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​Large Breast Implants: When Are They Too Big?

breast implants how big too big

When most women get breast implants, they tend to go up a size or two. Generally speaking, they want their breasts to be noticeable, but not noticeable to the point where every man’s jaw drops to the ground like some sort of cartoon character.

There are a select group of women who (for multiple reasons) want to have massive breast implants. Instead of going up one or two sizes, they ask their doctor to give them breasts that are unnaturally and freakishly large. There are many reasons why some women opt for extra-large breast implants:

  • Psychological reasons
  • Career (eg: actress, Hollywood)
  • Model
  • Already had implant surgery and are very comfortable with the large breasts and want to go even bigger

Most doctors agree that having extra-large breast implants is the wrong thing to do. One of the biggest concerns amongst surgeons is “what will they look like in 10 years from now?”. As women age, things naturally tend to sag and the end result is a complete and total mess that’s going to require extra surgery to fix as time goes by.

Negative Health Risks

Extra-large breasts can also negatively impact your health. Here are just some of the health risks extra-large implants can cause:

  • Back and neck pain due to the added weight of the implants
  • Your bra strap could cut “grooves” into your shoulders as most standard bras are not built to support the extra weight of large implants
  • Difficulty walking or jogging
  • As implants get larger, the more the tissue has to stretch in order to accommodate. This might allow wrinkles/ripples to be seen or felt.
  • Implants are not designed to last for more than 10-15 years. This means another surgery (to remove/replace) at some point in time. “How long” depends entirely upon your body and how it reacts to the implants over time.

Breast Implants – How Big is Too Big?

This question depends entirely upon your body. An implant over a certain size may look freakishly large on a woman who is 5’2” tall and 98 lbs., yet it may look really small for a woman who is 6’2” and 190 lbs. A general rule of thumb is that you should choose an implant size that is proportionate to your body.

This rule tends to lead to some confusion as what may be proportionate to one person, is not proportionate to another. It is generally thought that anything over 700cc’s is considered “extra-large” when it comes to breast implants.

Another thing you need to take into consideration is the amount of extra attention your extra-large breast implants will get you. If you’re the type of woman who hasn’t gotten much attention from many men in her life, the temptation to get extra-large implants can be very strong. While this may seem like the right thing to do….it gets old after a while. In fact, it could get downright annoying when you come to realize they’re only talking to you because of the size of your breasts.

Botched – The Biggest Breasts in Europe

“Botched” is a reality t.v. show that features Dr. Paul Nassif and Dr. Terry Dubrow (of “Real Housewives of Orange County” fame). In this E! television series, the doctors try to reverse the damages that patients have suffered from prior plastic surgery procedures. The recovery process is generally protracted and painful, and at the end of the program it shows the successfully completed transformation.

Botched recently featured a German citizen named Martina Big. She claims to have the largest breasts in Europe. She has 3,700cc’s in each breast, which translates to a 32 S bra size. Her extra-large breast implants are so big that they require “tissue expanders”. The problem with this is that they are only supposed to be inside the human body for a short period of time. She’s gambling with her health in order to achieve a certain look.

5 Warnings From Plastic Surgeons

There are 5 general warnings that most plastic surgeons give when it comes to oversized breast implants. These 5 warnings all stem from various complications that can occur when going above and beyond a normal implant size that is proportionate to your body

1. Back & Neck Pain – 454 cc’s of implants equates to about 1 lb. of weight. Two 700cc implants is roughly 3 lbs. of extra weight on your back and neck. Take a backpack and go find a 3 lb. barbell weight or something similar. Put the backpack on backwards, so that the actual backpack part is in the front of your body. Now go for a walk around the block, or try to walk up the stairs. 3 lbs. may not seem like much, but it feels like a ton when your neck and back have to carry the weight.

2. Firmer Breasts – One of the more common complaints from women who have had extra large implant surgery is that their breasts no longer feel natural. They have an extremely firm feel to them. Go to your local toy store and buy two volleyballs. Take them home and put them under a baggy shirt. That’s pretty much what they’re going to look and feel like.

3. Numbness in Nipples – Due to how the large implants protrude, there is a good chance that there will be a lot of pressure put on the nerves of the nipple, and the nipples themselves will become completely numb, thereby losing sensation.

4. Droopiness & Thinning Skin – Human skin is not meant to be stretched for a long period of time. When it does (especially in cases of extra large implants), the skin can become translucent and veins in your breasts can be readily and easily seen. Not to mention the implants themselves can sometimes be seen as well.

As you get older there is a good chance your breasts will droop. This means another trip to the plastic surgeon to get a breast lift. In some instances, if there is too much droop-age, the doctors might find it challenging if not impossible to reverse it.

5. Irreversible Stretch Marks – While the human skin is somewhat elastic, it’s not meant to be stretched very quickly over a short period of time. If it does (in cases of large implants), then stretch marks that are irreversible can occur. This is why doctors recommend you “stage” your implants by going to one size, then allowing your body time to readjust, then in a few weeks to a few months going up to another size.

If you’re thinking about getting extra-large breast implants, please do yourself a favor and think long and hard about the stress you are going to be putting on your body. If you have questions or concerns regarding breast implants or the size of your breast implants, feel free to contact us to setup a consultation to discuss your thoughts on your breast size. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding the procedure and quality of life after breast augmentation surgery.




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