The aesthetics of any type of plastic surgery largely come down to a matter of personal preference and what you think looks good. That being said, there are still certain objective criteria that will inevitably yield a more natural-looking end result. And there’s arguably no procedure where that holds more true than breast augmentation. There are several key features that will mimic what you’d see in a beautiful, natural breast, says Dr. Barry Weintraub, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City. “It should have a gentle slope from the clavicle to the nipple-areola complex, the nipple should be horizontal or just slightly upturned, most of the fullness should be in the lower pole of the breast, and there should be both medial cleavage and a little bit of lateral cleavage,” he explains.
Here, more on the four key things to consider in order to achieve the above effect and ensure your implants look completely natural.
@kellykilleenmd Replying to @randydwqjvu which implant will give you the most natural look? #breastaug #breastaugmentation #plasticsurgeon #plasticsurgeonsoftiktok #breastimplant #learnontiktok #medtok ♬ original sound – Kelly Killeen, MD FACS
Size
“Choosing a modest-size implant that fits your chest properly is the golden rule for keeping your breast augmentation looking natural,” says Dr. Kelly Killeen, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California. The specifics of what that size should be are largely dependent on the size of your natural breast and what the rest of your body looks like. “If you’re starting out as a small A cup, big implants are going to look blatantly fake. You’re adding a ton of volume and don’t have much natural breast tissue to cover the implant, and it will end up looking like a giant round balloon on your chest,” Dr. Killeen explains. On the flip side, those who are starting out as a B or C cup can handle going a bit larger, as the natural breast tissue will better conceal that implant. Similarly, think about the proportions of the rest of your body; if you have wider hips, you can likely handle slightly bigger implants, as they’ll balance out your figure and create more of an hourglass shape, notes Dr. Weintraub.
It’s also important to consider the breadth of your chest when choosing the size of your implants. “They should be proportionate to the width of your chest and the length of your torso. The implants need to fit properly on the chest wall, as anything that’s too big will automatically look unnatural,” says Dr. Justin Perez, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Marina Del Rey, California. It’s why the measurement and sizing part of the presurgery consultation is so important. Still, at the end of the day, choosing the right implant size requires a balance of both proper measurement and artistry, he notes.
Profile
The profile—or how far the implant projects off the chest—is also a huge contributing factor to how natural (or fake) your breast augmentation will look. “The higher the profile of the implant, the more ‘loud’ your breasts become, because they’re sticking straight out. Even large natural breasts don’t do that,” Dr. Killeen points out. You don’t want the implant pushing off the chest; when a woman stands up, the breast should take on a teardrop shape, where the majority of the implant volume is in the lower pole, adds Dr. Weintraub. All the doctors we spoke with agree that low-, low-plus-, and moderate-profile implants tend to yield the most natural-looking result; however, this isn’t a hard-and-fast rule. “The profile should always be secondary to what fits on your chest. For example, if you’re opting for an implant with a lot of volume, a low profile is going to look too wide and will end up looking unnatural,” explains Dr. Killeen. Point being, your dimensions, the volume of the implant, and the profile all need to be considered together.
Type
Saline or silicone? Our experts unanimously agreed that silicone is far superior when it comes to both a more natural look and feel. The gel in these implants is very cohesive, making for a texture and density that feels very natural, particularly in the newest generation of silicone technology, says Dr. Perez. This is in stark contrast to saline implants, which are essentially just liquid in a bag. “They’re like water balloons. They don’t hold their shape and are more prone to rippling, which can be seen in and out of clothing and is a telltale sign that you have implants,” he adds.
Placement
What looks more natural: an implant that’s placed under the muscle or over the muscle? Answer: it depends. According to Dr. Weintraub, placing the implant over the muscle leads to a very obvious step-off that makes it look like a ball sitting on top of the chest and the breast augmentation very apparent. Dr Perez agrees, adding that for most patients, going under the muscle creates more of a sloped, natural look to the upper pole of the breast. But Dr. Killeen feels differently, saying that she prefers to place implants subfascially but over the muscle. “When women who don’t have implants move their chest muscles, the breast doesn’t move. Placing the implant under the muscle means it moves when the muscles do, which can look unnatural.” At the end of the day, “both techniques are valid, and there’s no hard-and-fast rule. Rather, it should be a case-by-case decision as to what will look best for that patient,” says Dr. Perez.
