Sizing your Breast Augmentation

If you’re opting for breast augmentation, you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common types of plastic surgery. But choosing the right fit for your breast implant size can be overwhelming: You’re redefining the shape of your body, after all. But don’t let the pressure of choosing the perfect measurements take away from the excitement of achieving the frame you know you want. Here are a few simple tips to make the process of picking your perfect size a little bit easier.

Factors to Consider

Before jumping into your surgery, you want to be 100 percent sure that you are certain of the exact size you’d like. You should take a few factors into consideration before making a decision. Here’s what you need to think about.

The Material of Your Implants

The type of implant you’re considering may affect the size you opt for. While silicone and saline implants allow for a bit more size, fat transplant breast augmentation is typically only used on smaller implants. The reason for this is that surgeons are taking fat from elsewhere in your body — almost like liposuction — and they are typically unable to relocate large amounts in a safe and effective way.

The Size You’re Starting With

It’s not practical to go from and A to a DD. Too drastic of a change could cause stretch marks or scarring. Going up a cup size or two will give your skin and body a chance to adjust to its new size. Remember, you can always continue to increase your breast size, so there’s no need to jump all in at once.

Your Workout Routine

If you’re an avid runner or partake in another type of exercise that involves a lot of bouncing and movement, you may want to steer clear of over sized implants. Not only do larger breasts often result in pain during excessive exercise, but large amounts of added weight to your chest may also result in back pain or chaffing. While a great sports bra can help you avoid the majority of the discomfort, you may want to consider increasing a couple cup sizes instead of a more dramatic number.

Your Natural Appearance

It’s fairly obvious to the naked eye that DD-size breasts don’t typically come on an extremely petite woman. Some women are okay with that, and you may be too, but if appearing natural is an important factor in your breast augmentation, it’s important to remain within a couple to a few cup sizes of your natural size.

Questions to Ask Your Surgeon

There’s no doubt about it: This is a big decision, and if you feel intimidated, you’re not alone. Luckily, your doctor can help answer questions for you that will hopefully make your choice a little bit easier. These are a few questions you may want to consider asking.

• Realistically speaking, what would be a safe and comfortable amount to increase?
• What are the pros and cons of each implant material? How do those affect the size of my implants?
• What is the largest I could go up in size while still maintaining a natural look?
• Do you have any tips to help ensure minimal scarring?
• Is there anything else I should be aware of?

Tip: Bring in photos of celebrities or friends whose shape you admire. This will help the doctor gain a better sense of the body-to-breast ratio you’re hoping to achieve. Above all, remember that this is your body and your choice. You know which size will make you most happy, and your surgeon can help guide you to the right decision.