Breast Implants - Selecting the Right Type and Size for You and Your Body

For many women, making the final decision to get breast implants can be a life changing event. By educating yourself about the different types and talking to your plastic surgeon, you can determine the best implants for you.

One of the most popular cosmetic procedures received by women today is breast augmentation surgery. During surgery, plastic surgeons use breast implants to enhance the bust area of a woman in shape and size. Many women elect to get this type of surgery for a variety of personal and health reasons such as bust reconstruction and to improve their body image. Whatever the reason may be for you, it is important that you make the right decision on selecting the right type and size of implants for you.

There are two main types of breast implants that plastic surgeons use for women, which are the saline implant and silicone implant. The implant can be inserted using five different methods and the healing time can take up to 6 weeks or more. 

The saline implant is the most common implant used by women. The outer shell is made of a strong silicone surface. During most surgeries, the plastic surgeon fills the implant with a saline solution after inserting it in the bust area to provide the volume, size, and shape needed. It can hold up to 960cc of saline fluid. One of the health benefits is choosing this type of implant is that your body is able to absorb the saline if the implant begins to leak or rupture. 
The silicone implant was first introduced in 1991 and has gone through several improvements. Unlike the saline implant, this implant already comes pre-filled. Since they can’t be inserted into the bust area using a small incision method, plastic surgeons often have to make a larger incision based on the size of the implant. Many plastic surgeons prefer to use this implant when performing a mastectomy reconstruction due to limited tissue in the bust area. 

After you have selected your type of breast implants, then next decision you will need to make is the size. Since they come in all shapes and sizes, it can be a hard decision to make for some women. To help you determine the right size for you, your plastic surgeon will take into consideration your height, weight, and type of body frame. If possible, you should try to make the right decision on the first surgery to avoid another one.

As a starting point, you should try to find photos of the size of breasts you are trying to achieve. You can find them in magazines or on the Internet. Another way is to try to create your own implant at home using a bag of rice and a sock. You can add the uncooked rice into the sock to create several different sizes of an implant. By doing this, you can get a feel on how you would look with a fuller bust area. You can also check with your surgeon to see if they have samples you can use during your consultation visit. 

The key thing to remember is to take your time with making the right decision regarding your breast implants. You should feel comfortable and pleased with the end results.