What Are the Best Breast Implants for Athletic Women?

For women who lead active lifestyles, choosing the right breast implants requires a balance of aesthetics, comfort and functionality. Whether you’re a runner, weightlifter, yogi or all-around fitness enthusiast, your implants should enhance your body while supporting your active lifestyle. 

Here’s what Dr. Harrington recommends that her athletic breast augmentation patients consider when choosing the right breast implants for their needs and goals.

Breast Implant Type

Silicone implants are often the top breast implant choice for athletes because they tend to look and feel more natural than saline implants, especially for athletic women with smaller amounts of natural breast tissue. One of the latest innovations in breast implant technology is the new Motiva implant, which consists of a flexible silicone shell and a specially formulated silicone gel designed to follow your body’s natural movements. These qualities make Motiva implants an excellent choice for runners, athletes and other women who lead active lives. 

In addition to their natural feel, Motiva implants are designed with durability and safety in mind. The gel inside is highly cohesive, meaning it holds together even if the implant shell is ever compromised. Their softer texture also reduces the likelihood of visible rippling, which is something that can be more noticeable in leaner, athletic body types.

Breast Implant Placement

There are two main breast implant placement options: submuscular, or under the muscle, and subglandular, or above the muscle. While submuscular placement can allow for additional implant coverage, which can be beneficial for lean women without much natural breast tissue, this placement type can also lead to a phenomenon called animation deformity. This occurs when implants placed beneath the chest muscle become temporarily distorted or move unnaturally during exercise or when flexing. While this isn’t a medical concern, it can be bothersome to women who workout or exercise frequently.

For this reason, some athletic women choose to go with subglandular implant placement, which places the implants beneath the natural breast tissue and above the chest muscles. However, the best placement technique for you will depend on your natural body shape and type and your personal goals. Dr. Harrington will work with you to determine the best breast augmentation techniques for your specific case.

Breast Implant Size

For most athletic women, a moderately-sized breast implant will offer the best balance between achieving a boost of volume and maintaining comfort and function when working out, running or playing sports. Dr. Harrington often recommends somewhere in the range of 300cc to 400cc breast implants for athletic women and runners for this reason. However, she will work closely with you during your consultation to select the best breast implant size that is custom-tailored to meet your unique goals while remaining balanced with your natural body shape and proportions.

Ready to Start Planning Your Breast Augmentation?

If you’re an active woman considering breast augmentation, the right implants can help you achieve your cosmetic goals without compromising your athletic lifestyle. Call our Plymouth, MN office at 651-290-7600 or contact us online today to schedule a consultation to discuss your options and find the perfect balance for your body and your lifestyle.