternative to breast implants – Breast fat transfer
As an alternative to silicone or saline implants, some consider a fat transfer procedure for breast augmentation, though it’s important to discuss the suitability and potential outcomes with a medical professional. It’s a great way to improve your breast shape and give you your ideal breasts.
The procedure enhances your own breast tissue by using your own body fat from areas such as stomach, thighs and hips to enlarge and augment your natural breasts. The advantages of this procedure include:
- Little to no scarring
- Faster recovery periods
- A more natural breast in appearance
For more information on breast fat transfers, head over to our resource page which contains valuable info for you to make a choice.
Further information
Our information page contains a ton of valuable knowledge and information on breast implants and cosmetic surgeries in general.
We welcome you to check it out by clicking on this link.
You can contact us through this page for consultations or call us at 1300 138 797 to get in touch with our team of experts for further information.