By plastic surgeon Dr Dirk Kremer. 

The vast majority of women who want breast implants aren’t looking to make them appear cartoonishly large. Instead, most women want breast implants to add some volume and improvement to the shape while remaining proportional to the rest of their body. They don’t want them too large, overly round or clearly fake looking - they want the complete opposite. They want them to be a suitable size and look as natural as possible so that they can feel far more confident about their body.

Some young women feel conscious about their small breasts and do indeed want to maximise size while remaining in proportion to the rest of their body, while other women want to add lost volume and shape following large life events such as pregnancy or substantial weight loss.

Read: What is the minimum age to have breast implants?

There are many reasons women seek breast augmentation surgery, and many considerations that need to be made to successfully achieve a natural look with breast implants - not least the skill and expertise of your chosen plastic surgeon.

How do you achieve a natural look from breast augmentation?

To achieve a natural look from your breast augmentation procedure, you and your plastic surgeon will have to consider the following:

The size of the breast implants

It’s important for the breast implants to fit comfortably so that they embellish the patient’s natural anatomy as opposed to distorting it. If the implants are too large, they won’t sit comfortably nor naturally, and how they project from the body is also important as if they moderately project, they will appear far more natural than implants that project much further. The width and projection of the breast implants must be determined to gain an indication of how much breast volume needs to be added with the implants, and together this will ensure the results can be as natural looking as possible.

Read: 5 facts you should know about breast implant surgery

The shape of the breast implants

It can be very difficult to tell the difference between breast implant shapes, but they do come in either round or anatomical (tear drop). Round implants are typically the better choice for women with existing breast tissue but who want a full or curvier appearance. Anatomical are often the preferred choice of slim women and they fill out more as they gently slope from the breastbone down to the nipple. Anatomical implants do run the risk of implant rotation, so for slimmer women who want to avoid this it should be noted that round implants that moderately project can still achieve very natural looking results.

The implant pocket

Last but not least, the implant pocket must also be considered. The implant pocket is the space that’s created for the breast implant to sit in. This pocket is usually either above the chest wall muscle (sub glandular or subfascial) or partly covered by the chest wall muscle (dual plane). Both implant pocket choices have their own advantages and disadvantages. The dual plane pocket is often chosen for patients with minimal breast tissue as the chest wall muscle partly covers and conceals the implant. For patients who already have an reasonable amount of existing breast tissue and volume, surgeons usually opt to place the implant on top of the muscle so that it can move more naturally with the breast.

Read: Breast implant placement - where is best?

Are you considering breast augmentation but worried about not being able to achieve a natural look? If so, why not book yourself in for an initial consultation here with me at Harley Street Aesthetics in the heart of London so that we can discuss your needs and options in detail? Get in touch by calling 0845 519 7232, e-mailing info@harleystreetaesthetics.com or by completing the online contact form.