Choosing the Most Natural-Looking Breast Implants

If you are considering breast implants, you probably have ideas about how big you would like to go. The question is, will it look natural on your body frame? A surgeon can tell you what is realistic and help you choose the appropriate breast implant size for your needs. Choosing a natural-looking breast implant involves more than selecting a size. With Dr. Stark as your guide, you will receive help deciding the shape, material, profile, and placement that works for you. This article summarizes a few key points of what you need to know to choose the most natural-looking implants.

Breast Implant Material Options

All breast implants have a silicone shell, but the filling can be either saline water or silicone gel. There is no question that silicone implants feel more natural than the saltwater variety. They are also less likely to ripple. However, saline breast implants can be a natural-looking option for women with a substantial amount of natural breast tissue since they cost less. 

Breast Implant Shape Options

Breast implants come in two shapes: teardrop and round. The implant shape determines the overall contour of the breast, noticed most dramatically when viewed from the side. Teardrop breast implants are sloped and have more fullness at the bottom, resembling the shape of natural breasts. Round breast implants have equal fullness on the bottom and top.

When appropriately sized, both options can look extremely natural. However, round implants can look artificial if they are too big for the patient. If you desire a natural-looking result, a teardrop implant or a small round implant may be the right choice. Teardrop implants won’t provide as much upper pole fullness or cleavage as round implants. If your upper breasts have lost volume after breastfeeding, you might want to consider round implants.

Breast Implant Profile Options

The profile can also affect whether the breast implants look natural. The implant profile determines how far the implants project forward. As you can imagine, a high-profile implant offers more forward projection than a low-profile implant.

Patients interested in a natural-looking result usually want to avoid the torpedo look. Therefore, if you do not want your breasts to look “fake,” you might want to avoid an ultra-high-profile implant. Many patients do well with moderate-profile implants, which offer a tasteful amount of forward projection.

While you may have an idea of your preferences, there is something else to consider. Your chest wall width matters just as much as your aesthetic preferences. If you have an exceptionally narrow chest, you may need a higher implant profile since this style has a narrow base. Women with wider-than-average chests may require a low implant profile, which has a wider base. The volume measurement can be adjusted to avoid an unnatural result. Dr. Stark will measure your chest, listen to your goals, and provide personalized recommendations.

Breast Implant Placement Options

Placing breast implants below the muscle is a wise choice for flat-chested women and those with minimal natural breast tissue. The pectoralis major muscle provides a thin layer of coverage and helps taper the upper part of the implant, so it more closely resembles a natural breast. Submuscular implants are less likely to ripple—a dead giveaway of augmented breasts.

Subglandular placement, or placing the implant above the muscle, is a less invasive technique. This option works for women with adequate natural breast tissue, which helps to conceal the implant so the edges are not visible through the skin.

Subfascial breast implant placement is a newer approach that offers many of the same benefits as under-the-muscle implants but doesn’t require cutting into the muscle.

Breast Implant Sizing Options

Breast implants are not measured in bra cup sizes. Instead, they are measured in cubic centimeters of volume or CCs. For a natural-looking outcome, patients should choose an implant of an appropriate size for their body. Going too big can look unnatural.

However, it’s not quite that simple. A 300 CC implant will look very different on different women. Patients with large natural breasts may find a 300 CC implant yields a subtle increase in size. Flat-chested women that choose the same implant size may start to look artificial. It all depends on how much breast tissue you have to start out with.

Dr. Stark will help you determine the ideal breast implant size by listening to your goals, examining you, and showing you virtual before-and-after simulations with Vectra 3D imaging. That way, you can digitally “try on” different implant sizes to find a look you are happy with.

Receive Help Choosing a Breast Implant that Works for You

StarkMD offers a variety of breast implants to suit every physique and preference. When you meet Dr. Stark during your consultation, he will explain your options in detail and help you navigate these decisions so you can end up with beautifully augmented breasts that look as natural as possible.