Your Breast Implant Options in Richmond
Dr. Chen will help you choose the perfect breast implants for you
Breast implant technology has come a long way—and women who are considering giving their curves a little boost have more options than ever for achieving the look they hope for. Picking out breast implants can be one of the most exciting parts of a breast augmentation consultation, and Dr. Chen loves helping his patients discover what will work best for them, but sometimes all the options can be a bit overwhelming. Here are a few things you’ll need to consider when shopping implants.
- Saline vs. silicone »
- Learn about IDEAL Implants »
- How big should you go? »
- Breast augmentation incisions »
Saline or silicone: what will work best for me?
When you choose your breast implants, one of the first things you’ll need to decide is which implant material will give you optimal results. Breast implants come with two types of filling: silicone and saline.
The pros & cons of saline breast implants
Saline breast implants are composed of an outer shell of strong yet flexible silicone rubber that is filled with a sterile saltwater solution during your procedure. For many years, saline implants were a patient favorite for their long history of safe and successful results. While silicone has become the most popular option in recent years, sale implants are still an excellent choice for the right patient.
Here are a few things to consider about saline implants:
- They are filled during surgery, so they often require a smaller scar and provide easy placement and adjustability.
- Saline implants cost less than silicone breast implants.
- Your body can safely absorb the saline solution should a rupture occur.
- Saline implants are a bit heavier and firmer than silicone, which can impact the way your breasts ultimately feel and look after surgery.
- They may not be a good fit for slimmer patient who don’t have much natural breast tissue as saline is more prone to visible wrinkling.
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The pros & cons of silicone breast implants
Silicone breast implants have risen dramatically in popularity over the last decade as more and more women opt for their natural look and feel and wide variety of options. Silicone implants are made up of a silicone rubber outer shell filled with varying strengths of cohesive silicone gel, which allows them to closely mimic the look, feel, and movement or natural breast tissue.
If you’re considering silicone implants, here are a few things to know:
- Because of their consistency, silicone implants are typically softer, smoother, and lighter than saline implants.
- Silicone implants look and feel much long natural breasts.
- Unlike saline implants, silicone implants come pre-filled from the manufacturer. This means they may require a slightly larger incision for placement.
Structured implants: what is different about IDEAL?
For those looking for the best of both worlds, we offer a new implant style: the IDEAL implant. These implants were designed by plastic surgeons to offer the highest level of safety while providing beautiful, natural-looking results.
This unique design of implant offers the safety and peace of mind of saline with the natural look and feel of silicone. The IDEAL implant has a series of implant shells that are nested together, creating two separate chambers in which to hold saline filler. This provides structure and control to the saline, which reduces the likelihood of folding, wrinkling, or rupture. This also helps the saline “behave” like silicone, offering you natural look, feel, and movement.
What size should my breast implants be?
One of the most fun aspects of your breast augmentation consultation will be choosing what size you want your breast implants to be. You’ll have the opportunity to see and touch various implant styles and sizes while Dr. Chen expertly guides you toward options that will work best for you. You will even be able to “try them on” for size!
Breast implant volume is measured in cubic centimeters (cc) and can range anywhere from around 120 – 800 cc, with the average size landing between 250 – 500 cc. It is important to remember that similarly sized implants will look different on different bodies. For instance, a smaller implant may make a big difference on someone who is very slim and has little breast tissue, but may be imperceptible on a woman with a larger frame and natural breasts. What works for you will depend fully on your natural anatomy, desired look, and Dr. Chen’s recommendations.
Where will my breast augmentation incisions be placed?
Dr. Chen will strategically place your incisions where they will be minimally visible and easily hidden by underwear or a bathing suit. While all surgery comes with some degree of scarring, you can rest assured that your scars will be difficult to see by anyone other than you and your partner, placed in natural skin folds to decrease visibility, and made as small as possible to accommodate your chosen implants.
Dr. Chen offers three incision options and will help you determine which will be the right for you.
- Inframammary: This incision is placed beneath your breast along the natural crease, known as the inframammary fold. This incision not only offers your surgeon excellent control and access, it also results in an inconspicuous scar.
- Peri-areolar: Made around half of the outer edge of the areola, the peri-areolar incision results in practically no visible scarring—the incision line is naturally camouflaged by the darker pigment of the areola.
- Transaxillary: A transaxillary incision is an option that leave no scarring on the breast whatsoever. Instead, a small incision is placed in the natural folds of the armpit, through which the breast implant is placed endoscopically.