What Is a “High Profile” Breast Implant?

Breast augmentation surgery has become a very popular cosmetic procedure over the past 30 years. The science of breast augmentation was in its infancy three decades ago and has been improved in many ways with plastic surgery research. One of the improvements in breast augmentation includes the design (shape) of the breast implants.

When the breast augmentation procedure first became popular, different implant sizes (volumes) were available but there was only one shape. That shape is now referred to as a “low profile” implant. Modern breast implant technology provides different breast implant shapes called “moderate profile” and “high profile” implants, which gives more options for patients.

Breast implants are manufactured in different shapes which allows for increasing the implant size (volume) while keeping the diameter of the breast implant relatively constant. In other words, the shape of a high profile implant allows for more projection while using the same size (volume). High profile breast implants can help patients achieve more breast projection without increasing the diameter of the breast implant. The images below diagrammatically illustrate this concept.

The three diagrams below demonstrate breast implants with the same volume but different profiles. The high profile breast implant allows the patient to achieve more breast projection with the same breast implant size (volume).

The three diagrams below demonstrate breast implants with the same base diameter but in different sizes (volumes).

The high profile breast implant gives the patient the option to choose a larger breast implant size (volume) without increasing the base diameter. To learn more about how to determine the ideal breast implant size and if there is a limit to the size of breast implants a patient can get, please read our blog post on the specific topic.

Petite women with narrow chest walls typically do not have as many options when choosing breast implant size; however, high profile breast implants somewhat alleviate these limitations and can give the patient more sizing options. In simple terms, with high profile breast implants, a patient can get more fullness in the forward direction as opposed to the side direction. There are other breast implant designs than those described in this blog that can be discussed during the in-person consultation.

We invite patients in Fayetteville or from out-of-town who are interested in breast augmentation to schedule an appointment with our board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Stephen Herring. He takes a personal approach to breast augmentation procedures and fully customizes treatment plans to fit the patient’s needs and cosmetic goals. For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us today.