Women pursue breast augmentation because they wish to make positive changes to their appearance—whether that means a change to breast shape or to breast volume. They seek results that are elegant, proportional, and above all natural—and in many cases, that’s exactly what they get.

But how do you tell between good and bad breast implants? We’ve all seen them: natural vs fake looking breast implants. So we’re here to tell you a good vs bad breast augmentation.

There are ways to reduce the risk of bad breast implants. Bad boob jobs tend to happen for one of two reasons. The first reason is that patients go cheap, choosing something quick and low-cost over something that’s been proven to offer better results. The second is that patients simply don’t do enough research, or don’t quite know what they’re looking for before they get into it. All of this can be avoided simply by ensuring you pick a good, experienced plastic surgeon who will consult with you and guide you through all the decisions you have to make for your breast augmentation.

Don’t Settle for Fake-Looking Breast Implants

As you consider your options for breast augmentation—and as you wonder how you can have natural vs fake looking breast implants—the first thing we want to drive home is simply this: assuming you pick a good surgeon and do your due diligence, there is no reason why you should end up with a bad boob job.

We say that because breast implant technology has advanced considerably over the past several years. At the same time, cosmetic surgeons have become more experienced in delivering the desired results, and in helping women choose the best implants to meet their aesthetic goals.

Ensuring a Natural-Looking Boob Job

One way you can ensure you have natural vs fake looking breast implants is to start with some basics—like your current breast size.

A good rule of thumb is that, if you have naturally small breasts then the larger you go, the faker they will look. Moving from a B-cup to an F-cup is a dramatic change that will most likely not appear very natural for your body frame; it’s generally advisable to just go up one or two cup sizes.

Here at Charlotte Plastic Surgery, we’ve found that women are moving away from what we call the Baywatch look—disproportionately large breasts—in favor of breasts that are more elegant and “normal” looking. Another principle we lean on is plausible deniability: we want women to have substantive results, but also enough subtlety that it won’t be immediately obvious to everyone they meet that they have had a boob job.

There are other factors that can affect how natural your breast augmentation looks as well, such as implant placement and shape

Implant placement should be relative to body type. For example, in women who are slimmer, breast implants tend to be quite a bit more visible, so it may make sense to have part of the implant inserted under the chest muscle. For women who carry a little more weight, the implant could potentially be placed totally behind the chest muscle. There are pros and cons to each option – something your surgeons will discuss in detail with you so you can weigh your options.

As for the shape of your breast implants, basically, there are round and teardrop-shaped (anatomical) breast implants. Now within these two basic shape categories are numerous implant profiles that contribute to the overall shape and contour of the implant. Choosing which is right for you comes down to personal preference, but your cosmetic surgeon will be able to consult with you and tell you which option will offer you the best, most natural-looking results.

When we talk about good vs bad breast implants or breast implants that are very fake-looking, we’re generally talking about instances in which some of these basic points have been missed—the women chose to go up too many sizes, selected an inappropriate shape of the implant, or had it placed incorrectly. Note that all of these issues can be avoided simply by working with a skilled and experienced plastic surgeon who will truly take a consultative role, helping you make prudent decisions and to fully know what you can expect from your breast augmentation.

Other Factors to Consider

As you meet with your cosmetic surgeon, there are a couple of additional factors to ask about—both of which can have a big impact on how natural your breast enhancements look.

The first of these factors is the type of breast implant you choose—silicone or gel. While both can be good options, saline implants have sometimes shown some tendencies toward “rippling,” which can make the breasts look quite unnatural. The latest, most advanced saline implants – including the Ideal Implant, a saline implant that has a silicone feel – and choosing one of the latest generation silicone devices – such as the so-called Gummy Bear implants – all help you avoid this.

A second issue is simply the difference between a breast lift and a breast augmentation—two different procedures that address two different issues. A breast lift pertains to the position of the breast, while an augmentation deals with volume. Make sure you speak with your surgeon about these options and select the cosmetic surgery that actually addresses your goals—and note that in some cases, it’s best to have both procedures done in tandem.

Avoiding Bad Breast Augmentation

Ultimately, we’ve all seen boob jobs we knew were fake, or that simply didn’t look good. These things happen, but they are also fairly easy to avoid—assuming you do your homework, know what you want, and select a surgeon who will come alongside you in a consultative role. We want to make sure to you get good vs bad breast augmentation.

At Charlotte Plastic Surgery, this consultative role is something we take seriously. We love meeting with clients and working together to set expectations—even using post-op simulation such as Vectra 3D imaging technology to let them see what their new breasts will look like. We are always quick to offer personalized advice on implant type, shape, placement, size, and more.

If you are looking to have a breast augmentation, be prepared to make a number of decisions that could impact how real the final results look. We are here to help at every step of the way. To learn more about natural-looking breast implants, reach out to the team at Charlotte Plastic Surgery today.