How this guide works
Implants are sold by volume in cubic centimetres. Roughly 150 to 200 cc produces one cup size, but the exact figure depends on your chest width — the same volume looks far larger on a narrow frame.
Base width is the measurement that actually constrains the choice. Your surgeon measures the width of your natural breast, and an implant wider than that looks obviously artificial regardless of volume.
Profile describes how far the implant projects forward for a given width. A narrow chest needs a higher profile to achieve volume without excessive width; a wide chest can take a moderate profile.
Placement depends on how much natural tissue covers the implant. Slim patients with thin tissue usually need it partly under the chest muscle, which softens the upper edge and reduces visible rippling.
Cup size is not a standard. A 32D and a 38D hold very different volumes, and sizing differs between manufacturers and countries — which is why surgeons work in cc and why you try sizers in a bra before deciding.
This guide narrows the conversation. The decision is made at your face-to-face consultation, trying sizers in a bra, before anything is agreed.
Frequently asked questions
Roughly 150 to 200 cc for an average chest, but it scales with your frame. On a narrow chest the same 200 cc produces a larger visual change than on a wide one, which is why the guide asks about chest width first.
Because cup size is not a measurement. A 32D and a 38D hold very different volumes, and sizing varies between manufacturers, countries and even styles within one brand. Cubic centimetres are objective; cup sizes are not.
How far the implant projects forward relative to its width. For the same volume, a high-profile implant is narrower and projects more; a moderate-profile implant is wider and flatter. Your chest width usually decides which is appropriate.
Under, or partly under, is usually preferred when you have little natural breast tissue, because the muscle softens the upper edge and reduces visible rippling. It also interferes less with mammograms. Over the muscle recovers faster and suits patients with more natural cover.
No, and a good surgeon will say so. An implant wider than your natural breast base looks artificial, and very large implants carry more weight, which accelerates sagging and thins the tissue over them. Your base width sets a sensible ceiling.
Yes. At your face-to-face consultation you try sizers in a bra with your own clothing, in daylight, before anything is agreed. Nothing is ordered until you have seen the volume on yourself.
Round implants give more fullness in the upper part of the breast and more cleavage. Anatomical or teardrop implants put more volume at the bottom and follow the natural slope, but they can rotate. Round is the more common choice and does not carry that risk.
No. If your nipple sits at or below the breast fold, an implant alone adds volume without lifting, and the result is rarely what patients hoped for. Your surgeon will tell you from your photographs whether a lift should be combined.
