Subtle breast augmentation increases confidence in a big way

If you were coming of age in a particular decade, you may remember television shows featuring voluptuous women running along a sun-drenched beach in tiny red bathing suits. Television and movies of the time promoted a specific "more is more" aesthetic. For some time, this representation influenced the way men and women perceived breast augmentation.

Times change, and so do aesthetics, public perceptions and beauty standards. Today, women looking for breast enhancement want options. While some want a voluminous, full or even exaggerated look, others want to strike a more harmonious balance. For those searching for a subtle augmentation, there are options available, options you may not have considered if you were fed a diet of media featuring buxom beauties.

Subtle breast augmentation results

Yoga breasts, athletic breasts, ballerina breasts – whatever you call it, small breast augmentation is having a moment. Small breast enhancement focuses on creating a harmonious silhouette, especially for petite, slim or athletic women. These patients want to create perky breasts but keep a more balanced proportion overall. It is breast enhancement that compliments your natural curves, not overwhelms them.

Kristy Hamilton, MD, said those who tend to be interested in small breast enhancement come in looking to have "nice, elegant cleavage lines."

Achieving this aesthetic depends on your current body type and desired enhancement level. Several techniques exist today to help craft a gorgeous shape with more balanced and subtle curves.

"Natural-looking breast augmentations are trending," said Anna Steve, MD. "Patients are seeking subtle smaller volume changes that are introducing concepts like 'breast harmonization' and tissue preservation, rather than simply breast augmentation."

What are the best breast implants for patients seeking a smaller or more athletic look?

"The best implants for smaller women with very little of their own breast tissue are lower profile implants," said Dr. Steve. "Lower profile implants 'stick out' less and help avoid a 'stuck on' appearance. Depending on the brand, these implants may be referred to as low profile, low plus profile or mini profile."

Breast augmentation for patients looking for a small but perky profile isn't just about size.

"It's very much about the overall aesthetic, the shape, the silhouette that it's creating," said Dr. Hamilton, adding that an implant provides structure to the breast, giving it the perkiness that many women are looking for, just in a more subtle shape.

Adding an implant isn't the only way to create a harmonious body silhouette.

"If someone is really, really pleased with their current shape and just want a little bit more volume, then fat transfer alone is an excellent option," said Dr. Hamilton.

However, she said a combination of a small implant and fat transfer can help sculpt and contour the breast shape for a natural look and feel.

"If patients just want a little bit more volume, then we can sculpt the breasts with fat, but they're not going to get as much volume as they would with a small implant," said Dr. Hamilton. "Some women will choose breast implants to gain a little bit more controllable volume or guaranteed volume. Then we may do a little bit of fat grafting along the cleavage lines just to accentuate those or add a little bit more volume at the top of the breast."

Fat transfer alone can be used for breast augmentation, but it is most often used with implants to enhance the overall result, while also providing the benefit of removing stubborn fat from other areas.

"The addition of fat transfer can also help maximize the naturalness of how the implants look and feel," said Dr. Steve. "Fat transfer can be removed from stubborn areas of the body using liposuction techniques and transferred to the breast – without any additional incisions – to help soften aesthetic lines and hide any visible borders of the implant. Fat transfer combined with implants is sometimes referred to as hybrid breast augmentation or composite breast augmentation and is a powerful tool for women seeking that 'did she?' look."

Benefits of a small breast augmentation

The most obvious benefit of a small breast augmentation is enhancing what you already have in a way that accentuates your physique and doesn't distract from it. Small breast augmentation can give women an elegant, sleek and balanced aesthetic.

It is also an excellent choice for women with an active lifestyle who want to enhance their appearance but don't want to feel "weighed down" by their chest. A small breast enhancement may be ideal for athletes or those who regularly engage in running, weightlifting, dancing or other high-intensity fitness activities.

There are also options for women looking for a natural bustline.

"Other options for a balanced look may include the combination of a breast lift with fat transfer for women with more subtle goals," said Dr. Steve. "This option could be supported in place with an internal bra."

She also said she is seeing a trend toward breast reduction as well as the removal of larger-volume breast implants.

"Explant surgery is often combined with a breast lift and fat transfer for some volume replacement," said Dr. Steve. "Other women choose to swap large-volume implants out for smaller ones. Exchange for significantly smaller implants will usually involve a breast lift to avoid excess skin and droopy nipple position and may also be combined with fat transfer to help 'soften the look.'

Women today have more options than ever when it comes to enhancing their breasts, even if they're just looking for something subtle. In the words of Dr. Steve: "With all the tools we have available to date, the possibilities for natural-volume breast enhancement are endless."

To find a qualified plastic surgeon for any cosmetic or reconstructive procedure, consult a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. All ASPS members are board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, have completed an accredited plastic surgery training program, practice in accredited facilities and follow strict standards of safety and ethics. Find an ASPS member in your area.