Silicone implants require a larger incision and cannot be adjusted after placement. On the other hand, silicone implants look and feel more natural, even when placed above the muscles of the chest, and are unlikely to ripple, wrinkle, bisect, or otherwise become aesthetically impacted.
Silicone breast implants tend to feel more like natural breast tissue than saline alternatives. This is particularly true of the form stable (“gummy bear”) breast implant, which is filled with a cohesive gel that mimics the feel of natural breast tissue almost perfectly.
"If the natural base of the breast is small, and the implants are very much larger, then they will tend to look fake. For example, if a woman wants to go from a B cup to a D cup, she will probably look fantastic and natural, as opposed to one who wants to go from an A cup to F cup who will see a more dramatic result."
Silicone implants look and feel more like natural breast tissue and are the preferred material for many patients.
Silicone breast implants: these pre-filled implants are most known for their sticky silicone gel. They tend to closely resemble the look and feel of natural breasts. Silicone is also lighter than saline, making them less likely to droop or show wrinkling.
Saline implants are usually firmer, fuller, and rounder then silicone, so they may look and feel less natural.
Aesthetic Look of the Implants
Saline implants are a bit overfilled, which gives them the look of fullness and firmness when you touch them. Silicone implants, however, are highly pliable and gives your breasts a more natural look.
After surgery, the most common size of breasts is a small to large C cup, with average implants measuring between 350 and 500cc.
Silicone breast implants are the most popular type. They're made of a silicone shell that contains a semi-solid silicone gel. These are the softest implants on the market and tend to feel more like natural breast tissue.
Ideally, the diameter of the implant should match the width of the natural breast, or be slightly smaller/narrower. If the diameter of the implant is wider than the breast itself, the implant outline may be visible.
Using mid- or high-profile breast implants to achieve your results certainly looks more natural than trying to achieve the results with breast implants that are just too wide for your body.
Real breasts are shaped more like pears — fuller at the bottom — than like melons. Many implants have an even distribution of silicon. There are typically four places that plastic surgeons use for access. Scars can be seen above the belly button, under the breasts, around the nipples or the armpits.
Although high-profile breast implants have a distinct look, that look can be natural depending on factors including the size of the implant and your individual body type.
The under the muscle or submuscular approach involves placing the implants below the chest muscle. This is usually a good option for women with little native breast tissue, as the muscle offers greater coverage. The results tend to look more natural than breasts that are placed above the muscle.
Round implants tend to add a more prominent fullness in both the upper and lower breast. Teardrop implants are designed to more closely mimic the natural slope of the breast and are often the choice for women wanting more projection in the lower part of their breast.
Smooth breast implants are the softest feeling. They can move with the breast implant pocket, which may give more natural movement. Smooth implants may have some palpable or visible rippling under the skin.
41% of women said that a C cup would be their ideal size, followed by 25% who said that they would prefer to have a D cup, and 22% who favoured a B cup.
That number represents your cup size. For less than one inch you are a AA cup, for one inch you are an A cup, for two inches you are a B cup, for three inches you are C cup, for four inches you are a D cup and for five inches you are a DD cup.
As a rule of thumb, most women will opt for implants between 200cc and 500cc, with anything under 250cc considered a mini boob job as it generally equates to an increase of one cup size or less.
Because they are filled with saline, the liquid is free-flowing inside of the shell, making the implants feel less natural and more firm than human fat. Saline implants also are more likely than gel implants to show rippling, especially in thinner patients.
Many patients feel that silicone implants feel more like natural breast tissue than saline ones. Silicone implants with a gel consistency that mimics the natural breast structure are often considered ideal for that reason. Patients with a good amount of natural breast tissue may also want to consider saline implants.
Saline implants are cheaper than silicone ones because of their fill material. Saline is a sterile mixture of salt and water. Meanwhile, silicone implants are filled with silicone gel. Silicone gel comes in various consistencies and is more expensive to produce than a saltwater solution.
The 350-400cc range is the most popular implant size range for women in the US as it is enough to make a visible difference, but it still appears natural and proportionate. For average-sized women, with average measurements, 300-400cc implant volumes are comparable to the size C cup bra.
Is it possible to increase the size of your breast implants? It is, with a procedure called breast implant revision surgery. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 37% of breast revisions surgeries are done because women wanted a bigger size.
After your breast augmentation, your implants may appear to sit high on your chest during the early stages of healing. This is because when the implant is placed behind the muscle wall, it agitates the pectoralis muscle and causes it to put pressure on the implant.