How to Choose the Best Breast Implant Profile and Projection

What Are Your Options for Breast Implant Profile?

Choosing the right breast implant profile and projection for your breast augmentation surgery can play a big role in how satisfied you will be with the final results.

Before getting a breast augmentation, you’ll need to decide if you want to get round or anatomic-shaped smooth implants. You’ll also have to choose the base width, volume, and projection of your implants known as implant profile.

Breast Implants are available in low, medium, medium-plus, high, and extremely high profiles. Implants with lower profiles have a wider base, provide less projection, and produce more natural results.

Alternatively, higher profile implants have a narrower base, produce a larger projection from the chest, and enhance the cleavage outline.

With all the available options in the market, breast implant selection can be a complicated process for most patients. Dr Mark Gittos is one of the top plastic surgeons in New Zealand and specialises in breast augmentation and reconstruction. He’s an expert on the various types of breast implants and can help you make all the right choices about breast implant profile.

Download Dr Mark Gittos’ Guide to Cosmetic Breast Surgery

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What Is Breast Implant Profile and Projection?

The profile of an implant determines how much your breast implant will stick out or project forward from your chest when you’re sitting up straight or standing. It’s an important implant characteristic and can determine the final look of your breasts.

An implant with a smaller base width will provide more breast projection than an implant with a wider base width.  Moreover, your new bra cup size will depend on the breast implant profile you choose- the bigger the profile, the bigger the cup size.

There’s a lot of confusion when it comes to implant profile and projection and the two terms are often used interchangeably.

Although projection is one factor that affects the implant profile, it’s not the only one. The profile describes the overall contour or outline of the implant and depends on several factors including your implant’s base width and volume in addition to its projection.

Types of Breast Implant Profiles

Different types of implants can have different profiles. A breast implant profile can be:

• Low profile: Implants with a low profile have the widest base width and the smallest projection from the chest wall. Low-profile implants are relatively flat and are most suitable for women with wider chests
• Medium profile: This is the most commonly used implant profile. Implants with a moderate profile can provide more projection than low-profile implants. They can enhance the projection and cleavage and can give very natural results. Medium profile implants are ideal for women with smaller or narrower chests
• Medium-plus profile: This implant profile type is a kind of intermediate between medium and high profiles. Medium-plus implant profile has a narrower base than a medium implant profile and can provide more projection to women with wide breasts
• High profile: This type of implant profile has a small base width and provides the breasts with a large projection. High-profile implants can add more fullness and projection to the upper pole of the breast which usually lacks natural projection
• Extra high profile: Extra high implant profile has the narrowest base width and provides the breast with maximum projection

Why Is Breast Implant Profile Important?

There are several decisions you have to make before getting breast augmentation surgery.

• What is the best type of breast implant filling?
• What is the best breast implant shape?
• What breast implant profile and projection should I get?

All these breast implant characteristics together will determine the final look of your breasts.

Choosing the right breast implant profile is important in helping you achieve the breast look you’re looking for. However, making that choice can be challenging.

You’ll have to consider how much you want your implant to stick out. Generally speaking, the smaller the base width of the implant, the farther it will project from your chest.

Another thing to consider is how natural you want your breasts to look. Medium profile breast implants usually provide the most natural results while high profile breast implants can give you very good projection and a more glamourous or enhanced look.

Dr Mark Gittos has unparalleled experience with the different types of breast implants and can guide you in making the right decision.

What Are The Advantages Of Different Breast Implant Profiles?

Different implant profiles are designed to suit different body types and to meet individual patient expectations and goals.

Lower profile implants

Implants with a low to medium profile have a wide base and provide little to moderate projection from the breast.

Lower profile breast implants can offer the following benefits:

• They create more natural and subtle results
• They create a softer breast appearance
• They provide fullness to the sides of the breasts

Higher profile implants

Implants with a high profile have a narrower base than lower profile implants.

Higher profile breast implants can offer the following benefits:

• More fullness and roundness in the breast
• More projection in the upper pole of the breast
• More prominent breast cleavage

How to Choose Breast Implant Profile

The ideal implant profile should be suitable for your body proportions and the results you’re hoping to achieve after your breast augmentation. The same implant profile can look completely different on different women.

There are several factors to consider when choosing an implant profile:

1.     Your natural breast tissue

Different breasts have different amounts of normal breast tissue. Women with little natural breast tissue need implants with a larger projection to get fuller breasts with prominent cleavage.

On the other hand, high-profile implants can produce excessive projection and unnatural results in women with substantial natural breast tissue.

2.     The width of your chest wall

Your chest wall width must be taken into consideration before deciding on the right implant profile.

To achieve a more natural look, women with wider chest walls can opt for low-profile implants which have a wider base. Conversely, high profile implants with narrow base width can create too much space between the breasts and produce unnatural results in women with wide chest walls.

On the contrary, implants with more projection and a narrower base might be more suitable for women with narrower chests. Whereas the wide base width of low profile implants can produce an unwanted wide breast appearance in these women.

3.     The position of your breasts

The natural position of your breasts plays a key role in determining the right breast implant profile for you.

For women with breasts higher up on the chest wall, low-profile implants can produce a more natural and balanced appearance. On the contrary, the same implants can give unsatisfying results in breasts with a lower position on the chest.

Otherwise, high-profile implants are recommended for women with low breasts because they can provide sufficient breast lift and projection.

4.     The shape and size of your breast implant

The shape and size of the implant are other factors that need to be considered when choosing the profile for your breast implant.

For example, large implants with a high profile can produce an exaggerated and oversized look. Conversely, large implants with a medium or low profile can give you proportionately full breasts with an accentuated cleavage.

5.     Your aesthetic goals

The aesthetic changes you want to see in your breasts should be carefully considered before choosing the profile of your breast implants.

Whether you’re looking for an obvious change in the appearance of your breasts or more subtle changes can help you decide which implant profile you should go for.

Do you want a significant increase in the projection of your breasts or only slightly fuller breasts? Would you prefer a more pronounced cleavage? Or are you looking for the most natural results?

Knowing exactly what you want out of your breast augmentation will make it easier for you to choose your implant’s profile and projection.

Profile Selection Summary

You can use this simplified profile summary list to help you choose your implant profile before your breast augmentation surgery:

• Lower profile implants are better for women with substantial natural breast tissue and higher profile implants are better for women with less normal breast tissue
• Lower profile implants are recommended for women with wider chests and higher profile implants are for women with narrower chests
• Lower profile implants work better for women with high breasts or breasts that are far apart and higher profile implants for women with lower breasts or breasts that are closer together
• Lower profile implants are a better option for women who want more natural results. Higher profile implants are better for women who want more projection and better cleavage

What Is The Best Implant Profile And Projection?

The ideal breast implant profile will be different from one woman to another. The best implant profile and projection for you may not suit someone else.

The ideal breast implant profile and projection rely on your body anatomy, chest wall width, natural breast tissue, size of your implants, and aesthetic goals.

Dr Mark Gittos will help you make the right decision factoring in your body type, the size and shape of your implants, and the breasts you’re hoping to end up with.

Dr Gittos will take into consideration the exact measurements and position of your natural breasts and the width of your chest. He will then propose the implant profile that would best fit your body type.

Additionally, he’ll take into consideration your aesthetic goals and the results you’re aiming to get from your breast augmentation surgery. Eventually, Dr Gittos will help you choose the best implant profile and projection that can give you the most balanced and natural-looking breasts.

FAQs about Breast Implant Profile and Selection

Is an implant profile the same as implant projection?

• Although the projection of an implant can affect its profile, the implant profile is not the same as implant projection. The profile of an implant is a three-dimensional implant characteristic created by the implant’s base width, projection, and volume which all determine how much the implant sticks out from the chest. On the other hand, implant projection is a linear measurement – it’s simply the distance between the anterior and posterior ends of the implant.

What is full-profile breast augmentation?

• High-profile implants are also known as full-profile implants. A full-profile breast augmentation uses implants with a high profile and a narrow base width to provide the breasts with maximum projection from the chest wall and a contoured cleavage.

What is the most popular breast implant profile?

• A medium or moderate profile is the most commonly used breast implant profile. It can provide the breast with enough volume and create a prominent breast cleavage while maintaining a natural breast appearance. Nevertheless, high-profile breast implants may be more suitable for women who desire a more dramatic breast augmentation. Otherwise, women who only want subtle changes in their breasts may benefit more from low-profile implants.

Do high-profile implants look bigger than moderate-profile implants?

• Implant size and implant profile are two different characteristics of breast implants. Large implants can come in low profile and smaller implants can have a higher profile. The combination of size, profile, and implant shape will control how your breasts look after your breast augmentation surgery.

Read about Breast Augmentation Surgery with Dr Gittos

• Breast Augmentation Surgery NZ
• Fat Transfer to Breasts NZ
• Breast Implant Options
• How to Get Perky Breasts

Medical References about Breast Implant Profile

• Making Sense of Implant “Profile” in Breast Augmentation – PMC
• A decision-making method for breast augmentation based on 25 years of practice – PMC
• High and extra-high-projection breast implants: potential consequences for patients
• Breast implant design – PMC

About Dr Mark Gittos FRACS (Plast) – New Zealand Plastic Surgeon 

Practice locations in Herne Bay Auckland, Northland and Bay of Plenty – Kerikeri, Whangarei, New Plymouth & Tauranga

Dr Mark Gittos is a leading Specialist Plastic Surgeon and operates a practice in Herne Bay, Auckland and in the UK. The practice focuses on both surgical and non-surgical procedures, each designed to help restore, improve or change a physical characteristic or problem. The first step in every case is to talk through your personal requirements and explore all the options, before deciding on the most effective solution.

Dr Mark Gittos offers high-quality, natural-looking cosmetic surgery results and is highly experienced in Breast, Body and Face Surgery having performed over 4000 Surgeries in the last 26 years.  With worldwide expertise Dr Gittos is an expert in breast, face and body surgery for men & women.

Naturally, before any treatment is begun, we will explain clearly the advantages and risk factors; so that you have the information you need to make an informed decision that is best for you. Visit the practice to find out more.