Breast Implants and Choosing a Size
Serving San Francisco, San Jose, & Walnut Creek, California
There are many misconceptions about breast implants and breast augmentation surgery. Most women seek breast augmentation to improve their appearance and gain confidence. In order to make the most of your procedure, you must have realistic expectations of what the procedure offers prior to surgery. One of the major considerations is choosing an implant size that appears most natural.
Size
Sizing is difficult to get just right. There is no real standard size from where you are to the size you will go. Cup sizes are often used as a general guideline for measurement. To measure where you are currently, you first obtain your frame size.
- Measure the torso just under the breast and round to the nearest even number for the band size.
- Measure the fullest part of the breasts. Keep the tape fairly loose. This is the bust size.
- Calculate the cup size by subtracting the band size from the bust size.
The size in inches corresponds to the lettered cup size as follows:
| Cup size | Difference in inches |
| AA | < 1 inch |
| A | 1 inch |
| B | 2 inches |
| C | 3 inches |
| D | 4 inches |
In general, depending on your body type you do not want to increase your cup by more than two sizes.
Proportion
A major consideration when choosing a size is how it will look in proportion to the rest of your figure. If you are a petite woman, you will probably not want to go to a D cup. Larger women might do well with a D cup in order to present a more natural, hourglass figure.
Weight
After your surgery, you might find the extra weight unmanageable. Some women who choose an overly large size of implant later complain of back pain. Changing the size later on might result in an additional surgery, with all the inherent risks.
There is no pat answer on how large a breast should be. Your personal opinions and the available options should be discussed in detail with Breast Surgeon Dr. Weil during your consultation. During your discussion, you will be able to see and evaluate past cases and see how the procedure will benefit you.
To find out more about breast augmentation with breast implants visit our questions about breast augmentation page. Please contact San Francisco Breast Surgeon Dr. Weil's office to schedule a complimentary breast augmentation consultation today.
