Profile

Low, Medium, and High Profile

On this page, Dr. Loftus will walk you through the different profiles of implants.

Round implants are made roughly in the shape of a jelly doughnut. They also come in three different variations of the doughnut shape: low, medium, and high profile. For any given volume, a low profile implant will have a greater diameter (footprint) and lower projection than a high profile implant of the same volume. The medium profile implant will be somewhere in-between. The profile most appropriate to you is objectively determined by the volume you select and the diameter of your breast. As an objective issue, this is best left to your plastic surgeon. For example, if your breast diameter is 13 cm, and you select 400 ml implants, you will be well-suited to a medium profile implant of that volume, as the diameter is about 13 cm, the same as your breast diameter. If you selected 550 ml, then you would be well-suited to a high profile implant, as its diameter is also about 13 cm whereas a medium profile 550 ml implant has a diameter of about 14 and a half cm, which is too large for your chest wall to accommodate. If you selected a 250 ml implant, then you might be well-suited to a low-profile implant. Again, because this is an objective issue, it is best left to your plastic surgeon. In general, about 90% of implants selected are medium profile. About 10% are high profile, and less than 2% are low profile. See this breast implant worksheet for implant specifications that show implant size, diameter, and projection for moderate and high profile implants. (Note that low profile implants are not included in this file, as they are not commonly used.)

This is an interesting issue related to the terminology used by manufacturers:

Implant Profile Terminology and Confusion

Facturer	Term for Low Profile	Term for Moderate Profile	Term for High Profile
Allergan	"Low-Plus Profile"	"Moderate Profile"	"Full Profile"
Mentor	"Moderate Profile"	"Moderate Profile Plus"	"High Profile"

Note that Mentor uses the term "moderate profile" to describe their lowest profile implant, whereas Allergan uses "moderate profile" to describe their medium profile implants. This has created a "moderate" amount of confusion among patients and physicians.

When it comes to profile, it is truly best to let your surgeon decide. First, your surgeon should measure your breast diameter. Next, you should choose the implant volume that you want.

Finally, your surgeon should compare the diameter of the desired implant size (standard implant) to the measured diameter of your breast. If the diameter of the implant size you selected is about the same or smaller than your measured breast diameter, then a standard implant is appropriate. If the diameter of the desired breast implant is larger than your breast diameter, then you should consider high profile breast implants.

Avoid this Pitfall

Some plastic surgeons recommend high profile implants when regular profile should be used based on the patient's measurements and desired size. Dr. Loftus does not recommend this because it causes the breasts to look like torpedoes. This only occurs when high profile implants are inappropriately selected. When appropriately selected, high profile implants look very natural.