What Size and Profile Implants Will Give a Softer Cleavage Look?

The most important considerations do not have to do with the type of implant.  The first is size.  If you want cleavage, you need to have a large size.  The second important consideration is that your surgeon knows just how much to release the muscle (it should be submuscular to give a soft, natural look).  If he or she underreleases it, the implants will remain separated by a gap of an inch or so (a U shaped cleavage).  If it's overreleased, synmastia is possible (they look like buttocks).  So this dissection has to be just right. (V-shaped)  The least important consideration is the implant type because you can get a good cleavage will all types if you position them properly and use an adequate size.  However, a moderate plus, or midrange profile is very popular and offers a good balance of diameter and projection.  High profile is also okay, particularly if you have a narrow chest and desire projection.  We really don't use low-profile or contoured implants anymore.

There are many types of implants that can achieve this. A board certified plastic surgeon will take into account your breast shape, size, width, separation, and amount of tissue to help you select the best implant for your goals. Another option is fat grafting or fat injections to the breast, which result in a very natural look.

Much depends on the choice of implant; ie how much tissue you have, what size implant you will receive, how far apart our breasts are to begin with as well as your breast dimensions.  So there is no specific size and profile to give you that look- you need to have an in person  consultation with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon to be evaluated and discuss your options. Good luck!

In many breast augmentation patients, the inframammary fold needs to be lowered in order to allow the implant to rest at a level that appears natural relative to the position of the nipple and areola. Ideally the implant should be centered directly behind the nipple-areola complex (NAC). In profile, the natural-appearing breast is not convex in the upper pole, and an excessively convex and overly full upper pole is a dead giveaway that a breast implant sits below the skin. In addition, inadequate release of the inferior origin of the pectoralis major will allow the muscle to hold the implant in too high a position, and may even cause the implant to displace upwards (as high as the collar bone in some patients) when the muscle contracts. Patients with this problem require reoperation to release the inferior origin of the pec major and/or the inframammary fold.

Likewise, if the inframammary fold is lowered too far, the augmented breast will appear 'bottomed out', with an excessively full lower pole, an empty upper pole, and a nipple/areola that appears to sit too high on the breast - another situation with a distinctly unnatural appearance, and one that requires surgical correction: repair of the inframammary fold(s).

The horizontal position of breast implants also requires a great deal of attention, both in pre-operative planning and in the operating room. Excessive lateral dissection of the implant pockets will result in augmented breasts with an excessively wide space between them in the cleavage area, and the appearance that the breasts are abnormally far apart. The result may (or may not) be tolerable in the upright standing or sitting position, but when the patient lays down in supine position (on one's back) the implants may fall far to the side and produce little to no anterior breast projection in this position. Patients with the problem almost always want it corrected, and the treatment once again is surgical: a lateral repair of the implant space, to restrain the implants from falling off to the side.

Inadequate lateral dissection, on the other hand, will result in an augmentation with an abnormal 'side by side' appearance. It is lateral projection of the breasts beyond the lateral border of the chest wall (in frontal view) that, along with the concavity of the waist profile and the convexity of the hip profile, produces the appearance of an 'hourglass figure'. While one does not want to over dissect the lateral extent of an implant pocket, careful attention must also be paid to ensure that lateral breast projection is not inadequate.

Breast implant base diameter is also of crucial importance. The base diameter (the side-to-side dimension of the implant) must be ideal for the existing horizontal dimension of the breasts preoperatively, as well as the breadth of the anterior chest in general. Obviously, a given implant volume and base diameter that works well for a small-framed patient that is 5'3" will be completely inadequate for a broad-chested patient who is 5'10". One wants to increase cleavage area fullness and lateral breast projection in most cases, and an implant of inadequate base diameter may accomplish only one of those goals, while too wide an implant will be overprojecting in both directions. Careful evaluation of all of these breast and implant dimension issues is necessary if the ultimate goal of the surgery is a natural-appearing breast augmentation.

I think that you've already made a good choice by going with the round silicone gel implant for the softer look.  The profile may not be as important as you think.  The volume however will determine the type of cleavage you will end up with.  I prefer to use a high profile gel for more projection, but I always make sure that the volume will be enough to give the patient a nice cleavage line.

Hello. Thank you for your inquiry. Moderate profile seems to be. It is important to have an in-person assessment regarding your concerns as it is difficult to determine virtually.

You may be an excellent candidate for breast augmentation surgery. Exact end results and cup sizes are usually quite difficult to calculate as everyone has a different starting point.

There are many different factors that go into choosing a breast implant size which will correspond with your body dimensions while concurrently achieving your aesthetic results. Some of these factors are: Implant size (CC's), Implant profile (Low, Moderate, High), Placement of the implant (Subglandular vs. Dual Plane) etc. We utilize smooth round cohesive silicone gel 'gummy bear' implants for the best results.

During a consultation your aesthetic goals are heard and taken into account with the measurements of your breasts and the integrity of your tissue, as well as level of ptosis (sag). From here we collectively can find your 'perfect fit'. You are able to try out sizers and different implants in our office such that you can get an idea of what size you would be post-operation. We also offer Crisalix 3D plastic surgery virtual simulator during our in-person and virtual consultations to preview potential results. After your consultation, you will receive your very own implant sizers to take home with you (at a small cost) whether or not you decide to go forward with your procedure.

I usually recommend that my patients stop smoking, take vitamin C daily, and avoid aspirin/ibuprofen and vitamin E 3 weeks prior to surgery. I specialize in the 24-hour Recovery method which minimizes trauma to the breast and decreases pain post-operatively.

We encourage you to look at our website and Instagram (drkaraplasticsurgery) for lots of before and after pictures!
Please note that this response does not substitute patient-doctor relationship. We welcome any and all patients seeking advice to come in for a complimentary consultation available for limited time only.

During the COVID-19, we are offering complimentary online consultations as well as in-office consultation with social distancing and masks. Procedure done in-hospital private surgical facility while taking covid-19 precautions. We utilize UV-light to clean the air of viruses and bacteria during our consultations and surgery.

We invite you to come in to discuss your options more thoroughly. Please send us an email at info@drkaraplasticsurgery.com with the subject line: "Attention Meagan" and we will be happy to coordinate your appointment!

M.Kara,MD,FRCSC (27+ years experience) - Specializing in 24 hour recovery/ out to dinner breast augmentation in-hospital private surgical facility for your added safety and peace of mind

Yikes,  I sure get nervous when patients use a celebrity as an example of their desired result!  I much prefer a woman to go online and find a breast augmentation patient who is similar age, size and build and who has had a result that the woman finds attractive.  Ms. Lively is famous in part because she is so attractive and most of that attractiveness has to do with youth and genetics and probably a good personal trainer (and maybe some photographic airbrushing).

That being said,  implant selection should be done with the patient's anatomy and desired look in mind.   Cleavage can be acheived with any type of implant but not in all patients.  Your plastic surgeon should be able to tell you what sort of result can be acheived with your anatomy.  I like to keep celebrities out of the exam room (unless I'm operating on one). 

Seattle Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Lisa Lynn Sowder