Can't decide what implant profile I want - how do I avoid the look of two balls on my chest?

Question

Current Stats - 34AA/AAA with minimal breast tissue. Breast width is 13.5. Height and weight is 5'7 and 127lbs. During the consultation I was able to try on sizers and I ultimately gravitated towards the look of the Motiva mini 400cc round implant just because the side profile of the breast looked wider/taller compared to the other sizers they had me try on. I do not want my implants to look like two balls stuck on a flat washboard and I am fearful that the implants will be pushed towards the outer sides of my chest, giving that huge gap in the middle. If I did want more projection, I'm assuming that I would have to get a larger volume implant to get that same implant diameter, correct? Is a higher profile going to give me that washboard and two balls look?

Donovan Rosas, MD · Answer

Given a particular breast width, increasing implant profile will deliver greater volume and greater projection.

With regards to your specific question, a higher profile device will give a more dramatic appearance. Submuscular/dual plane augmentation will flatten the effect to some degree. Your stated breast width is not particularly narrow and allows you to consider wider profile options (Moderate/Moderate +). These will deliver a more understated and subtle result for a given diameter.

As always, discuss your concerns with a board certified plastic surgeon (ABPS).

Frank Agullo, MD · Answer

Base width first, then profile, then cc. The implant width should be about a cm smaller than your breast width. On you it sounds like it should be 12.5 cm (your breast width is 13.5 cm). Anything wider than that could potentially cause the effect you describe of two balls on a washboard especially if there isn't much tissue to cover the implant. The 400 Mini is pretty much the max width you should consider, which is why the side view looked wide and tall to you.

cc isn't really an issue until you start playing with base widths and profile. For example, if you keep base width constant and increase the profile (make it stick out farther from your chest) then yes the cc will increase. However, if you keep the cc constant and increase the profile, then the base width will decrease. Profile on its own does not build two balls. The gap in the middle is your sternum plus how far the pocket gets released toward it, and a wider implant pushes out, not in.

In my hands you go under the muscle (dual plane) since you are only a 34AA and 127 lbs, to make sure there is enough tissue coverage over the implant. The problem is that when the tissues stretch out over time the edge could potentially still show, especially with taller profiles.

So if you want the taller looking implant, keep in mind it might show through your skin more so than the Mini profile since you don't have a lot of tissue covering it. I'd stay around a 12.5 cm base width. Go to your surgeon and have them measure the width of your breasts and the space between them over the sternum, then have them place a Mini and a Demi (of the same base width) in the bra for you to see what you think.

#StayBeautiful,
@RealDrWorldWide

Tyler Frew, MD · Answer

Hi there,
You're thinking about this the right way. The thing that matters most for avoiding the "two balls on a washboard" look is matching the implant's width to your chest, not the profile name. Get the width right first, then pick the profile and volume that fit inside it.
To your questions:
- Yes, you're correct. At the same width, more projection means more volume. Going from a Mini to a Demi or Full at the same diameter adds cc's.- A higher profile doesn't automatically look fake, but with very little breast tissue it's more likely to look round and "stuck on" up top, and the implant edges are easier to feel and see. With a 34AA chest, a lower or moderate profile usually gives the most natural slope.- The gap in the middle and implants drifting to the sides mostly come from an implant that's wider than your chest or a pocket that's made too big. Ask your surgeon how the implant's width compares to your 13.5 cm measurement.- Be honest with yourself about your starting point. If there's already a wide space between your breasts, an implant can't fully close it. Placing the implant under the muscle, and sometimes adding a little fat grafting, can help soften the cleavage area.
Practical tips: try the sizers in a sports bra and a tight shirt, and look at yourself from the side as well as the front. 3D imaging like Crisalix is great for comparing profiles side by side. With a thin chest wall, placing the implant under the muscle is usually the safer bet for coverage.
An in-person exam with measurements is needed for personal advice on width, profile, and pocket.
All the best!

Ted Eisenberg, DO, FACOS, FAACS · Answer

Choosing the right size and profile breast implants for you. After I measure and discuss goals with my patients, we then look at pictures of women (my patients) with similar measurements with different size and style breast implants. They also get to see what they would look like when the breasts have fully dropped and fluffed and in clothes. You get to see actual results and the surgeon's experience and not a virtual idea of what can be achieved. Women tell me that this process is very helpful in determining what size and style breast implant is right for them. Dr. Ted Eisenberg, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and Author. RealSelf Distinguished Hall of Fame Inductee. Philadelphia, Pa., USA

Ram Kalus, MD, FACS · Answer

Without photos or an examination in person it is difficult to provide you either any specific recommendations. That said, volume (300 versus 400), is far less significant than implant width and projection. For a given width, greater projection comes with greater volume. For a given volume, the narrower the implant, the greater the projection.

Because all of these options to consider can leave you quite confused, it is crucial that you select an experienced board certified plastic surgeon whose aesthetics align with your own, and with whom you feel comfortable. Don't be reluctant to seek a second or even third opinion to be sure and feel confident. Make sure that your surgeon sees photographs of your "favorites" or ideal. Expressing your desired cup size is notoriously inaccurate, and final breast size is the most common reason for patient disappointment after breast augmentation, either too big or not big enough.

Take your time, do your research. Best of luck to you.

Can't decide what implant profile I want - how do I avoid the look of two balls on my chest?

Answers (5)

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