How Are Breast Implants Measured? Hint: It’s Not By Cup Size

How Are Breast Implants Measured?

If you thought that you could walk into your breast augmentation consultation and tell the surgeon what cup size you want, you need to do a bit of reading in our blog before you schedule your appointment. The more you know about this going in, the better your experience will be, and the better your overall outcome. 

How are breast implants measured? The fact of the matter is that breast implants aren’t measured by breast size. At all. Ever. 

If you think about it, it makes perfect sense. The women who get breast implants aren’t all identical. An implant that makes one woman go from an A cup to a C cup might be larger than the implant that takes another woman from a B cup to a D cup. Here’s what you need to know about implant sizing

Breast implant sizing by volume (cc)

Almost all breast implants are measured by volume in cubic centimeters (cc) or milliliters. The higher the measurement, the larger the breast implant will be. However, how that implant is shaped can vary and make a huge difference in how many cup sizes you gain.

Breast implant size by diameter

Breast implant sizes are also measured by diameter. You can hold four different breast implants of the same volume and find that they have four different diameters. The diameter is the measurement across the widest point of the circle. In this example, the smaller the diameter, the thicker the implant will be, allowing it to create more volume with the same capacity. 

You can’t go on just measurements.

How an implant fits with your existing breast is a much more complex matter than just a couple of simple measurements and equations. The shape you want for your breasts can make a big difference in the actual size of the implants. This is why doctors ask what you envision your body to be rather than what cup size you want to end up.

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