Do Breast Implants Feel Natural?

Breast augmentation has evolved a lot over its long and chequered history. Although in the past it was virtually noticeable, newly developed devices, technology, techniques and procedures have been introduced that breast implants look and feel more natural. The better results from breast augmentation surgery and breast implant surgery are still one of the most popular plastic surgery procedures.

With so many options for breast implant surgery from the types of breast implants to the size, placement and shape, you may find it hard to choose the right breast implants. In the following post, we are going to discuss how breast implants feel and how you can still have breast enlargement that results in larger breasts with a natural shape and natural feeling.

Consider the right implant type

One of the most heavily debated aspects of figuring out do breast implants feel natural is which of the different types of breast implants is best. Whether saline implants or silicone gel implants have a more natural feel or not. As both implant types have their pros and cons, it’s worth looking at them individually and determining which is best for your body shape and personal preference.  

Saline breast implants

As saline implants are filled with sterile salt water, they are considered the safest option, particularly in the event of an implant rupture occurring. However, you will find the consensus is that saline implants are far too firm and feel less natural as a result. This, for the most part, is true, as saline implants are basically balloons full of salt water. Not easy to compress, water is therefore not very squishy, especially if the shell of the balloon is on the stiff side.

One way around this problem would be to put less saline solution into the shell. While this will enable the water to more easily displace when it is compressed and give the implant a less firm feeling, underfilled implants tend to have more ripples and folds, so most plastic surgeons avoid using them in that way.

Silicone breast implants

Silicone breast implants consist of silicone gel, a semisolid material (a silicone chains polymer with crosslinking between chains). How semi-solid and firm they depend on the chain lengths and how much crosslinking there is in the implant. This comes down to the gel’s cohesiveness.

More cohesive silicone implants are referred to as “gummy bear implants”. These are firmer and keep shape much better. Silicone, it is worth noting, can be made to feel more squishy, compressible and softer. Women are often offered these softer silicone gel fills if they are worried about their implants feeling too rigid and firm.

Read this Healthline article about different implant types to learn more about the pros and cons.

Think about the placement of the implant

The next consideration you need to make when you are having breast augmentation surgery is breast implant placement. There are two different options generally offered by board-certified plastic surgeons:

• Subglandular (Below the breast tissue and above your chest muscles)
• Submuscular (below your breast tissue and chest muscles)

When a breast implant is subglandular and therefore placed above the chest muscles, it will only be covered by your natural breast tissue. If you have sufficient breast tissue, this won’t cause any problems. However, if you have insufficient breast tissue, it is likely that the subglandular placement of the breast implant will not feel or look natural.

When breast implants have a submuscular placement, they are placed underneath both the breast tissue and chest muscles. As these implants are covered by your chest wall, you will only be able to feel natural breast tissue. This type of placement not only helps with how they feel but can help hide any imperfections present such as wrinkles and ripples that are common with saline implants.

Choose your implant size wisely

You need to keep in mind that all women have different body shapes and sizes, so the right implant size for you might not be the same as what’s right for your friend, or that celebrity you respect and want to emulate. To get breast implants that feel and look most natural, you need to choose a size that’s proportionate to your body.

If you choose a breast implant that is too big, it could look and feel overly firm. Whereas if you choose implants that are not big enough, your breasts will not feel as filled out and will potentially look droopy and misshapen.

Finally, about choosing the right size of implant, it’s vital that you do not rush your decision. A professional plastic surgeon will help you choose the best implant for your body size and shape and any goals you may have. They will do this after a thorough examination and assessment and a long consultation discussion with you. Many plastic surgeons make use of 3D computer simulations and other visual aids to show you how different implant sizes will look on your body.

Initial Breast Tissue

Although we’ve already touched on the subject of natural breast tissue, and how the more natural breast tissue you have the better and more natural your implants will look and feel, there is more that’s worth highlighting.

The condition and volume of breast tissue you have and your body’s ability to create scar tissue and develop a capsule around your breast implants can affect how quickly you will recover and feel like you again. Do you develop thicker scars and thicker capsules? It’s likely you will experience a longer and more drawn-out recovery period.

One way you can encourage the development of a tissue capsule around your implants is by massaging them. You need to wait at least a week after surgery before doing this, though. Once the capsule forms, your implants will be able to freely move with your breasts and will, in turn, feel and look more natural.

Talk to our team now

If you are interested in having breasts with more volume but want to avoid the chance that they feel unnatural, speak to one of our board-certified plastic surgeons today. They will be able to help you with all the important decisions that need to be made to ensure your breast augmentation surgery is a success and your breast implants feel natural, feel softer and look like real breasts. Contact us now!

Posted In: Body Treatments Blogs

Written By: Dr Azhar Aslam