Your Ultimate Guide to Choosing Breast Implants
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Implants for Every Body
Thousands of breast implants are chosen every month by women interested in breast augmentation. Breast enlargement with implants is the most common plastic surgery in the United States, and it’s not difficult to see why.
Enhancement with implants offers much more to the breasts than just an increase in size. It also allows for better shape, symmetry, and balance with the rest of the body. And, in reality, getting breast augmentation is simple and relatively easy to recover from.
The most difficult part is that you need to choose your implants.
Why Implant Selection Matters
It’s easy to look at your breasts and say, “I want them bigger,” or “I want them rounder.” However, choosing the right implant for you goes far beyond those statements.
When choosing an implant, it is important to determine the size and implant characteristics to achieve your desired results.
You must decide whether you want a natural-appearing or an augmented-appearing breast. More specifically, do you want to have natural breasts in daily clothing or augmented-looking breasts in evening gowns and swimsuits?
This determination is the first and most important thing to consider when planning your breast augmentation. Once you decide that, you can move on to the next step: choosing an implant for your body type.
Choosing Implants for Natural Augmentation
Choosing Implants for Petite Body Frames
Choosing Implants for Broad Shoulders
Choosing Implants for Active Lifestyles
Choosing Implants for Natural Augmentation
If you desire a natural-appearing breast, you have to choose an implant with a diameter that is less than or equal to the width of the breast.
Implants are measured in cubic centimeters (cc’s). However, within that size, there is another specification: implant profile. The profile measures the width of the base versus the height (projection) of the implant.
In truth, the implant profile means much more to your body than cc’s do because the profile determines how that implant fits onto your chest wall.
If you look at the image above, the implants shown have the same cc volume; however, as you can see, they have vastly different shapes. This is because they are tailored to specific body shapes and aesthetic preferences.
Implant profile (offered with both saline and silicone-filled implants) can be altered to achieve the volume you desire while maintaining a natural breast appearance.
While saline or silicone and round or teardrop-shaped can provide natural-looking results, it is commonly believed that anatomically shaped (teardrop) silicone implants will have the most natural look and feel.
Choosing Implants for Petite Body Frames
It should seem fairly obvious that a breast implant used on a woman who is 5’1” is not going to be the same size/style of implant used on a woman who is 5’9”.
As mentioned above, the implant profile is extremely important in finding the right implant for a petite body frame.
Someone petite will very likely have a narrower chest wall. If this describes you, you will need to choose an implant with a smaller base.
Again, both saline or silicone and round or teardrop implants can be chosen.
Choosing Implants for Broad Shoulders
Just like a petite woman should choose an implant with a narrower breast, a woman with broad shoulders should choose an implant with a wider base.
Women with larger chest walls commonly choose implants with a greater volume of cc’s (essentially, a larger implant) because the implant needs to cover a larger area. Blending projection with implants balanced with your body frame is essential for a successful breast augmentation.
Choosing Implants for Active Lifestyles
Many athletes desire the results offered through breast augmentation but wonder if implants will interfere with their lifestyle. The answer is: not at all.
Breast implants come in all sizes, ranging from a subtle improvement to a major makeover. If you are an “active” person, such as an athlete or someone who participates in vigorous exercise and activity several days a week, a major makeover is not going to be right for you.
More active women should choose implants that are small to moderate in size. Selecting implants that are “too large” can impede your movement and make specific exercises and activities more difficult, if not impossible.
Additionally, if you have a smaller body frame, the added weight and volume of large breasts can interfere with your movements and become uncomfortable. While active and athletic women can have excellent results, you want to make sure that your implants will not affect arm movement, posture, or balance.
Activity Levels and Implant Placement
Breast implants can be inserted either above or below the pectoral muscle. For active women, subglandular placement (above the muscle) or submuscular placement (below the muscle) can be used, as either will allow for flexibility and the ability to participate in the activities you love.
Professional Bodybuilders
Subglandular implant placement is recommended for female bodybuilders because this placement doesn’t affect muscle function. With placement above the muscle, you will still be able to participate in your normal chest exercises without implant distortion when flexing.
Additionally, this placement allows for less downtime and pain during the recovery process, allowing bodybuilders to get back to their workout routines faster than submuscular placement.
Want to Learn More About Implants?
Dr. Wilson has his patients place anatomic sizers in their bras during the consultation to allow them to choose their implant size. By carefully listening to his patients, Dr. Wilson can customize breast augmentations to achieve the size and shape his patients’ desire.
During this consultation, Dr. Wilson will determine if you are a candidate for breast augmentation or a combination breast augmentation and breast lift.
Contact Wilson Plastic Surgery in Huntsville, Alabama, for more information or to schedule a consultation. You can also call us at (256) 551-2002.