“I love my implants, but I wish I went bigger.”

“Worth it but kinda wish I went bigger.” “Love ‘em but wish I went bigger.” Breast augmentation forums, such as RealSelf.com, are filled with comments like these.

After doing thousands of breast augmentation consultations, I’ve identified four reasons that women hold back from choosing the size they really want to be. If you can avoid these traps, you’ll likely be satisfied with your choice after surgery.

Holding back based on concerns that people will “know.”
Some women don’t want others to know they had a breast augmentation, so they choose smaller implants: “I don’t want to look fake.” “I don’t want people to notice.” “I don’t want people to judge me,” they say. They need not worry.

I assure patients that most women look natural and proportional after their breast augmentation surgery and can keep it a secret if they are so inclined. Patients tell me that their most observant friends and family members are often aware that something is different. They ask questions: “Are you just back from vacation?” “New haircut?” “New outfit?” “Are you working out now?” They can’t figure out exactly what has changed.

Choosing breast implant size by looking at pictures taken at 3 months after surgery or earlier, instead of looking at fully settled breasts.
When post-op photos are not labeled, you don’t know how far along a woman is in the healing process. If you are looking at online photos taken 3 months or less after surgery, consider this: The breast implants have not yet settled into their final position. They are pressed up high, like your breasts would be in a push-up bra. They are not fully settled until 9 months post-op, and at that point they often will look smaller than they do at 3 months. You’ll likely be disappointed if you choose your implant size from pictures that were taken three months after surgery.

In general, your breasts look smaller when you are dressed than when you are undressed. So my before and after photo book includes pictures of women 9 months after surgery both unclothed and clothed, in a bra, tank top or blouse.

Making a decision based on cup size.
Our last blog post explained that being proportional doesn’t mean wearing a C cup bra. Click here to read “Can you make me a full C cup?”

Making a decision based on Internet forums and input from friends.
You might like the 375 cc implants you saw online, but are you comparing apples to apples? The woman whose breasts you were admiring might have started out with breasts that were larger or smaller than yours, and she might be a different height and weight, too.

If you’re starting with a full B cup and that woman started with a mid-A, you won’t end up the same size when you both get 375 cc implants. You’ll be about 1-1/2 cup sizes bigger – the extra cup you started with.

Likewise, friends who have implants might weigh in on your choice: “One of my girlfriends who has implants said that the implants I selected are too large for me. She has me second-guessing myself,” a patient told me.

My advice is that after you’ve looked at pictures of women who are similar to you and your frame, and you’ve chosen the size that seems right to you, trust yourself. Go with your gut or your heart – not your head. Remember that you’re the expert for yourself.