When it comes to choosing the shape of breast implants for your breast augmentation surgery, two options are available: round or teardrop (anatomical). But which breast implant shape is best for you?
Each breast implant shape has its benefits and picking the right implant shape depends on the breast look and feel you’re trying to achieve.
Most breast augmentations are performed using round breast implants because they can create fuller breasts with a prominent cleavage and a more natural feel. They also avoid any breast distortion or disfiguration in case the implant shifts or rotates.
Alternatively, patients who are looking to add more volume to the lower portion of their breasts may opt for teardrop-shaped implants. These anatomical implants can create a natural breast slope and a subtly enhanced contour after a breast augmentation.
Dr Mark Gittos has years of experience with different types of breast implants and has guided hundreds of patients through their breast implant selection process. Dr Gittos custom tailors each breast augmentation surgery to give his patients unparalleled results and beautiful natural-looking breasts.
Choosing between different breast implant shapes before getting a breast augmentation surgery can have a big effect on the outcome of your surgery.
There are two basic available breast implant shapes that come in different sizes and profiles; teardrop implants and round implants. Dr Gittos will help you choose one implant shape over the other depending on:
Another factor to consider while choosing the shape of your implants is the profile.
The breast implant profile determines how far your breasts will project from your chest wall and can affect how your implants will look.
The implant profile may be:
Round-shaped breast implants, also known as contoured breast implants, are highly popular and the most commonly used implant shape. They are circular, flat, and can provide the breast with a soft, well-rounded, and uniform appearance.
Round implants:
Because of its circular shape, the breast shape will not be affected if the implant rotates or shifts in position.
Round implants can help you achieve more fullness in the upper portion of your breast, known as the upper pole, and can highlight your cleavage.
A round breast implant shape is ideal for women who:
Most of Dr Gittos’s patients prefer smooth round implants because they provide:
Round-shaped smooth implants are also:
Teardrop-shaped implants are breast implants that are oval and shaped like a teardrop. Like most natural breasts, teardrop breast implants are narrower at the top than they are at the bottom.
A breast implant in the shape of a teardrop gradually slopes into a more projected fullness below the nipple. This helps to recreate the natural shape of the breast more easily by mimicking the breast’s natural slope and can create fullness in the lower part of the breast.
Teardrop implants are also known as anatomical, form stable, or gummy bear implants. They are filled with a highly cohesive, form-stable silicone gel that helps the breast implant retain its shape and makes it look natural.
When considering anatomical breast implants, keep in mind that they:
Unlike round implants, if teardrop-shaped implants shift their position in their breast pocket the breast can look distorted or disfigured.
Therefore, although they mimic the natural breast shape, if a teardrop implant flips or rotates, the difference becomes apparent on the breast.
Teardrop-shaped breast implants are ideal for:
On the other hand, patients with significant sagging who choose teardrop-shaped implants will also need a breast lift along with their implants to give their breasts a perkier and younger appearance.
Anatomical breast implants can provide:
Any type of breast implant can add volume to your breasts. But what’s the difference between a round breast implant shape and a teardrop breast implant shape?
The advantages of round breast implants:
On the other hand, the advantages of teardrop breast implants:
Even though teardrop implants look more natural, they feel more unnatural to the touch because of the firmness of the silicone gel. So they can provide the breast with a more natural look and contour than silicone round breast implants but they will feel more unnatural.
The selection of your breast implant shape will depend on how you want your breasts to look and feel after your breast augmentation surgery.
If you prefer fuller breasts with a significantly enhanced cleavage, then round implants can help you achieve more fullness to the top part of your breasts and can give them a curvier appearance than anatomical implants.
Alternatively, if you want a more subtle-looking breast enhancement without the distinctive upper pole fullness provided by round implants, then a teardrop might be the more suitable implant shape for you.
Moreover, if you’re concerned with how natural your breasts will feel, silicone-filled round-shaped implants offer a more natural feel than teardrop implants. At the same time, if you’re aiming for more natural-looking breasts, teardrop implants may be more suitable for your goals.
Round implants come in various profiles, sizes, and implant fillings which gives Dr Mark Gittos more flexibility when fitting the implant into your breast. The silicone gel in teardrop implants is also firmer than in round implants and can be easily felt in thinner patients.
That’s why most of Dr Gittos’s patients (around 95%) prefer round-shaped implants over teardrop breast implants.
With that said, no two sets of breasts are identical. What works for someone else may not necessarily work for you. Selecting the right breast implant shape comes down to your body’s anatomy, the amount of your natural breast tissue, the projection and width of your natural breasts, and the look you’re going for.
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.
Please NOTE: Dr Gittos only performs surgery on non-smoker patients with a BMI less than 30. To check your BMI please visit the NZ Heart Foundation website. For help giving up smoking before surgery visit the Smoke Free website
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