Can I get softer but bigger looking implants or is it impossible? (Photos)

Question

I I’ve had my current set for 12 year now and it’s time for a replacement. I-like when I slouch my titties look very soft and fluffy but when I sit up they look hard and stiff . They don’t feel stiff at all but they do look stiff and hard. I want bigger titties and more cleavage without comprising the way my boob pops out from the side but am mainly hoping to have softer looking breast with more drop and fluff. currently I have 360cc saline moderate profile under the muscle. I'd like around 400-450 ccs can this achieve softer looker breast for me ? And can maybe changing implant pocket achieve a better result too ? I also have peri areola incision and prefer going thru the same one

Emre Guvercin, MD, FEBOPRAS · Answer

Yes, I believe you can achieve a softer, fuller, and more natural-looking result with implant exchange. In your case, I would consider replacing your current saline implants with Motiva Ergonomix2 silicone implants in the same submuscular pocket, rather than automatically changing the implant plane.
Ergonomix2 implants are designed to provide a softer feel and more natural movement, which may help create the appearance you describe as “drop and fluff.” Increasing the volume from 360 cc to approximately 400–450 cc may also improve fullness and cleavage, depending on your breast width and existing tissue coverage.
I would first assess the condition of your capsule and implant pockets. If they are healthy and correctly positioned, there may be no need for extensive pocket modification. Your existing periareolar incision may also be reusable if it provides adequate access.
The final implant size and profile should be selected after examining your anatomy, as a larger implant does not automatically produce a softer appearance, and no implant can guarantee a particular shape in every position.

Harry T. Haramis, MD, FACS · Answer

It is very common to exchange for larger implants years later.

I will use the previous same incision, pocket may have to be modified slightly but usually quite easy to place larger implants.

At least 100+ cc larger I agree with for results you desire.

An exam and consultation with a plastic surgeon is recommended to continue this as well as discuss your best options and expectations.

Tyler Frew, MD · Answer

Hi there,
Yes, swapping those 12-year-old saline implants for smooth softer gel is usually the biggest step toward the softer feel and more natural drop you're after. Saline tends to sit firmer and more upright; a good gel device drapes better.
The implant change alone often isn't enough for more cleavage, though. Your old capsule still shapes the pocket, so most revisions add targeted capsule work: a little medial release for cleavage, some lower-pole softening for drop, and control on the sides so you don't get wider than you want. Going from 360 to around 400 to 450 is a modest bump and very doable, but that extra volume also adds width and weight, so pick the profile carefully if keeping a similar side view matters to you.
Staying with your periareolar incision is usually possible for the exchange and pocket work. An in-person exam is needed for personal advice so someone can check your soft tissue and pocket, and try sizers on in a sports bra and tight shirt before you lock in the size.
All the best!

Mustafa Aydinol, MD · Answer

It would be possible to switch to a high profile or ultra high profile with a higher volume to achieve your goal. There are multiple implant brands and some of them are a little bit softer compared to the others and these can be chosen.

Michelle Zweifler, MD · Answer

It is not uncommon to undergo breast implant exchange for either larger or smaller implants.  Saline implants may feel firmer than silicone breast implants.  Also, firmness can be related to the capsule.  Often the same incision could be used for breast implant revisions.

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dear Nice18501,

breast revision surgery is the most difficult plastic surgery procedure performed. Botched breast surgery alters normal tissue planes and laxity, the ability of breasts to heal properly, and leaves scar tissue that dramatically affects the level of difficulty of the corrective surgery.
Many patients come in to correct poor outcomes from their initial surgeries. The most common problems are due to implant malposition, bottoming out of the implant, poor scarring, and incorrect implant size.
While the type of revision required will depend on the result of the previous surgery and the desired result of the patient, some revisions involve extensive pocket repair that may or may not need specialized external bras.
If you are considering breast surgery revision, you should speak with a board certified plastic surgeon and have yourself properly assessed. Only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations. Also, you have to make sure that your surgeon understands your breast augmentation goals.

Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Mert Demirel, MD · Answer

Yes, a softer, more natural look is often possible at replacement, but it depends more on the implant type and fill than on volume alone. Saline implants, especially when they are in a muscle pocket that has tightened over 12 years, tend to hold a firmer, more defined shape when you sit upright. That is likely why they look stiff even though they feel soft.
Switching to silicone gel is usually the biggest single change for a softer appearance. Gel moves and drapes more like breast tissue, and a smooth round silicone implant in a moderate or moderate plus profile will generally give more natural slope and "drop" than saline. Going from 360cc to around 400–450cc is a reasonable step, as long as the implant's width fits your chest and your tissue covers it well. Going larger than your tissue supports tends to make breasts look rounder and stiffer, which is the opposite of what you want.
The pocket also matters. After 12 years there is a capsule around the current implants, and your surgeon will usually adjust it, release part of it or remove it, to let the new implant sit lower and settle naturally. Moving from under the muscle to above it can soften the upper pole in some patients, but only when there is enough of your own tissue to cover the implant. Otherwise edges and rippling become visible. For many women, a dual-plane adjustment of the existing pocket is the safer middle ground.
Using your periareolar incision again is possible with silicone, but larger gel implants are harder to place through a small areola. If your areola is small, your surgeon may recommend the fold incision to protect the implant and reduce handling.
My advice would be to ask your surgeon: How thick is my tissue at the top and sides of the breast? Which silicone profile and width would fit my chest at 400–450cc? Should the capsule be released or removed? Do I have enough tissue coverage to consider changing the pocket, and can my areola safely accommodate a gel implant of that size?

Yasemin Aydinli, MD · Answer

The stiff, round look you describe when sitting up is typical of saline implants placed under the muscle, so the single most useful change is switching to a cohesive silicone gel implant, which feels and moves more softly than saline. Going only from 360 to 400 or 450 cc will give you more size and some more cleavage, but size alone will not make the breast look softer. The muscle also pushes the implant upward when you sit up, so a dual plane pocket, where the lower part of the muscle is released, usually gives a more natural drop. I would be realistic about the result: an implant that is placed under the muscle will always look firmer in the upper part of the breast than a natural breast. To bring the breasts closer together a wider base implant helps more than a higher projection one. A larger silicone implant through the periareolar scar is also harder to place than through the fold under the breast, and in some women it is not possible, so I would not decide on the incision before the implant is chosen.

Tracey Cook, MD · Answer

What you're describing - breasts that look hard, stiff, or distorted when you sit up but soft and natural when you slouch - is a classic sign of "animation" or muscle-related changes that come from having implants placed under the muscle (submuscular/dual-plane). When the pectoralis muscle contracts or tightens with posture, it squeezes and flattens the implant, which is why they can look stiff even though they feel soft. The single change most likely to give you the softer, more natural, "droppier" look you want is converting the implant from under the muscle to on top of the muscle (a prepectoral or subglandular pocket), rather than just going slightly bigger. Going from 360 cc to 400–450 cc alone will add some size but will not fix the stiff/animated look and can actually make a tight upper pole look firmer. Changing from saline to silicone may also help give you a more softer, natural feel.

Can I get softer but bigger looking implants or is it impossible? (Photos)

Answers (9)

More Breast Implant Revision Questions

Is my right implant bottoming out? (Photos)

50 years old, ruptured silicone implant. What are my beset options?

Breast Revision After Implant Removal: Implants Alone or With a Lift? (Photo)

Is it possible to create more lateral fullness/side boob during the revision while keeping my current 415cc implants? (Photos)

Implant revision options after significant weight loss - is a lift necessary? (Photos)

67 years old. Implants since 1987, capsular contracture. Can I replace the implants without a lift? (Photos)

WE SEND PRETTY
EMAILS