Choosing the Appropriate Breast Implant
Are you considering breast augmentation? If so, you may be turned off by those who have very obviously gotten a “boob job.”
This is why it’s so important to do the research and find a board-certified plastic surgeon who will guide you in choosing the appropriate breast implant for your body type.
There are several considerations.
The Proper Profile
The appropriate breast implant is going to give you the cleavage you desire. Thus, the base diameter of the breast is the most important measurement for breast implant fitting.
Once you choose the volume, then the surgeon will choose the implant profile based on that along with the base width.
To break it down, a low implant profile is going to be wider and have less projection. A moderate implant profile will be a little more narrow and have a slightly higher projection. A high implant profile means it will be even narrower and with more projection.
For patients who select a very full volume, there are also extra high profile implants that increase projection while narrowing the width so the implant can fit in the patient’s anatomical base width.
Choosing the Appropriate Breast Implant
If you’re confused, that’s okay. We’ll clarify it further.
Say that you choose a 300 cc (cubic centimeter) implant. That would be the volume portion of the equation. So that 300 cc implant is going to be available in a low profile, medium profile, and high profile. The higher or taller the profile, the narrower the width will be.
If you naturally have narrow breasts and choose a larger cc implant, your board-certified plastic surgeon will choose a higher profile with a narrower base width to fit the implant on the breast. This is because a low profile is shorter in projection and wider in width for that same volume. A low implant profile would likely hang off the side of the chest in a narrow patient.
On the flip side, if you tend to have wider breasts, the surgeon would choose a low or moderate implant profile so there is not a large gap between the breasts that would be created from a high profile narrow implant. In this case, the implant would fill the base width appropriately.
Now that you’ve got a grasp of implant profiles, the other consideration will be material.
Silicone or Saline?
Fortunately, you don’t have to decide between too many different options when it comes to material. You have either silicone or saline. And there is little to no discernible difference between the appearance of breasts augmented with silicone implants over those with saline implants.
They both involve a silicone shell that is either smooth or textured.
With silicone implants, the shell comes already filled from the manufacturer and the implant is then placed. With a saline implant, the silicone shell is first inserted into the body and then filled with saline to meet the desired volume. Each one requires the same size incision.
Choosing between silicone and saline implants is easier once you have a thorough examination and then sit down with your surgeon to discuss which option is better for you.
It should also be noted that because breasts continue to develop in women until they are in their late teens or early 20s, the FDA requires that women be at least 18 years old to get saline implant breast augmentation and at least 22 years of age to receive silicone implants.
Don’t Think of It As a Boob Job!
Breast augmentation can be a life-changer.
Choosing the appropriate breast implant comes down to working with an experienced and caring staff that will see you through every step of the process.
So contact us today to discuss the best options for your breast augmentation. And experience the confidence that comes with full and natural-looking breasts.