One of the most common concerns I hear from women who are interested in breast augmentation at my Huntsville, AL practice is that their breasts won’t look natural. I reassure them that breast implants can look very natural when inserted by an experienced, qualified surgeon.
A number of choices you make before your breast augmentation procedure can have an impact on how natural the results look, including the style and shape of the implant, its texture, and where it’s placed. These are all issues you should discuss with your plastic surgeon during your consultation. The surgeon may recommend certain options that would be best for your body. Although different things work best for different patients, there is a general consensus about certain choices:
- Implant material: Implants are either saline or silicone. Saline implants are filled with a saltwater solution after being inserted. Silicone implants are pre-filled with a thick, sticky gel that closely mimics the feel of human fat. Most women believe silicone implants look and feel more natural than saline implants.
- Shape: Some silicone-gel implants are teardrop-shaped to more closely resemble the shape of a natural breast. The other option is round implants, which will provide more fullness in the upper areas of your breast. The teardrop implants are textured to help prevent them from shifting inside the breast envelope. The most common implants used in the US today for elective breast augmentation are smooth round shaped implants.
- Placement: Implants can be placed either above or beneath the pectoral muscles. For women with little existing breast tissue, the submuscular placement generally looks and feels more natural.