Choosing the Right Breast Implant Profile for You
Understand How Projection and Silicone Type Affect Your Final Result with Insights from Dr. Tyler Frew
Are you considering breast augmentation and wondering which implant profile will help you achieve your ideal look? The choice between moderate, high, and extra high profile breast implants can dramatically affect the outcome of your procedure, including how natural or enhanced your results appear.
In this comprehensive guide, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Tyler Frew breaks down the subtle but significant differences between implant profiles and silicone gel types to help you make an informed decision about your breast enhancement.
What Is an Implant Profile?
The implant profile refers to how far the implant projects forward from the chest wall in relation to its base width.
While implants may contain the same volume of silicone (e.g., 365cc), their profile can change the entire look of the breast, from natural to dramatic.
Comparing Implant Profiles: Side-by-Side Visuals
Dr. Frew demonstrates three popular options using 365cc silicone implants in the above video:
Moderate Profile
Moderate profile implants offer the most natural-looking enhancement by balancing volume with a wide, stable base.
- Widest base
- Least forward projection
- Creates a softer, more natural look
- Ideal for broader chests or subtle enhancement goals
This option is perfect for those seeking subtle, proportionate results that flatter a broader chest.
High Profile
High profile implants create a more dramatic change by adding extra forward projection with a narrower base.
- Narrower base
- Increased projection
- Offers a rounder, perkier silhouette
- Great for patients who want more upper pole fullness
Patients who want noticeable upper pole fullness and a perkier, rounder shape often choose this silhouette.
Extra High Profile
Extra high profile implants deliver the most dramatic transformation, combining a narrow base with maximum forward projection for striking results.
- Narrowest base
- Most dramatic projection
- Creates a bold, augmented appearance
- Preferred by patients desiring a lifted, enhanced look with strong cleavage
Ideal for patients seeking a bold, lifted look with enhanced cleavage, this profile creates a noticeably augmented side silhouette.
From the front, differences may appear minimal, but the side profile reveals a significant change in shape and contour.
How to Choose the Right Implant Profile
Dr. Frew emphasizes that profile choice is highly personal and should be tailored to:
- Your natural breast base width
- Your chest shape and proportions
- The degree of enhancement you want
- Your lifestyle and aesthetic goals
During your in-office consultation, you’ll try on different implant sizes and profiles using a specialized bra sizer, helping you visualize how each option looks on your body.
Breast Augmentation Before and After
Types of Silicone Breast Implants
Silicone breast implants come in a variety of formulations, each offering a unique balance of feel, firmness, and shape retention.
Traditional silicone gel implants provide a soft, natural texture. “Soft-touch” implants are slightly firmer, maintaining a smooth feel while offering more support. Highly cohesive or “gummy bear” implants are the firmest and most structured, holding their shape even when cut, ideal for long-lasting contour and upper pole fullness.
Comparing the Different Types of Silicone Implants
Beyond implant profile, the type of silicone gel also plays a major role in the final look and feel.
In the above video, Dr. Frew demonstrates and compares three popular options side by side: traditional silicone gel, soft-touch gel, and highly cohesive gel.
Traditional Silicone Gel
Traditional silicone gel implants are known for their soft, flexible feel that closely mimics natural breast tissue.
- Soft and flexible
- Natural feel
- Less upper pole support over time
While they offer a very natural touch, they may gradually lose some upper pole support over time.
Soft Touch Silicone
Soft touch implants strike a middle ground between classic silicone and firmer options, offering enhanced shape retention with a smooth, pliable feel.
- Slightly firmer than traditional gel
- More shape retention
- Patient favorite for combining softness and structure
This balance of softness and structure makes them a favorite among patients seeking both comfort and lasting contour.
Highly Cohesive Gel (“Gummy Bear” Implants)
Highly cohesive silicone implants, often called “gummy bear” implants, are the most form-stable option available.
- Firmest option
- Retains upper pole volume best
- Ideal for defined, sculpted results
Their firm structure helps maintain upper pole volume and sculpted definition for consistently elegant results.
Breast Augmentation or Breast Lift with Implants?
Whether you’re interested in a standalone breast augmentation or combining implants with a breast lift, Dr. Frew offers a highly personalized approach that considers all elements of your anatomy, lifestyle, and goals.
Every decision, from projection to silicone density, is made with your long-term satisfaction in mind.
Your Next Step : Schedule a Consultation
Choosing the right breast implant profile isn’t just about volume. It’s about proportion, projection, and how the implant harmonizes with your unique figure.
Schedule your consultation with Dr. Tyler Frew today to explore your options and experience the difference a truly personalized approach can make.
Start Your Journey
Breast Implant Profile FAQs
What does implant profile actually mean?
Profile describes how far an implant projects from the chest relative to its base width. The same volume can look subtle in a moderate profile or more dramatic in a high or extra-high profile, so projection matters as much as cc.
How do surgeons match profile to my chest width?
Tissue-based planning starts with measurements like breast base width, then selects an implant whose base and projection fit your frame and goals. This approach steers sizing away from cup numbers and toward proportional results.
Which profile tends to look most natural?
Moderate profile often reads most natural because it balances projection with a wider base. Patients seeking a more noticeable upper-pole or rounder silhouette may prefer high or extra-high.
Can a higher profile create cleavage without looking overdone?
Higher profiles increase forward projection and upper-pole fullness, which can enhance cleavage. From the front, differences can be modest, but the side view shows a clear change in contour.
Does silicone gel type change how a profile looks and feels?
Yes. Softer gels can feel more natural but offer less upper-pole support, while highly cohesive “gummy bear” gels retain shape and upper fullness, which pairs well with higher profiles. Studies also associate greater gel cohesivity with less rippling.
Will profile or gel choice affect rippling visibility?
Rippling risk is influenced by gel cohesivity and tissue coverage. Evidence suggests more cohesive gels reduce rippling, and subpectoral or subfascial coverage can hide edges better than fully subglandular placement in thin patients.
Does implant plane influence which profile I should pick?
It can. Subpectoral or subfascial placement may allow slightly higher projection with smoother transitions in thin patients, while subglandular placement relies more on gel cohesivity and profile to camouflage edges. Your plane is individualized to anatomy.
Which incision is preferred for augmentation and why?
Dr. Frew favors the inframammary fold incision. Studies associate IMF access with lower capsular contracture risk compared with some other incisions, and it keeps the pocket clean.
How will I preview moderate vs high vs extra-high on my body?
In consultation you try different sizes and profiles in a sizing bra so you can see how base width and projection look on your frame before surgery.
Can profile choice replace a lift if my nipples sit low?
Profile changes projection, not nipple position. If there is true ptosis, a lift may be recommended with or without implants to center the nipple on the breast and achieve a youthful shape.
Do different profiles change mammogram or implant checkups?
Profile does not change the need for routine follow-up. Regardless of profile, implants are monitored over time and the imaging team can use specialized displacement views when needed.
What if I want subtle fullness now but the option to go bigger later?
A profile matched to your base width leaves room for future adjustments. Tissue-based planning and cohesive gel selection create a stable foundation that can be revised later if goals change.
Elite Surgical Skill in Breast & Body Aesthetics
Dr. Tyler Frew is a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon specializing in aesthetic surgery of the breast and body.
He is known for delivering natural-looking results through advanced techniques in breast enhancement, tummy tuck, liposuction, and mommy makeover procedures.
Dr. Frew combines surgical expertise with compassionate, patient-focused care, helping each individual restore confidence and achieve their personal aesthetic goals.
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Richard V. Balikian, MD, FACS
Double Board-Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon
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Tyler Frew, MD
Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon
