The most important part of any surgery, cosmetic or otherwise, is researching of the surgeon who will do the surgery. When considering breast augmentation, you want a cosmetic plastic surgeon who specializes in breast augmentation. He should be certified by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons as well as trained by Allergan or Mentor, who are the manufacturers of today's implants.



When you are considering getting breast augmentation it's hard to know what size is "right" for you. Breast implants are not sized the same way bra's are and for good reason. We have all seen how a 36C by one manufacturer is a 34B by another. The makers of breast implants size are based on cc's (cubic centimeters), which is how much saline or silicone in contained within the implant.

That doesn't mean you can't use the bra size when talking to your plastic surgeon, it just means you shouldn't be surprised if the doctor refers to the cc size. Before you meet with your surgeon for the first time, you may want to look for pictures of women who are of the same general size and shape of your body with breasts of the size you think you would like. A visual image is helpful in imagining what size is right for you.

Perhaps you have friends who have already had breast augmentation done and you like the look.. ask them of how many ccs their implants are and if they are saline or silicone. You might also ask them who they used for a plastic surgeon and what the surgeon's qualifications were.

When trying to decide about the right size there are a couple of different things to try to "see how they feel". The first idea is called the rice experiment. What you do is, buy an inexpensive bra(s) of the size you think you want, then by filling a pouch with the rice (measurements below) you can place the pouch in the bra and then feel how larger breasts are. Rice is the most popular filling for this test because it adds additional weight as the breast implants do. Oatmeal and potato flakes are other fillings used but are lighter in weight and possibly won't give the same feel.

* 1 cup = 236 cc

* 1/2 cup = 118 cc

* 1/4 cup = 59 cc

Breast implants run from 125cc to the largest legal size of 1200 cc. With the measurements above you can mix and match to get that "right" one for yourself. You can place the filling in an old knee high stocking which would make it more comfortable to wear during your tests.

By taking notes on how much filling you are using with the bra's, you would know what you like. You might want to wear these test breasts around the house and under your regular clothes, just to see how they feel.

Remember when considering your new breast size, that your skin will need to be stretched over the implant. This is one of the factors your surgeon will take into consideration when making his recommendations during your consultation. On the other hand, most breast revisions are for larger implants so you don't want to go too small.

If you don't want to try the rice experiment, there are professional sizing kits available to purchase of around $50. They have bra with special pockets to insert their implants in to give you an idea of sizing. The other DIY option is the one women have used for generations that involves using socks to fill the bra. This isn't a very exact approach although you could bring in the number of socks you used and give them to the doctor.

There is no absolute right way to make the decision on what size is right or wrong for you. All of these suggestions are temporary in nature and just like Goldilocks; you can try all of them to help you find just the right size.