Breast implant size is measured in cubic centimeters and is listed by a number in front of “cc.” When you talk to your surgeon about your goals for your breast implant surgery, you will get the opportunity to try out different sizes during your consultation. The right size for your procedure will vary depending on several factors like how you’d like to look after the surgery, your daily activities, lifestyle factors and what your plastic surgeon recommends. By going through these steps and collaborating with your doctor throughout the process, you improve your chances of getting a breast implant surgery outcome that you’ll love.

Your Desired Breast Implant Appearance

One of the best ways to figure out your desired appearance with breast implants is to think about size, breast proportions, shape and positioning. When you consider these factors going into your consultation you give the surgeon a clear idea of what you have in mind, which can reduce confusion.

Size isn’t the only appearance-related decision you will need to make. Do you want your new breasts to stay in the same position on your chest as the old ones, or would you rather move them around? Do you like a specific breast shape, or would you prefer to leave that up to the surgeon? More breast implant size decisions include the perkiness of your breasts and how much cleavage you want when you’re wearing bras and low-cut shirts.

During the sizing session with your surgeon, we recommend bringing a friend with you to get a second opinion on the shapes and breast implant sizes that work best for you. Step outside of your comfort level and try on some options that may fall beyond your preferred range to fully understand your options.

Symmetry is another factor to keep in mind when considering breast implant sizes. Many women’s natural breasts have uneven sizes, so the surgeon can either keep that style for you or correct the symmetry with implants designed to accommodate the disparity.

Forget about using cup size as a basis for your breast implant sizes decision. Fashion designers lack a standardized method for measuring this, so you could end up giving inaccurate information to the surgeon. Plus, a C cup on a shorter woman looks significantly different in size and shape than one on a tall woman.

The larger the breast implant sizes, the more likely it is that you will experience sagging. If you want high, pert breasts, you should request smaller implants that are proportionate to your body.

How Your Lifestyle is Affected

The activities you enjoy in your day-to-day life should play a critical role in your decision on breast implant sizes. You want to have a good size that doesn’t get in the way of your favorite hobbies, as you don’t want to be unhappy with your breasts after surgery or end up with back pain.

Athletes, in particular, need to pay close attention to the breast implant sizes they want. Since you spend so much time being physically active and putting a lot of strain on your breasts, you will want a smaller size that can hold up to your exercise. You also want breasts that won’t get in the way of exercise, allowing you to be comfortable and not end up in pain.

If you lead a more sedate lifestyle, you will have fewer problems with larger breast implant sizes. Another lifestyle factor to consider is your clothing style. Do you love wearing low-cut dresses when you go out for a night on the town? Bigger sizes with lots of cleavage would look great. Are you a fan of button-down shirts and blazers at work? Smaller sizes help you avoid the dreaded button gap in professional clothing.

Other Factors Influencing Your Ideal Breast Implant Sizes

Your current breast size can act as a limiting factor to the overall breast implant sizes. You physically need enough breast tissue to accommodate your intended size. It’s possible that you may not be able to get the exact size you want, but it may work out better overall for your frame. If you have broader shoulders, you can typically accommodate larger breast implant sizes.

If you’re planning a pregnancy within the next few years, you may want to wait until afterward to get your breast implants. Breast milk and hormones will cause your breasts to grow, and you will have a better chance of choosing breast implant sizes to last over the long term.

The type of implant also influences breast implant sizes and shapes. The teardrop implant emulates a natural breast shape by being smaller at the top and fuller at the bottom, while the round implant is a circle shape.

Breast implants should fulfill your desires for your appearance and your lifestyle. When you collaborate with your plastic surgeon to pick the right size, shape, implant type and position for your implant, you end up with a result that you’ll be satisfied with for years. Choosing breast implant sizes can be a difficult process when you take everything into consideration, but you’ll be happy with the time you spent on this part of the process after the surgery.

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Dr. Cohen

About Dr. Cohen

Dr. Cohen specializes in breast lifts, augmentations, revisions and reductions as well as breast cancer reconstructions. A long time dream of Dr. Cohen’s was to travel to developing countries and provide expert surgical care to those who have no other possible access to medical care. This became a reality in 2007 when she became a founding member and Vice President of ISMS Operation Kids.