When planning the details of a breast augmentation, many women are ultra-focused on what they want their final size and shape to be. While these are important considerations, you will need to first take into account the natural size and shape of your breasts in order to choose the most appropriate breast enhancement options for your needs and goals.
To help you better understand how to pick your breast implants, take a look at these four characteristics that can influence your final breast augmentation results.
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Profile
Breast implant profile refers to how far away from your body your implants will project. For example, a high-profile implant will stick out from your chest the farthest, creating a very dramatic, push-up bra type of look.
Low-profile implants, on the other hand, project the least and can therefore be a good choice for women who already have a larger amount of natural breast tissue and are looking for a more modest, natural look. A moderate profile is right in between, making this option a popular choice for lots of women.
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Size
Vectra 3-D imaging lets women virtually try on different implant sizes to better visualize what their final results might look like.
When trying to decide on the right size of implant for your breast augmentation, try not to focus too much on your bra cup size. Instead, implants are measured in cubic centimeters (cc’s) of volume, as cup sizes do not come in uniform measurements.
This is another instance when your natural anatomy can come into play. If you’re looking for a very large implant, your plastic surgeon will want to make sure that you have enough natural breast tissue to cover your implants.
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Type
The two main types of implants are saline and silicone, and the best choice for you will depend on a number of factors, including your natural breast shape and size and your goals.
One of the benefits of saline implants is that they are filled with a sterile saline solution after the shell is placed inside the breast pocket, so the incisions are typically a little smaller than with silicone implants, which come pre-filled. However, petite women or women with very little natural breast tissue may notice a rippling effect with saline implants.
Many women find that silicone breast implants offer a natural look and feel, and this option can be great for women of all shapes and sizes. One of the drawbacks to this type of implant is that you’ll need an MRI to detect any possible ruptures down the road.
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Placement
Finally, you’ll want to discuss the best implant placement option with your plastic surgeon prior to your breast enhancement procedure. Your implants can be placed either under your chest muscles and natural breast tissue (submuscular) or over your chest muscles and under your breast tissue (subglandular).
Women with smaller amounts of natural breast tissue may see better results with submuscular placement, while very athletic women may opt for subglandular implant placement.
The best way to determine which of these four main breast augmentation options could be best for your situation is to schedule a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon who can listen to your goals and assess your natural body shape. He or she should then be able to recommend the preferred options to best suit your needs.
At Pacifica Center for Plastic Surgery, Dr. Daniel G. Kolder, M.D. has established one of the most reputable plastic surgery practices in Southern California. The practice draws patients from Camarillo, Simi Valley, Oxnard, Los Angeles, Malibu, Santa Barbara, Westlake Village, Thousand Oaks and all of Ventura County.
