Choosing the right breast implants for each woman is a detailed and meticulous process. When I first meet a patient in consultation for breast augmentation, we discuss her goals and wishes for surgery, because those goals become MY goals. “We can do almost anything,” is what I tell patients.

After getting to know a patient well, we have a detailed conversation about what approximate size she thinks she wants her breasts to be. We discuss the overall style and look she is going for (i.e. natural, fuller, voluptuous, modest, sporty, perky, etc.).

I explain to my patients that there is NOT a “one-size-fits-all” approach. There are so many options for breast implants—sizes, shapes, profiles, silicone or saline, smooth or textured, round or shaped—so we need to accurately determine each patient’s goals on an individual basis before we can best plan her surgery.

So, how do we precisely determine how a woman wants to look after her breast augmentation? I ask her to find “Wish Pictures” to show me the look and style she is going for, as well as “Don’t Pictures” to show me what she doesn’t like. Wish Pictures and Don’t Pictures can be found by searching on the Internet, looking through magazines, or by visiting my practice’s breast augmentation before-and-after photo gallery.

With these Wish Pictures and Don’t Pictures in hand, I can further discuss each patient’s goals with her and obtain a more accurate idea of the look she wishes to achieve. Not only does this allow me to properly determine an effective surgical plan, it also helps my patients better express the vision they have in their head and more fully appreciate the intricacies of the outcome they seek.

For more information about choosing the right breast implant size, and to learn more about breast implant details, read my blog posts on breast augmentation and visit this section of my website. To schedule a breast augmentation consultation, please don’t hesitate to contact my practice by calling 415-923-3067 or complete our online consultation request form today!

– Dr. Karen Horton, Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon