The decision to have breast augmentation is a personal one. Women decide to have the surgery for a wide range of reasons, from wanting to restore volume to their breasts after weight loss, pregnancy or breastfeeding, to wanting to enhance a naturally small chest. While women might differ in their reasons for wanting the surgery, they often share one concern: many women want implants that look and feel natural.
Back in the day, it was often easy to tell when a woman had implants. But advances in materials, technique and technology mean that more and more women are getting a natural-looking result. Several things about an implant determine how natural they look and feel.
Implant Size
Breast augmentation is all about proportion. One way to make sure proportions are even is to choose implants that are the right size. During your breast augmentation consultation, your surgeon will help you choose the right sized implants based on your current breast size and your body type. The amount of breast tissue you have and the width of your chest also play a role in determining what size looks natural. You’ll be able to try on sizers during your consultation to get an idea of how a particular size will look and feel.
Implant Shape
Implant shape also plays a role when it comes whether the final result looks natural or not. Usually, implants are either round or teardrop shaped. The round implants tend to make the breasts look full and round on the top, a look that many associate with fake looking breasts. In contrast, teardrop shaped implants are designed to imitate the natural shape of the breast. The one drawback of teardrop implants is that you can usually tell if they shift position or turn over after being placed, as it will affect the way the breast looks.
The profile of the implant is related to the shape. Generally speaking, implants can be low, medium or moderate, or high profile. High profile implants tend to be pointy and narrow and often create a rounded look at the top of the breast. Moderate and low profile implants are usually wider and create a fuller look overall. Whether one profile looks more natural on you or not depends in part on your body type and the natural shape of your breasts.
Implant Material
As a general rule, you’re likely to get a more natural result from silicone implants rather than saline implants. There are several reasons for that. For one thing, silicone implants tend to feel more like real breast tissue than saline. Saline implants tend to feel firm to the touch. They also tend to be more visible beneath the skin. Depending on the thickness of your skin, it is sometimes possible to see the edges of a saline implant rippling beneath it.
Implant Placement
Where the surgeon places the implants during the surgery is another thing that influences whether or not your results look natural. Usually, the implants are placed either under the muscle or above the muscle. A third option, known as DualPlane, partially covers the implants with muscle.
Whether under the muscle or over the muscle placement creates a more natural appearance depends on a number of factors. Women who naturally have a fair amount of breast tissue might be better suited to having the implants placed on top of the muscle. If you have very little natural breast tissue, it’s common for a surgeon to recommend putting the implants under the muscle. The extra layer created by the muscle helps the implants to be less visible beneath the skin.
Schedule Your Consultation Today
To learn more about how to get a natural result from breast augmentation and implants, contact the Aesthetic Surgery Center to book an appointment with Dr. Ross, one of our plastic surgeons. Our surgeons have been featured on many of the major news networks, including ABC, NBC, Wink TV, and FOX, as recognized experts on a variety of plastic surgery topics. Dr. Agarwal, Dr. Maloney, and Dr. Ross believe that educating and communicating with their patients are the keys to helping them achieve successful, natural-looking results. Book your appointment at the Aesthetic Surgery Center, located at 1175 Creekside Parkway #100 in Naples, FL, by calling 239-594-9100.