The best breast implants for your lifestyle depend on your anatomy, activity level, and your goals for size, feel, and upper-pole fullness. In general, more athletic patients often prioritize implant dimensions and placement that support comfort during exercise, while patients seeking more dramatic fullness may prioritize profile and projection.
A consultation with double board-certified plastic surgeon Sean Hill, MD, FACS, helps match implant type, size, and shape to your body, so your results look natural and feel practical day to day.
Breast Implant Choices That Can Affect Your Lifestyle
While size is often the most talked-about decision when it comes to breast augmentation, a few other implant choices can affect your comfort and how the result fits your lifestyle:
- Implant dimensions (base width + profile): These determine how the implant fits your proportions and how much it projects from the chest wall.
- Placement (over vs. under the muscle): Can influence implant movement with chest workouts, recovery, and how the edges of the implant show in thinner patients.
- Material (saline vs. silicone): Impacts feel, rippling risk, and rupture detection approach.
- Long-term planning: Breast implants are not considered lifetime devices, and future revision surgery may be needed over time.
Lifestyle-Based Implant Planning: A Quick Guide
| Lifestyle priority | What often matters most | What you’ll discuss in consult |
|---|---|---|
| Running / high-impact cardio | comfort + stable fit | implant dimensions, support, placement |
| Strength training / chest workouts | movement/animation + feel | placement tradeoffs, profile choice |
| Natural look in clothing & swimwear | proportion + softness | gel cohesiveness, sizing, shape |
| Dramatic cleavage / “push-up” look | projection + upper-pole fullness | Dramatic cleavage / “push-up” look |
What Type of Breast Implant Is Best?
The type of breast implant that’s best for you depends on personal preference. Breast implants can first be divided based on the filler material: saline or silicone gel. Saline implants are filled with a biocompatible saltwater solution, which the body harmlessly absorbs in the unlikely but possible event of a leak.
Within the category of silicone implants are various levels of cohesiveness. Highly cohesive breast implants are sometimes called “gummy bear” implants because the gel’s consistency is similar to gummy bear candy. Each implant type has its unique advantages and disadvantages.
Saline Implants
- Are more affordable
- Show ruptures and leaks immediately
- Can be placed with a smaller incision
Cohesive Silicone Gel Implants
- Are lighter than saline
- Look and feel more like natural breast tissue
- Less prone to rippling (visible folds seen through the skin)
- More cohesive, meaning they hold their shape, which facilitates more fullness at the top of the breast.
Are Round or Teardrop Implants Better?
Round implants are most commonly used in aesthetic patients as they add volume and fullness directly behind the central portion of the breast mound to give more projection and a push-up bra look. Anatomically shaped implants—shaped like a teardrop—are commonly used for breast reconstruction patients following cancer surgery or in patients looking for a more subtle, natural look.
Planning for Long-Term Implant Safety
Breast implants are elective medical devices, and part of “choosing for your lifestyle” is planning for the long term. During your consultation, we review implant type, dimensions, placement, expected maintenance, and what signs should prompt evaluation so you know what to expect now and years from now.
Breast Implant Screening Guidance
For silicone gel implants, long-term planning also includes routine screening for silent rupture, since it may not cause obvious symptoms. Current guidance recommends ultrasound or MRI screening starting about 5 to 6 years after surgery and then every 2 to 3 years.
When To Consider a Check-Up or Revision
Even if your implants are in great shape, you’ll still want to reassess your implants periodically over time. While there isn’t a strict schedule for revision procedures, many patients reassess their results around the 10-year mark based on how their breasts and aesthetic preferences have changed and whether any implant-related issues have developed.
If you ever notice sudden swelling, a new lump, persistent pain, or a significant shape change, it’s a good reason to schedule an evaluation.
How Do I Choose the Right Breast Implant Size?
This is the question most of our breast augmentation patients ask. And it’s a great question to ask. Some patients have a specific size in mind because they love a friend’s or family member’s results. However, the same size implants may produce less satisfying results if your body’s frame is different.
This is also when you want to consider your lifestyle. If you’re a runner or enjoy playing competitive sports, for example, larger implants may interfere with the enjoyment you get from those activities.
Sizing for Comfort, Proportion, and Lifestyle
When it comes to breast implant sizes, Dr. Hill uses 3 different variables:
- Implant size: The number of cc of fill material in the implant
- Implant profile: How far the implant projects from the chest wall for a given volume
- Base diameter: Diameter of the breast implant
Dr. Hill typically matches the diameter of the implant to the width of a patient’s chest to find the optimal fit. This process allows proper cleavage and upper-pole fullness of the breast mound without having too wide an implant, resulting in excess implant off the chest wall. He can then adjust the implant’s profile to match a patient’s ideal aesthetic, achieving the perfect look.
Take a look at our patients’ breast augmentation before-and-after photos to see the type of results this process creates.
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Breast Implant FAQ
Can I run or play sports with breast implants?
Most patients return to running and sports a few weeks after their procedure. The key is choosing implant dimensions and a plan that supports comfort for your activity level, especially for high-impact exercise.
Do larger implants make exercise harder?
Larger implants can make exercise more difficult for some patients—particularly those engaging in high-impact cardio—because the added weight and breast movement may compromise their comfort. This is why lifestyle goals are an important part of sizing and profile decisions.
What’s the difference between “size,” “profile,” and “base diameter?”
Size (cc) is volume, profile is how far the implant projects from the chest wall, and base diameter is the implant’s width. Matching dimensions to your chest helps create a proportional result and can improve comfort and fit.
Do implants need to be replaced every 10 years?
There isn’t a strict schedule for replacement, but many patients reassess around the 10-year mark based on changes in their bodies, preferences, or implant-related concerns.
If I feel fine, do I still need implant screening?
For silicone gel implants, a rupture may not cause obvious symptoms, which is why screening is part of long-term planning. Dr. Hill will recommend an imaging schedule tailored to your specific situation.
What symptoms should prompt an evaluation?
Sudden swelling, a new lump, persistent pain, noticeable asymmetry, or a significant shape change are all good reasons to schedule an evaluation.
Finding Your Best Fit
When it comes to finding your best fit, do your homework. While research is helpful for deciding your breast augmentation goals, a one-on-one consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon will help answer questions and find your ideal look.
Dr. Hill is an award-winning board-certified plastic surgeon, published author, and public speaker on the topic of current trends in breast augmentation. His knowledge can help guide patients toward selecting the ideal implant for their lifestyle and aesthetic goals.
If you’d like to enhance your shape with breast implants in the Frisco, TX, area, use our online form to request a consultation, or call Lone Star Plastic Surgery at (214) 937-4879. We look forward to meeting with you soon!
This blog post was originally published in March 2021 and updated for 2025.
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