Okay. So you have decided you are going to do a breast augmentation. One of the choices you need to make is what size?
I often hear “I want it to look natural.” “I want to be proportional.” “I want to be a full B / C / I don’t know.” Great. You have started to think about it.
My girlfriend guide to plastic surgery for breast implants (ie what I tell my girlfriends):
1. Don’t pick out a cup size. I am amazed at how women come in wanting a letter cup size. There is no standard to bra sizing. What is a 34C at Victoria’s Secret, is not at La Perla, Olga, Maidenform, etc etc. What you think is a 34C may not be what I think is one. Focus on what you like when you see it in the mirror. I am stunned some women go to doctors who tell them they, the doctor, will pick the size. Given how many times I have found women totally off on what cup size they think they want, I would strongly discourage this.
2. Photos don’t work. Seeing a photo of a woman who had 300cc implants does not tell you what you will look like. Every woman is different. Lovely, unique, fantastic, and different. Even for a woman of the same height and weight, how broad are your shoulders? Do you have hips? How broad is your chest? Are you muscular? curvy? I have seen a short woman with a 400cc implant look totally proportional, and a taller woman with the same implant look like she needs a new day job.
3. Natural is not a size. I can make a woman look natural and proportional as an A, B, C, D, or even DD cup. Natural has to do with the shape of the breast, how it sits, how it moves. Every surgeon has an aesthetic. I am natural. I have patients who, naked in front of their friends, find their friends can’t tell they have implants. “How do you look so good after 3 kids?”
So, how do you pick?
Try on sizing implants. The only way you know what you like is to SEE it on you. I make all my patients try on sizers with their clothing in the office. Bring in tons of tight tops, particularly high necked ones (nothing makes you as busty as those form fitting turtlenecks). If you work out a lot, or swim, bring in those too. You need to feel comfortable in all of your looks. Most of us are multi-faceted women – we are atheletes, mothers, girls on a Saturday night, and yes, even surgeons. You have to feel comfortable in all areas of your world. And there is no law against wearing a push up bra after you get breast implants if you need a little extra.
The cardinal rule of implants is “you always wish you would have gone bigger.” I never believed that rule when I first heard it. But it is true. One of my patients said “breast implants are like diamond rings, they shrink with time”. They don’t really shrink (neither do the diamonds), but what shocks you at first won’t shock you after a while. I recommend you try out your new size for a while. Stuff your bra prior to surgery. You will get used to seeing yourself with breasts, so if you want to upsize you will do so prior to picking your final size before surgery. Also, others will get used to seeing you with breasts, so they won’t notice the change, and you’ll see if it stirs up any good (or unwanted)attention.
Bigger is not always better. If you have thin skin, are an athelte (particulary the higher impact sports like running), have poor skin tone, are young and want pregnancies/breast feeding in the future, then consider the pros and cons of size. This is an area where your surgeon can help guide you.
Size is an important aspect of breast augmentation. Take your time to decide. This is one area I will not choose for my patients, but I will educate you to make your best decision.