One myth that needs busting is the “bigger is better” myth. Some treat this as a rule of thumb when implant selection is discussed. Patients will say a version of “everyone wishes they had gone bigger” and “you don’t want to regret your decision because you went too small.” Bigger implants have their place, especially with certain body types or desired outcomes. But going bigger for bigger sake is at best a lazy approach. The goal for a natural and proportional breast augmentation is to choose the implant size that fits your body. It is that simple.
Why does this myth get passed around?
There are a few reasons that this myth gets unneeded attention:
- For some, the anxiety of picking the “perfect” implant size leads them to default to the “bigger must be better” mentality. In reality, oversized implants are rarely the right choice and often lead to more regret down the line. The data shows that choosing an oversized implant puts you at a much higher risk for revision surgery in the future.
- The internet doesn’t help either. There are many examples of celebrities or women with notoriety who have larger implants. Its everywhere. This creates a feeling that this must be the norm and leads us to feel that going bigger must have some benefit.This is a false narrative and such extremes don’t translate well to most women’s bodies.
- A handful of our patients opt for a more full augmented look with slightly oversized breast implants. They look great! In reality the majority of women we see prefer a more proportional and natural breast shape. The reason why the larger augmentation group gets more attention is simple: it is more noticeable. Natural breast augmentation is often very subtle and therefore less noticeable, even by your friends and family.
Going a lot bigger is rarely better
- In our clinic, very few patients request to go bigger, after the fact. In the past 10 years only 2 of our patients have asked to size up after their breast augmentation but we see women every week looking to downsize. This is where our expertise comes into play.
- Implant removal/downsizing due to discomfort or changing preferences is far more common in our clinic.
- Most women want reasonably sized breasts that look proportional – not conspicuously large in comparison to their whole body. Oversized implants can throw off your body balance.
- We rarely see women over 50 years of age looking to upsize their implants. They invariably opt to go with smaller implants or even remove them.
Our advice when selecting an implant
Choose the implant that fits your body type and breast shape. It shouldn’t matter if it is bigger or smaller than you initially thought you would want/need. Remember, oversized implants are difficult to manage and even harder to replace. Focus on how the implant will fit and enhance your breasts, rather than adjusting to the extremes. The middle or Goldilocks implant options almost always have higher satisfaction rates over time.