Self Sizing for Breast Augmentation

It can be of enormous benefit to you to have “self sized” prior to your Breast Augmentation consult. While Dr. Nelson (with your input from self sizing) will determine your final implant size and type of implant projection; self sizing at home permits you to better communicate the way you wish to see yourself after surgery. The chance of you being either too large or too small after surgery is almost eliminated by your performing self sizing with the “rice test”.

The rice test (“grits test” or “oatmeal test”) lets you use something often found at home to fill a camisole top with a shelf bra or non-padded bra to assess how much added volume to your breast looks best to you.

Use ideally some knee-high hosiery or cut off panty hose and fill them with rice or oatmeal until you have added enough under your bra to give a look you would like to see following surgery. You can also try a zip lock baggie as the container. The conversion table below lets you convert cup measurements to “c.c.’s” which is how implants are sized: “in c.c.’s”.

1 cup = 236 cc
1/2 cup = 118 cc
3/4 cup = 177 cc
1/4 cup = 59 cc
1/3 cup = 78 cc
2/3 cup = 156 cc
1/8 cup = 30 cc

(Example: 1 and ¾ cups = 413 cc)

When doing your self sizing don’t worry about 5 or 10 cc increments. Typically it is best to increase by 30 cc increments or 1/8th of a cup. Implant sizes themselves increase by 25 cc volumes until about 425 cc and then they change by 50 cc volumes. What we are looking for are rough estimates on what volume you think looks right on you and then Dr. Nelson can tailor this to your height, weight and breast measurements that are obtained during the face to face consult. It is a good idea to do this assessment with a few different tops or blouses for you may look different in different clothing. Standard round implants, whether saline or silicone come in varying degrees of “projection” (3 types) and Dr. Nelson will discuss what projection best suits your body type and measurements once he knows what you determined during your self sizing at home. Typically if a patient self sizes, Dr. Nelson will add 10% or 15% to that implant volume to get the “same look” once the implant is under the breast or under the muscle. When self sizing, 100% of that rice or oatmeal is projecting forward on top of the skin. When an implant is under the muscle as an example, it is flattened a little and spreads out more. So by adding a little to your chosen volume in the rice test it will look like a similar volume after surgery. Feel free to call the office for a little extra explanation if any of this is confusing, but doing the rice test prior to your visit with Dr. Nelson will make the consult more informative and relevant to your specific case.

Also, if you have a few photos from magazines or the internet they can help give a sense of what you think is the look you are going for. Remember however that Dr. Nelson can’t necessarily make you look like the photo you bring; the photo is just a device to appreciate the size you are visualizing. The rice test is still far and away the best approach to getting a patient’s breast volume correct as the patient sees it.