14 Oct 2025
Up until very recently, no celebrity was particularly eager to admit to aesthetic work. This all changed with the Kardashians. Love them or hate them, this is a group of women who embrace plastic surgery and are proud to discuss their procedures in detail. Part of it is about taking power back from the mainstream media, and controlling their own narrative. But another part is that they are not embarrassed about using aesthetic procedures to help them look and feel their best.
I love this honesty as I think it’s gone a long way towards reducing the shame that many patients used to feel about body rejuvenation. The downside, however, of Kylie Jenner’s detailed post regarding her breast implants, for example, is that her implants have become trendy. Women across the country, including Boston, are coming in and asking for Ms. Jenner’s exact implant thinking that it will deliver the same outcome when there is a good chance that it won’t. The key to a natural looking, long-lasting result is to choose implants that fit your body, not just the moment. As a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon and body contouring expert, here is my checklist for matching the right implant to your unique anatomy.
Measurements & Math Drive Breast Implant Choice in Boston
Staying “on trend” has always been important. No one really likes the idea of appearing passé. However, the internet and social media have made the chase for the latest thing seem so easy. If you get X breast implant that your favorite influencer got, will you get the same results? Most likely not as any breast implant has to fit within the contours of your chest cavity. When you come in to see me for a breast augmentation consultation, I will spend considerable time taking detailed measurements of including:
- Breast width at the base where it joins the chest wall
- Distance from nipple to inframammary fold
- Nipple distance to midline & to sternum
- Body proportion & frame
Then, we will discuss the best range of implants for delivering your desired outcome.
How do You Want Your Breasts to Look?
One of the downsides of the media’s obsession with breast augmentation is that so much of the chatter is focused on size. While the size or volume of an implant is obviously important, it can also be misleading. There are a wide range of choices that affect how any given implant is going to look on your unique body. These include:
- Implant size
- Shape
- Projection
- Type - Silicone or Saline
Furthermore, every breast implant manufacturer is slightly different which is why it is so important to see a surgeon who has placed a lot of implants and therefore understands their subtle differences. During our initial meetings, I will push you to talk about the “look” you are trying to attain. This is where social media and the internet are really helpful. Before you come in to see me, pin photos of women with breasts that you like. This will give us a great library of references points so that we can be certain that we are on the same page in terms of your aesthetic desires.
Breast Skin & Tissue Quality Always a Factor
While you definitely want a breast implant that will make you look how you’ve always wanted, it is also important to choose something timeless that will be long-lasting. Breast aesthetics, like all fashion, fluctuates. Right now, the look that most women desire is smaller than in the past, delivering more of an athletic looking contour to the body. Personally, I applaud this shift in trends as smaller implants are typically more natural looking and less apt to lead to complications as they don’t put as much strain on the skin and tissues of your chest. No breast implant is a lifelong device, but it’s nice to get as much wear out of your implant as possible.
Lifestyle Affects Breast Implant Choice
The last item on my choosing the right size breast implant checklist is lifestyle. If you are a super active body builder, for example, this may affect where we place your breast implant. Generally, I use a round, silicone gel breast implant that I place below the muscle. But women with very developed pecs may do better with an implant placed above the muscle. Also, if you are extremely thin, I might add a fat grafting to the breast procedure in order to provide further camouflage so that the edges of the implant aren’t visible or palpable. Fat grafting can also be a great addition for anyone who wants more of a full appearance to the upper third of the breast. All of these issues will be discussed with you in detail during your consultation. I am always upfront about what will and will not work on your body as well as the overall cost not just in terms of dollars, but also time for recovery.
To find out more about a breast augmentation, or any other surgical or non-surgical procedure with Dr. Akshay Sanan at the Boston Center for Plastic Surgery, contact us today or call 617-402-2768 to schedule a consultation.
