HOW BIG DO YOU WANT TO GO?
Ah, the age old question. When doing a breast augmentation, how do you choose the size of your implant or change you want? Cup sizes are NOT a good way. As you can see in my prior blogs, there is no standard to bra sizing. What is a C up in one brand may be a B or D in another. And what you think is a C cup may not be.
There was a study done which showed the best way to choose a size is to try on sizers. When you come to my Palo Alto office, I have you try on gel sizing implants. But gel sizers are very expensive, and you can’t take them home. The “chicken cutlets” and padding bought in stores doesn’t have a size on them. So is there a way to figure it out?
The answer is yes. It is easy. Cheap. And even gluten free.
THE RICE TEST
You will need:
- pantyhose sock
- rice
- measuring cup
- sports bra (if doing an implant behind the muscle) or non padded simple bra. (if doing fat transfer or implant in front of the muscle)
Measure rice into the pantyhose. Do not make the rice tight- you want the rice to be able to spread out to conform to your breast. Then sew off the end of the pantyhose. (ziplock baggies do not work well because they have edges and don’t conform as well.)
Conversion rate:
1 cup = 236cc
1/2 cup = 118cc
3/4 cup = 177cc
1/4 cup = 59cc
1/3 cup = 78cc
2/3 cup = 156cc
1/8 cup = 30cc
I recommend wearing them around a lot to get used to them. Try them on with different outfits, particularly light colored form fitting shirts with high necks (like a tight crew neck tshirt). You want to feel comfortable in all of your looks. It is not uncommon to “get used” to the size, so what looks shocking at first doesn’t after a little bit.
If you are doing an implant under the muscle, you need to wear it with a tight sports bra to mimic the compression caused by the muscle during surgery. Do not wear with a padded or shaped bra- it will give you false information on what the size looks like. Wear it with a simple non structured, non padded bra.
So get measuring! Wear it around. It is a very helpful exercise to pick the right size.