When it comes to breasts in America, the popular aesthetic seems to be “bigger is better,” though the trend seems to be shifting toward a more natural look in the last year or so.
As a plastic surgeon in San Francisco who performs thousands of breast augmentation surgeries, it recently occurred to me that nobody asks me about the smallest implant available.
I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised because who would want to go through the time, expense, and recovery from breast augmentation surgery just to look relatively unchanged?
But in case you were wondering, there is a small breast implant available. In fact, it’s downright small.
The smallest breast implant available in the United States is 80cc. That’s about the size you were in when you bought your first training bra.
Does the smaller implant make a difference in cup size?
No, probably not. In general, 100cc volume of breast implants will increase the size of the breasts by one cup. So an 80cc implant would turn a natural B cup into a full B+ or B. I have yet to meet the patient who wants to wear the same bra size after surgery.
Is the smallest breast implant made of saline or silicone?
Saline implants are inserted into a patient’s breasts as empty shells and then filled with saline to the desired size. Therefore, the smaller 80cc implant is made of silicone.
Who makes the smallest breast implant?
In the United States, only two companies are allowed to sell cosmetic breast implants: Allergan and Mentor. Allergan makes the 80cc silicone breast implant and Mentor’s smallest implant is a 100cc silicone implant.
What is an 80cc breast implant used for?
Well, that’s a good question. Basically, the smaller implant is not used often. Even in parts of the world like Asia, where women prefer smaller cups, an 80cc implant may not work.
The original purpose of breast implants was for reconstruction after breast cancer. After a total breast extraction, the average woman would need an implant much larger than 80cc to achieve a small cup size. For C or D size breasts, several hundred cc’s would be required.
And no, the 80cc isn’t used to liking a layer cake on top of larger breast implants either. While some fringe doctors in other countries may place one implant on top of another for patients hoping to achieve massive HH or MM breasts, the standard and accepted method of breast augmentation in the United States only allows one implant within each breast.
I guess a little implant exists in the same realm as a unique little square of dark chocolate. Sure, it’s available for sale, but who’s buying it? Most people want more.
