Posted on August 30, 2022by Dr Mark Gittos - FRACS(Plas)

Breast Implant Shape: Teardrop Vs Round

When it comes to choosing the shape of breast implants for your breast augmentation surgery, two options are available: round or teardrop (anatomical). But which breast implant shape is best for you?

Each breast implant shape has its benefits and picking the right implant shape depends on the breast look and feel you’re trying to achieve.

Most breast augmentations are performed using round breast implants because they can create fuller breasts with a prominent cleavage and a more natural feel. They also avoid any breast distortion or disfiguration in case the implant shifts or rotates.

Alternatively, patients who are looking to add more volume to the lower portion of their breasts may opt for teardrop-shaped implants. These anatomical implants can create a natural breast slope and a subtly enhanced contour after a breast augmentation.

Dr Mark Gittos has years of experience with different types of breast implants and has guided hundreds of patients through their breast implant selection process. Dr Gittos custom tailors each breast augmentation surgery to give his patients unparalleled results and beautiful natural-looking breasts.

Download Dr Mark Gittos’ Guide to Cosmetic Breast Surgery

How to Choose the Shape of Breast Implants?

Choosing between different breast implant shapes before getting a breast augmentation surgery can have a big effect on the outcome of your surgery.

There are two basic available breast implant shapes that come in different sizes and profiles; teardrop implants and round implants. Dr Gittos will help you choose one implant shape over the other depending on:

Your unique aesthetic goals
Your individual anatomy
Your existing natural breast tissue
Which incision site you might prefer
Your preferred implant placement (above the muscle or below the muscle)

Breast Implant profile

Another factor to consider while choosing the shape of your implants is the profile.

The breast implant profile determines how far your breasts will project from your chest wall and can affect how your implants will look.

The implant profile may be:

Low profile: these implants have the smallest projection from the wall of the chest
Medium profile: this is the most commonly used profile. It features a wider base width and provides a natural fullness with plenty of added volume
High profile: these implants have the smallest base width and produce the most pronounced projection from the chest
Extra high profile: this profile produces the largest amount of projection from the chest

1. Round breast implants

Round-shaped breast implants, also known as contoured breast implants, are highly popular and the most commonly used implant shape. They are circular, flat, and can provide the breast with a soft, well-rounded, and uniform appearance.

Round implants:

Can be filled with either saline or silicone gel
Can have either a textured or smooth surface
Are available in extra high, high, and moderate projection profiles

Because of its circular shape, the breast shape will not be affected if the implant rotates or shifts in position.

Round implants can help you achieve more fullness in the upper portion of your breast, known as the upper pole, and can highlight your cleavage.

Who is best suited to round breast implants?

A round breast implant shape is ideal for women who:

Prefer a full upper portion of the breast
Want a more obvious breast cleavage
Want a more impressive projection of the breast
Desire a more significant lift of their breasts
Prefer smooth breast implants

Benefits of round breast implants

Most of Dr Gittos’s patients prefer smooth round implants because they provide:

Added breast fullness
Proportionate breast appearance
Better breast lift
More prominent cleavage

Round-shaped smooth implants are also:

Less likely to wrinkle than teardrop-shaped implants
Less noticeable if they shift or rotate
More cost-effective

2. Teardrop breast implants

Teardrop-shaped implants are breast implants that are oval and shaped like a teardrop. Like most natural breasts, teardrop breast implants are narrower at the top than they are at the bottom.

A breast implant in the shape of a teardrop gradually slopes into a more projected fullness below the nipple. This helps to recreate the natural shape of the breast more easily by mimicking the breast’s natural slope and can create fullness in the lower part of the breast.

Teardrop implants are also known as anatomical, form stable, or gummy bear implants. They are filled with a highly cohesive, form-stable silicone gel that helps the breast implant retain its shape and makes it look natural.

When considering anatomical breast implants, keep in mind that they:

Can only be filled with silicone gel, not saline
Often have textured surface to prevent flipping or rotation within the chest
Are mostly available in low and moderate projection profiles

Unlike round implants, if teardrop-shaped implants shift their position in their breast pocket the breast can look distorted or disfigured.

Therefore, although they mimic the natural breast shape, if a teardrop implant flips or rotates, the difference becomes apparent on the breast.

Who is a candidate for teardrop breast implants?

Teardrop-shaped breast implants are ideal for:

Very Thin patients with minimal breast tissue
Patients with challenging breasts like constricting or tuberous breast deformities
Patients who want to correct only mild sagging (ptosis)
Patients undergoing breast reconstruction surgery and want natural-looking results
Patients who don’t need to significantly improve their cleavage

On the other hand, patients with significant sagging who choose teardrop-shaped implants will also need a breast lift along with their implants to give their breasts a perkier and younger appearance.

Benefits of teardrop breast implants

Anatomical breast implants can provide:

An extremely natural breast look and contour
A natural-looking breast projection
Fullness in the lower portion of the breast

Round Breast Implants vs Teardrop Breast Implants

Any type of breast implant can add volume to your breasts. But what’s the difference between a round breast implant shape and a teardrop breast implant shape?

The advantages of round breast implants:

Unlike an anatomical implant, a round-shaped implant can also add volume to the upper area of the breast (upper pole) which doesn’t normally have much projection without implants
Round implants are available in high and extremely high profiles. As a result, they can add more fullness and volume to the breasts than a teardrop implant
Compared to teardrop implants, round breast implants can provide the breast with more cleavage and lift with less variation in fullness or projection between the top and bottom of the breast
Round implants can also be saline-filled whereas tear-shaped implants can only be silicone-filled. Saline breast implants require a smaller surgical incision than pre-filled silicone-gel implants
If a round implant flips or rotates, the appearance of the breast will not be disfigured in comparison with a teardrop implant which can make the breast look deformed if it shifts in position

On the other hand, the advantages of teardrop breast implants:

Anatomical breast implants are more similar to natural breasts than round implants
Teardrop-shaped breast implants can give a more natural contour than round-shaped implants
Teardrop implants provide a more natural look with less upper pole fullness compared to round-shaped implants

Even though teardrop implants look more natural, they feel more unnatural to the touch because of the firmness of the silicone gel. So they can provide the breast with a more natural look and contour than silicone round breast implants but they will feel more unnatural.

What Is The Best Implant Shape?

The selection of your breast implant shape will depend on how you want your breasts to look and feel after your breast augmentation surgery.

If you prefer fuller breasts with a significantly enhanced cleavage, then round implants can help you achieve more fullness to the top part of your breasts and can give them a curvier appearance than anatomical implants.

Alternatively, if you want a more subtle-looking breast enhancement without the distinctive upper pole fullness provided by round implants, then a teardrop might be the more suitable implant shape for you.

Moreover, if you’re concerned with how natural your breasts will feel, silicone-filled round-shaped implants offer a more natural feel than teardrop implants. At the same time, if you’re aiming for more natural-looking breasts, teardrop implants may be more suitable for your goals.

Round implants come in various profiles, sizes, and implant fillings which gives Dr Mark Gittos more flexibility when fitting the implant into your breast. The silicone gel in teardrop implants is also firmer than in round implants and can be easily felt in thinner patients.

That’s why most of Dr Gittos’s patients (around 95%) prefer round-shaped implants over teardrop breast implants.

With that said, no two sets of breasts are identical. What works for someone else may not necessarily work for you. Selecting the right breast implant shape comes down to your body’s anatomy, the amount of your natural breast tissue, the projection and width of your natural breasts, and the look you’re going for.

FAQs about Breast Implant Shape

What type of breast implant looks the most natural?

When it comes to touch, silicone-filled breast implants feel more like natural breast tissue than saline implants. When it comes to looks, because they mimic the natural slope of the breast, teardrop breast implants provide the most natural-looking results after a breast augmentation surgery. However, the silicone gel in anatomical breast implants is firmer than the silicone in round implants. As a result, teardrop implants feel less natural to the touch than silicone-filled round implants.

What do teardrop breasts look like?

As their name suggests, teardrop-shaped implants look like a teardrop. They’re oval and are thinner at the top and become gradually wider at the bottom, almost like most natural breasts.

Are teardrop implants harder?

Anatomical breast implants are filled with a cohesive silicone gel that can maintain their stability and distinctive form. As a consequence, the silicone gel inside teardrop implants is harder than that found in traditional silicone-filled implants. Teardrop-shaped implants feel harder to the touch than other implants.

Read about Breast Augmentation Surgery with Dr Gittos

Medical References about Breast Implant Shape

About Dr Mark Gittos FRACS (Plast) – New Zealand Plastic Surgeon

Practice locations in Herne Bay Auckland, Northland and Bay of Plenty – Kerikeri, Whangarei, New Plymouth & Tauranga

Dr Mark Gittos is a leading Specialist Plastic Surgeon and operates a practice in Herne Bay, Auckland and in the UK. The practice focuses on both surgical and non-surgical procedures, each designed to help restore, improve or change a physical characteristic or problem. The first step in every case is to talk through your personal requirements and explore all the options, before deciding on the most effective solution.

Dr Mark Gittos offers high quality, natural-looking cosmetic surgery results and is highly experienced in Breast, Body and Face Surgery having performed over 4000 Surgeries in the last 26 years. With worldwide expertise Dr Gittos is an expert in breast, face and body surgery for men & women.

Naturally, before any treatment is begun, we will explain clearly the advantages and risk factors; so that you have the information you need to make an informed decision that is best for you. Visit the practice to find out more.

NEXT STEPS

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