How to Choose Natural-Looking Breast Implants if You are ‘Big Boned’

While we often talk about our breasts in terms of cup size, a woman’s frame and proportions are far more important factors for choosing breast implants. If your shoulders or frame are wide, then what will work on your body won’t have much in common with what works on women who are petite and narrow-chested.

You are smart to do your research, as some basic principles of breast implant sizing will help you as you talk with your surgeon about the look you want. Here is everything you need to know to help you get gorgeous breast augmentation results in proportion with your figure.

How do you choose a breast implant size?

In collaboration with your board certified plastic surgeon, you will choose a breast implant size based on a number of factors. First and foremost, you and your surgeon will discuss the “look” you want. Do you want buxom breasts, or do you want a modest, more natural-looking augmentation? Before and after pictures of patients who resemble you can help at this stage. Then, your surgeon will examine you, considering a number of factors about your body:

• The measurement of your breast base (breast width)
• How wide-set your breasts are
• The width of your shoulders and hips
• Your height, weight, and overall shape
• Your current breast volume
• The quality of your natural breast tissue

Other considerations may come into play during this consultation, too. For example, athletes may want to choose more modestly sized implants for their comfort while active. Or, you may want a certain incision placement or type of implant that will affect your choice of size.

Finally, you will try on breast implant sizers in our office to get a sense of what different sizes look like on you. Once you and your surgeon reach an understanding of the result you want, they will still typically bring a small range of implant sizes into your surgery. This minor amount of leeway allows your surgeon to observe the specifics of your tissues during surgery and, based on that, select the most appropriate implants to achieve your desired look. This also helps surgeons to achieve greater symmetry between the breasts; often, one side will need a slightly larger implant.

What implant is best for broad shoulders?

If you have wide shoulders or a larger frame, you will most likely be happiest with low-profile implants. “Profile” refers to how much projection the implant has: high-profile implants are shaped more like gumdrops (a bit more “pointy”), with more volume projected out from the chest wall. In low-profile implants, volume is evenly distributed throughout the implant, filling out the breasts at the center and edges. Low profile implants tend to create a nice fullness in all directions for women with a wider chest, without needing to add so much volume that they are uncomfortably heavy; high profile implants, on the other hand, typically look more natural on patients with narrow or petite frames. Moderate profile implants are also an option that is ideal for many patients with wider chests.

The key to gorgeous breast augmentation results is breast implants that are in proportion with your figure.

Tall or broad-shouldered women also often find that they are surprised by the high implant volumes we recommend for them. This is normal; if you are tall, you will need a higher breast implant volume (measured in cc’s) to achieve a proportional look.

What should I consider before breast augmentation if I have a larger frame?

The most important choice you make before breast implants is your surgeon; if you have a wide frame, look for a surgeon who has patients who look like you in their before and after gallery—with results you like! Note that surgeons’ online galleries may be limited, but in your initial consultation, your surgeon should be able to show you many more patients with the kind of results you’re looking for. If their aesthetic is not right for you, there is no harm in scheduling a second consultation with another surgeon. Your results are (literally) in your surgeon’s hands, so make your decision with no less than 100% confidence they can give you the results you desire.

How many cc’s is equivalent to a breast cup size?

Bra cup sizing is not scientific, nor is a single “breast cup” on a 42 band size going to hold the same amount of volume as that on a 32 band size. This makes it difficult to use breast cup size to determine the implant volume in cc’s that will be right for you. While you can try to estimate your implant size ahead of time, it’s key to schedule your consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon and try on implant sizers. Each implant has a certain diameter, projection, volume, and fill material, so the best way to get a sense of how all these factors interact in a certain breast implant is to handle real implants and try them out!

Does my weight before breast augmentation matter?

If you are at a stable weight you expect to maintain, your weight before breast augmentation usually doesn’t matter. (You just need to be under a BMI of about 30 to safely undergo surgery.) However, if you are actively losing weight, or expect your weight to fluctuate by more than 15-20 pounds, hold off on surgery until your size and proportions are stable so that your surgeon can give you a gorgeous, proportional result that continues to look stellar far into the future.

Schedule your breast augmentation consultation at The Swan Center in Atlanta

You are not alone in choosing your breast implant size at The Swan Center! Our board certified plastic surgeons take their time and work with you to find the perfect breast implants for your body. From initial consultation to post-operative check-ins, we are on your team every step of the way. To schedule your consultation, call 770-667-0904 or contact us online today.