Does a short nipple to inframammary fold length limit the size of my implant (without lowering my fold)? (Photo)

Having a short inframmary fold to nipple distance is fairly common.  The larger the implant, the longer the arc from nipple to inframammary fold distance is required to center your implant behind your nipple.  If your fold is not lowered with a large implant, the majority of your implant will sit above your nipple position.  With a small implant, minimal inframammary fold manipulation is required.  With a large implant, the fold will need to be lowered to accommodate the implant, increasing your long term risk of bottoming out.

Thank you for sharing your question.  If your implant is not large, your breast skin will stretch and create a more natural breast appearance over time.  If a large implant is desired, you would need to lower your fold or stage your augmentation over two operations.  Hope this helps.

Hello and thank you for your question. You are a great candidate
for a breast augmentation.   The fold can be lowered.   The size, profile, and shape of the
implant is based on your desired breast size/shape, your chest wall
measurements, and soft tissue quality.  This decision should
be based on a detailed discussion with equal input from both you
and your surgeon.  This entire surgery
can be performed with a small incision technique.  Make sure you
specifically look at before and after pictures of real patients who have
had this surgery performed by your surgeon and evaluate their results.   The most important aspect is to find a
surgeon you are comfortable with. I recommend that you seek consultation with a
qualified board-certified plastic surgeon who can evaluate you in person.
Best wishes and good luck.
Richard G. Reish, M.D.
Harvard-trained plastic surgeon

From my experience, it would be best to lower the fold to 7-8cm below the nipple. The nipple should ideally sit in the middle of the breast, so as a rough guide, the distance from the nipple to the inner and outer and lower border should be the same. So if your breast width is 14cm as an example, the fold should be about 7cm below the nipple.

Another factor to consider is the projection of the implant. Implants with the same footprint (=height and width) can have different volumes and projections. That also means that implants with different volumes can have different footprints and hence different requirements for the level of the inframammary fold.

In your case I guess from the photos that you would be able to get good results if you are aiming for a C cup size.

There is no question your fold will need to be lowered significantly. The normal distance from the nipple to fold in a well proportioned pretty breast of C-D cup size will be 9-11 cm. If the fold is not lowered adequately you will be top heavy and look artificial and fake, and have a very "augmented" look rather than a pretty well proportioned natural looking breast. Make sure you discuss your size and fold concerns thoroughly with your plastic surgeon, and be sure that your aesthetics align with your surgeon's. Good luck.