How Much Cc is Needed to Achieve Full C Breasts?

If a woman wears a size 36 AB bra and would like to be a C cup, which is the average size that women wear and the average size bra that is sold, she needs a volume of approximately 350 to 390 cc to make that change. This becomes less if she's wearing a 34 bra, because it has a smaller strap size and the cups have a smaller diameter. A smaller diameter implant would then be a volume of approximately 300 to 350 cc. In the same way if she was more petite, maybe a double zero or size one and wore a 32 AB bra, then to become a 32C cup she would only require about 250 to 300 cc. The profile is also another factor to consider. It can determined by the amount of projection versus roundness that the you desire, as well as the size of the implant and size of your chest. Also, the placement or incision location will also have an effect on profile. Your Plastic Surgeon will measure you to determine the best shape, size and placement of the #implants to be used.

Which it could be that easy. It is very difficult to determine the exact size and shape implant you will require to best match your ideal breast image without an examination by a board certified plastic surgeon. Not just any board certified plastic surgeon, but one with many years of frequently performing breast augmentation surgery including different approaches, techniques and implant choices. This is because several measurements not to mention your breast characteristics are needed to determine the optimal implant size to obtain your goals. Without knowing these dimensions it would be difficult to make this determination. For example, the existing base width of your breast will determine, in many cases, the maximal volume per implant profile that you can accommodate. To illustrate; a 100 cc difference may make a significant difference with a narrow base width breast, but much less of a difference if you have a wide chest wall and wide breast “foot print”. Therefore, just because your friend may have a great result with let’s say a 350 cc implant to make her go from a “A” cup to a “C” cup size does not mean that you will have the same result with the same size implant. . Further simply placing implants in a bra to determine the size best for you is not always accurate as the bra often distorts the size, is dependent on the pressure the bra places plus the implant is outside your breast and not under it among other variables. Computer software morphing programs that automatically determine the best implant size can be helpful in some but not all cases (e.g. doesn’t work well in my experience with existing implants, sagging or asymmetric breasts). Using “want to be” photos however are useful if simply provided to the surgeon as I will further explain in the below link.

The question
of breast implant size is always difficult for prospective breast augmentation
patients.In this case, it’s virtually
impossible to answer the question of breast size without more information.Without a physical examination, it would be
only guesswork at this point in time.For this reason, multiple approaches
are utilized to make this determination preoperatively.These include reviewing magazines,
photographs, external sizers, and recently the 3D Vectra computer imager, to
name a few.Even when tremendous care is taken
preoperatively to determine breast size, the final decision needs to be made in
the Operating Room by the surgeon.At
this point, an assessment can be made regarding how the patient’s breast tissue
interacts with the breast implant.Occasionally, obtaining a specific size doesn’t allow the surgeon to
meet the patient’s other aesthetic goals.For this reason, locking into a specific size isn’t always a good
idea.The results are better when a
surgeon has the ability to make adjustments in the Operating Room.Furthermore, most patients tend to
speak in terms of cup size.Unfortunately, cup size isn’t always helpful because manufacturers of
bras label their products differently and women don’t always wear their bras
the same way.In other words, some women
wear their bras snugly, while others wear them loosely.This creates communication problems when
talking cup size.In your case, I think it’s important
to thoroughly discuss your aesthetic goals with your surgeon.Make sure he has the latitude to do what’s
best for you in the Operating Room, so he can meet your aesthetic goals.It’s important that you have an approximate
idea of the breast implant size that you’re considering, but don’t become
married to an absolute number.

Hello! Thank you for your question. In general, implant size does not correlate with bra cup size. The cup size itself will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer as well as who is doing the actual measurements. Thus, cup size is never a reliable indicator for your breast size. I typically encourage my patients not to communicate her desires in cup size but more on the actual look and appearance. Good communication between you and your surgeon of your expectations is warranted - choosing your surgeon wisely is the first step. Discussion of your wishes and having an honest and open dialog of your procedure is mandatory (e.g, implant type, incision, placement, lift, etc). I have found that photographs brought by the patient is helpful to get a visualization of the appearance you wish for in terms of size, shape, fullness, etc. In addition, your surgeon's pre and postoperative photographs should demonstrate a realistic goal for you. Once this has been accomplished, allow your surgeon to utilize his/her best medical judgment during the procedure to finesse the best possible result for you after preoperative biodimensional planning and fitting the right implant for your breast width. Hope me that this helps! Best wishes for a wonderful result!

Choosing breast implant size (or CC's) is a personal decision that should be made with your surgeon.  There is a certain range of sizes that will "fit" your body. The best way to decide is to try them on. In my office, my patients are given a brea, implants of different sizes, and then they can see exactly what they will look like after the surgery. Sometimes my patients even borrow the implants for a few hours to go shopping or go out for lunch. It is like "test driving" the size and has been really helpful. I find this much more useful than expensive computer imaging programs available.