Pectoral implants are silicone gel or solid silicone implants that are surgically inserted to create the appearance of more highly developed male chest muscles (a.k.a. the pectoralis muscle).Â
While the procedure is especially popular among body builders, pectoral augmentation for male chest enhancement can also be a good option for men who:Â
- haven't been able to achieve a well-defined chest through exercise
- have a deep breastbone (called a pectus excavatum) that creates the appearance of a sunken chest
- are transitioning and have already undergone top surgery
There are two types of male pectoral implants: oval and vertical-rectangular. Both types are firmer and flatter than the breast implants used for breast augmentation in women.Â
“Oval pec implants generally enhance more of the lower part of the pectoral/chest area, whereas vertical-rectangular pec implants enhance the lower and upper chest, toward the collarbone, as well as along the middle of the chest from top to bottom,” says Miami-based plastic surgeon Dr. Sam Gershenbaum.Â
He says about 80% of his patients choose vertical-rectangular shaped implants, but it all depends on the type of results you're after. “Results will very much depend on what you’re starting with as far as the contours of your chest, the bony structure, the amount of muscle, and fatty tissue or gynecomastia, if present.”
Some men are self-conscious about the chest gap between their pectoral muscles and wonder if pec implants can chose it. According to Dr. Douglas Steinbrech, a plastic surgeon in New York City, “fat grafting into that area is probably your best option to create more fullness, centrally. A pectoral implant, depending on what you have in mind for your result, may also be helpful to increase that cleavage, with or without fat injections being involved.”
