If you are considering breast augmentation, the chances are good that you are already thinking in terms of implant size. That is a natural starting point for most women. While there are many other factors that go into the overall appearance of the breasts after augmentation surgery, including the shape, filling material, and profile of the implant, size most certainly does matter. It is a choice that will profoundly influence your post-surgical life, and Dr. Erik J. Miles would be pleased to provide you with the expert guidance you need to make a confident decision regarding breast implant size at his Charlotte, NC plastic surgery practice.
Ultimately, however, Dr. Miles can only provide guidance and make recommendations. The decision as to implant size is a personal one that must be made by the patient, based on the advice of Dr. Miles. Dr. Miles will make every effort to satisfy a patient’s goals for breast size. Many patients enter their consultations believing they have a certain goal in terms of the size of their breast implants, but emerge with different, yet more definitive ideas in mind. That’s the power of patient education.
If you would like to know more about your options regarding breast implant size, please contact North Charlotte Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery to schedule your initial consultation with Dr. Miles today.
How are breast implants measured?
Cup sizes are somewhat variable. Sometimes patients have two bras that fit the same, but are different cup sizes due to manufacturer inconsistencies. Some patients actually have one breast that is a different cup size that the other breast. Lastly, many women are wearing the wrong cup size because they have never been accurately measured. So it is important to note that breast implants are not measured in terms of cup sizes, but rather in terms of volume (cubic centimeters, or CCs). Therefore, you cannot look at a woman who has undergone breast augmentation and deduce from her appearance the size of breast implants she had placed.
Consider, for example, that two women turned to Dr. Miles with requests for 350cc breast implants. One of these women had relatively small natural breasts (let’s say 34A) while the other had larger natural breasts (let’s say 34C). To the casual observer, it might be reasonable to conclude that the first patient had smaller implants placed than the second patient. From all appearances, this would seem to be the case, even though both patients had implants of exactly the same size placed. In the end, both patients achieved very different results in terms of cup sizes.
Although many patients have an idea about desired breast implant size prior to their consultation, it is not necessary to know this information. In fact their opinions change in many cases after meeting with Dr. Miles. With so many options for breast implant size, shape, and projection, the most important factor is to select an implant that best fits the patient’s chest dimensions and skin coverage. The goal is to achieve a desired breast size and shape, not to simply receive a specific implant size.
Come into Your Consultation with Examples of How You Want Your Breasts to Look
Part of ensuring your satisfaction with your breast augmentation results is establishing realistic expectations from the initial consultation. You are encouraged to bring in photos of women whose breasts you admire and whose figures you would like to emulate, as long as you realize that these photos are meant simply to provide Dr. Miles with examples and that you will not emerge from surgery looking like the women in these photos. Breast augmentation cannot recreate other people’s breasts, even in terms of size. However, by providing Dr. Miles with photographic examples of breasts you admire, you can give him a sense of the body proportions to which you aspire. This will help him to advise you and hone in on the exact size of implant that will suit you best.
Do the Rice Test before Your Consultation
Here’s an old trick that might help you approach your consultation with Dr. Miles with a certain degree of confidence. Cut off the legs of a pair of pantyhose and tie off the ends. Fill the pantyhose with dry, uncooked rice according to the following chart:
- 1 cup = approximately 250 CCs
- ½ cup = approximately 125 CCs
- ¼ cup = approximately 75 CCs
Place the pantyhose in a sports bra and adjust until you are satisfied with you look and feel. While this is far from a foolproof method of determining the size of implant you will want, there is certainly no harm in doing the rice test, and it could at least give you some idea of what you hope to achieve through breast augmentation before arriving at your consultation.
During your consultation, you will have the opportunity to try on “sizers,” which will give you a more accurate idea of how you will look and feel with implants of various sizes.
Keep Your Lifestyle in Mind
As you consider your breast implant options, do bear in mind that larger breasts can make certain activities more difficult. If you lead an active, athletic lifestyle, you will want to be somewhat conservative in terms of the size of implant you select. Otherwise, you may find yourself having to adjust your athletic regimen.
Know Your Overall Aesthetic Goals and Stick to Them
While there is an obvious temptation to “think big” when undergoing breast augmentation, you should enter into surgery with clear aesthetic goals and abide by them. Do you want to achieve a natural appearance? Do you want to bring your contours into improved balance and harmony? Is your goal to complement your body’s frame or to call attention to your chest?
Ultimately, these are personal questions that only you can answer. It is important that you answer them honestly and understand that you are making a decision that will influence the rest of your life, even if you someday elect to undergo breast implant revision surgery.
Make Yourself Happy
In the end, whatever size of breast implant you choose, make yourself happy. Choose the size that pleases you – not your friends, not your significant other, not even Dr. Miles, but you. Be open minded and receptive to advice, particularly Dr. Miles’ expert recommendations, but go with the decision that will make you smile when you look in the mirror each day in the end. It is understandable that many women are concerned about being “too big,” however keep in mind that patients often wish they had chosen a slightly larger implant.
Learn More about How to Choose Breast Implant Size
For further information about how to choose the right size of breast implant, please contact North Charlotte Cosmetic & Reconstructive Surgery today.