Making Decisions about Breast Enlargement Size

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Since women have been receiving breast enlargements, they have been coming up with different bits of folk wisdom for getting an idea about the size of implant they wanted. If you look at discussion forums for women who are considering or have gotten breast enlargement surgery, you can find them by the dozen.

The most common folk method is getting a bra in the size you hope to get as a result of your breast enlargement surgery, then seeing how much rice, birdseed, or couscous it takes to fill out the bra around your breast. Once you have a basic idea of the size, you can try to experiment with results by filling a baggie with that amount of material and placing it under your breast and wearing it around all day. This is roughly the same idea as that behind breast implant sizers that doctors have used in the past during consultations. It has the disadvantage of being less calibrated and uniform, but the advantage that you can wear it around all day to learn what life might be like after implants. You can try on every outfit in your wardrobe or even at the store to decide how you feel about the results.

However, the results of this test–and even of the implant sizers–are not directly comparable to the results you will achieve from your breast augmentation. Why? The breast implant is not placed under your breast in the way the rice or other material is. It is placed behind the breast and pushes up and outward on the breast at the same time. And, over time, your breast will conform around the implant, incorporating it completely into the shape. Dr. Hartog can help you understand the difference between the two using the new Vectra 3D Breast Sculptor™ imaging system. Once you understand what your actual results will be like, you can continue to use the rice test to consider what outfits you might light to wear after your operation.

One important test to do on your own: if you are considering saline implants, try wearing a bra with baggies containing the approximate amount of water that will be in your implants to determine whether they feel comfortable or not. Saline is dense, and some women with large implants experience lower back pain as a result. If the water seems too heavy, consider silicone gel implants, which are less dense.

Really, the only way to decide on the size of breast implants that would be best is to arrange a consultation with Dr. Hartog. Contact us today to set up your consultation.