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Breast Augmentation 101: Why Shape Is More Important Than Size
As most of you probably know, one of the top plastic surgery operations is breast augmentation. And, like all things that are consistently popular, the reason for this is that the operation is very effective, it speaks to a need or desire of many women, and the recovery is pretty straight forward.
But one of the real concerns is to know what size implant will be right for you. Let me start by saying that there is no perfect implant size for a given woman but there is a range of sizes that seems to be best for most people. I usually tell my patients that if every one was between a large B cup, and a moderate D cup, I wouldn’t be doing many breast enlargements! Over the years, we have been able to help women understand what size will be good for them.
Why I Don’t Pay Attention To Bra Size
A word about bra sizes. I speak in terms of cup sizes as a very general way of trying to understand what someone wants. But, I never promise a particular cup size, because so many things can affect this: the bra manufacturer (usually you wear a bigger cup at Victoria’s Secret), how you like your bra to fit, and what your chest size is. So, it’s not always easy to get a handle on this and some people will wear something totally different depending upon the style of bra.
Shape: The Most Important Thing
What I do concern myself with is your overall shape. Most women want to be full, but in proportion to the rest of their body. (I don’t get many people saying they want to look like Dolly, or Heidi for that matter.) And to achieve this, we must consider your height, weight, frame size, and overall chest size. More importantly, we need to help you visualize what size works for you. During our consultations, we have our patients put on a bra and then we place different size implants in the bra to help visualize what a certain size will look like. This really takes a lot of the mystery out of the whole process. It allows a woman to understand what a certain size implant will do for them, and it allows me to understand what they are looking for. We will frequently do this more than once, and will ask patients to bring in different tops to try on. Not only is this process really helpful, it’s a lot of fun! (We always have to make sure that no one leaves the office with the sizers still in.) In order to get the same result as the sizer we choose, I always use a slightly larger implant for the actual surgery.
Bigger Isn’t Necessarily Better
There are other considerations. Bigger is not always better. I advise women to go with a good size, but not to overdo it. The larger the implant is, the more obvious it can be. It will also be heavier. And heavier implants place more stress on the tissues and can sometimes stretch things out over time. Also, if you are very athletic, being too large can get in the way.
Many women have heard that people who have had breast enlargements frequently wish they had gone bigger and their advice to women thinking about this is to go bigger. I advise women to go with the size that they are comfortable with (as long as it is in a reasonable range). However, sometimes people get accustomed to a larger size and after time want to go even larger. Again, bigger is not always better.
Not only is breast enlargement one of the top plastic surgery operations performed, it the most common operation that I do. We have helped a lot of women with this process and Mandi and Jill, my nurses, are really good at helping women find a good size for them.
If you are thinking about having this done, grab your favorite tops and come on in to the office! We’re ready to help you out!
David B.
Tags: breast augmentation, breast enlargement, Breast Implants
