Breast augmentation is extremely popular among women in the United States. In fact, it’s the most popular cosmetic procedure for American women and it’s easy to see why. According to a study by Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons), 98% of women who’ve undergone breast augmentation report that the results met or exceeded their expectations.
Prior to surgery, 84% of these women reported feeling self-conscious about their breasts. However, after surgery, 92% of those women reported improved self-esteem and confidence, and 64% reported an improved quality of life. After breast augmentation, only 13% of the women surveyed still felt self-conscious about their breasts.
All in all, over half the patients expressed the experience was a perfect 10 out of 10. In other words, it was absolutely worthwhile for them.
Choosing the Right Size
Now that you’ve decided to get breast augmentation, you may have some questions. Size preferences vary upon different people and even different cultures. In my experience, my Asian patients typically prefer small to medium-sized breasts. My American patients have typically requested larger breasts, especially those from Texas.
As plastic surgeons, we’re in the business of pleasing people. We’re not doing these surgeries for ourselves; we’re doing them for the patient. Somebody recently defined plastic surgeons as psychiatrists with a knife. Because that’s what we do, right? We help build our patients’ confidence and self esteem. I help patients select breast size for their breast augmentation patients depending on their chest size, anatomy, and the patient’s wishes.
Why Do You Want Breast Augmentation?
Do you want to even out your breasts because they’re different sizes? Do you want to increase their size? Do you want to go just a bit bigger? Are you recovering from breast cancer after undergoing a mastectomy? Are you a transgender patient looking to fill out your chest? No matter your reasoning, use this to inform the size you choose.
It’s also important to consider your anatomy. D cups will not look the same on a short, petite woman as they will on a tall, curvy woman. Take into consideration your body type and how a certain size would look on your frame. The bigger the chest, the more volume your surgeon will need to increase the breast size by cup size.
For example, if you are a 32A, you need 125 CCs per cup increase. If you’re a 34A, you need 150 CCs per cup size. If you are a 36A, you need 175, and so on. So the chest determines the amount of volume you need to put in the implant to reach the goal. A patient who’s an A cup and wants to be a D cup – that’s a 3 size increase- so you multiply it by the volume and the chest size. If you’re a 34, each cup size is 150 CCs, so the implants will be 450 CC.
Get a Preview
Often, doctors can even provide you with pictures of what you would look like with a certain size. Or you can utilize websites like this one to get a more visual idea of what your new breasts would look like on your body.
Board-certified Plastic Surgeon Dr. Shlomo Widder has been practicing plastic surgery for more than 30 years and is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Dr. Widder is the owner and operator of Widder Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery Center in Vienna, VA. He received his Medical Degree from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in Israel and later moved to the United States. Dr. Widder is licensed to practice plastic surgery in the state of Virginia. He holds a number of certificates from several prestigious medical organizations, such as the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), the American Association for the Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF), and the Fairfax County Medical Society.
