Almost every breast augmentation consultation opens with the same sentence: "I want to be a C cup." It is an understandable way to describe a goal, but it is not how you choose a breast implant. Cup size varies between brands and even between two bras from the same shop — it is not a surgical measurement.
What decides your result is the relationship between your own anatomy and the physical dimensions of the implant. Dr. Antoine Abi Abboud, Head of the Department of Plastic & Aesthetic Surgery at Mount Lebanon Hospital in Beirut, plans every augmentation from measurements first and aesthetics second — because an implant that does not fit the chest will never look natural, whatever its volume.
The measurements that matter
During the consultation the chest is measured in several dimensions. These numbers set the range of implants that can physically fit and look right on your frame.
- ◆Base width of the breast — the single most important number. The implant diameter must sit inside the natural breast footprint, otherwise the edges become visible or the implants sit too close together.
- ◆Skin and soft-tissue thickness — thin tissue shows implant edges and rippling, so it limits how large or how projected an implant can safely be.
- ◆Nipple-to-fold distance and skin elasticity — this determines how much lower-pole stretch is available, and whether a lift is needed alongside the implant.
- ◆Chest wall shape — a curved or flat rib cage, and any asymmetry between the two sides, changes the projection needed on each side.
- ◆Existing breast volume and shape — an implant adds to what you already have; it does not replace it.
Volume, width and projection are three different decisions
Two implants of exactly the same volume in cc can look completely different. One may be wide and flat, the other narrow and highly projected. Once the base width is fixed by your anatomy, the remaining choice is how much the implant projects forward — which controls how much cleavage and upper-pole fullness you get.
This is why the honest answer to "how many cc do I need?" is that cc is the last number chosen, not the first.
How to choose during the consultation
- 01You describe the look you want — natural and proportional, or fuller and more defined — ideally with reference photos of results you like.
- 02The chest is measured and the tissue examined, which produces a safe range of implant widths.
- 03Implant profile and projection are matched to that width to reach the appearance you described.
- 04Sizers are tried inside a bra so you can see the proportion on your own body, in clothes, before anything is decided.
- 05Implant type, plane (over or under the muscle) and incision are finalised together, along with what recovery will realistically look like.
Signs the size was chosen well
- ◆The breast still moves and feels like breast tissue, not like a fixed shape on the chest.
- ◆No visible implant edges, rippling or wide gap in the middle.
- ◆The shoulders, waist and hips still read as one proportion — nobody's first impression is the surgery.
- ◆No long-term strain: oversized implants stretch skin, thin tissue and often lead to revision years later.
How to choose your own implant size
There is no universal best implant size — only the size that fits your chest and the result you want. Dr. Antoine Abi Abboud consults in Beirut and regularly in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh. For a surgical opinion, message the clinic on WhatsApp at +961 3 220 506 or call +961 3 522468; consultations for international patients can begin with photos and measurements before travel.