*Disclaimer – There is no guarantee of specific results and results can vary from patient to patient. Our team of consultant plastic surgeons will ensure you are in safe hands and discuss your results at your consultation.

Once they step into our Breast Suite, one of the first questions we get from patients is ‘How big do patients usually go?’  Until now, we based our estimate on our clinic’s experience, but new figures from UK-based breast implant manufacturer Nagor have given us a clear answer.

Nagor’s data is broken down by country, so we can see exactly how big and what shape Irish women tend to go for, and how we compare to other countries.

So how big do we go?

In Ireland, just over 2 out of every 5 women chose an implant which increases their cup size by 2-3 sizes.

But almost as many women (35%) in Ireland go larger than that, to about 3-4 cup sizes. On the other end of the scale, only 1 in 10 Irish women go for the smallest sizes in the range.

The most interesting stat is our appetite for generous sizes. 10% of Irish patients opt for a significant increase in cup size to more than 3 sizes larger, compared to 8% in the UK and 5% in Spain. The world average is 9%.

Size choices worldwide

Apparently, we’re typical of a growing demand for larger sizes around the world. In 2010, the larger range of implants accounted for just over one in five (22%) augmentations but by 2012 it had grown to over a quarter (27%).

Worldwide, the most common implant sizes increase a patients breast 2-3 cup sizes, with nearly half (47%) of all breast augmentations plumping for this volume.

Round v Anatomical

Size is just the tip of the iceberg, as implants also come in a choice of shape; ‘round’ and anatomical’ (also known as teardrop).

The preference of Irish patients is in line with the global average:  85% go for round, while 15% go for anatomical. Taste varies between countries, however.

In Germany two out of five (39%) choose anatomically, and in Poland, the preference is roughly equal for both types (44% teardrop, 56% round). In Brazil and Hong Kong, there is no demand at all for anatomical (0%).

Four degrees of Projection

The ‘projection’ of the implant is the final variation in implant choice. Implant project can be low, medium, high and extra high. In Ireland, half of the surgeries involve a high projection implant, close to the world average of 49%. Popularity varies a lot between countries; 95% of Colombian and Vietnamese patients choose ‘extra high’. But in France, Japan and the Netherlands, women mostly go for ‘medium’. In Sweden, most go for ‘low’.

So the average implant for Irish women is…

According to this data, the average Irish breast augmentation is for a round, high profile, implant going 2-3 cups bigger.

Which is just about what Avoca patient and model Rachel Wallace went for recently!

If you’re considering a breast augmentation, please get in touch via our online contact form.

You might also find some of our articles useful, such as Breast Augmentation FAQ and our choosing size and shape guide.