These days, you can find an answer to almost any question on the internet—including information about cosmetic breast enhancement. At Beyond Beautiful, our patients now arrive for consultation well-informed and armed with information. This can be very helpful as the patients are more knowledgeable and the fine nuances of breast augmentation are often more easily understood.

Although helpful in many ways, information found on the internet can be confusing and sometimes misleading. Photos are often the most deceptive. Looking at before and after photos can be greatly helpful to many patients in deciding the size, shape, and profile. However, important patient measurements such as height, weight, chest width, and breast size are often not included. Also, the thickness of breast tissues, which is very important for determining the final breast implant size, is rarely mentioned and can be hard to decipher from a photograph.

Important Implant Sizing Factors

To help best translate the patient’s wishes to reality, there are several things you need to understand about implant size:

Bra Sizing

The bra size, as you know, includes two measurements. The number represents the circumference of the chest wall (in inches) and is normally not altered by breast implants. Sometimes a patient wears a “34” size for comfort, but the actual measurement of chest is “32”. A smaller chest often indicates a need for smaller implants.

As for the cup, there is really no scientific basis for the sizes and they vary among bra manufacturers. While not uniform, the cup size can be a helpful in getting a sense of your approximate goals and we’ll take cup size into account when sizing.

Proportion

During your consultation, we will also measure the base of the breast. This measurement is important in providing you with a proportionate breast line as the diameter of the implant should not exceed the base measurement.

Breast Tissue

The breast tissue thickness is a very important element in deciding the implant size. Patients with thin tissue may not always be able to support larger implants.

Your Best Breasts

We like to emphasize that post-surgery, you will look like yourself, only enhanced. Sometimes patients will bring in photos that have no resemblance to their own anatomy—your consultation is very important because it allows for communication about what is realistically achievable. A decision needs to be made based on your own desires, but also your needs, measurements, and anatomy.

Although the internet provides a great start to your research, consulting with a board certified plastic surgeon is ultimately the best source of information. Dr. Khattab’s expertise can help you decide what implant size is best for you. Please contact Dr. Khattab’s team at Beyond Beautiful to schedule your breast augmentation consultation.