If you’re considering a breast augmentation or even just starting your research, you’ve probably realized there is a lot more to implants than just “bigger or smaller.” Choosing the right breast implant is one of the most important decisions you’ll make in the process, and it plays a major role in how natural your results look, how your breasts feel, and how they age over time.
At Integrated Aesthetics, Dr. Young Cho takes a personalized, anatomy-based approach to implant selection so that your results look balanced, proportional, and beautiful, not overdone. This guide will walk you through the key decisions involved in choosing breast implants, including saline vs. silicone, implant firmness, size, shape, and the leading brands we offer: Natrelle, Mentor, and Motiva.
Why Implant Choice Matters
Your implant isn’t just about volume; it determines:
How soft or firm your breasts feel
How much upper-pole fullness or cleavage do you have
How natural your breasts look when standing and lying down
How your results hold up over time
Two patients can choose the same “cup size” and end up with completely different results based on implant type, dimensions, and firmness. That’s why implant selection is always customized during your consultation.
Saline vs. Silicone Implants
One of the first choices you’ll make is between saline and silicone implants.
Saline Implants
Saline implants are filled with sterile saltwater after they are placed in the breast. They tend to feel firmer and can show more rippling in patients with less natural breast tissue. One benefit of saline is that if the implant ruptures, the breast deflates quickly, making it easy to detect.
Silicone Implants
Silicone implants are pre-filled with a cohesive silicone gel that closely mimics the feel of natural breast tissue. Because of this, silicone implants are by far the most popular choice today. They feel softer, move more naturally, and look more realistic, especially in patients who are slender or starting with smaller breasts.
A rupture in a silicone implant is often “silent”, meaning you won’t see sudden deflation, but modern implants are designed to keep the gel contained within the shell.
Understanding Implant Firmness & “Feel”
Not all silicone implants feel the same. Modern implants come in different gel cohesiveness levels, which affect how soft or firm they feel and how the breast looks in different positions.
Softer Gel Implants
These create a soft, natural transition between the chest and the breast. When you’re upright, the implant gently settles downward, giving more fullness to the bottom of the breast, similar to how natural breast tissue behaves.
Medium-Firm Gel Implants
These maintain more shape while still feeling natural. They offer a balance of softness and upper-pole fullness.
Firmer Gel Implants
These hold their shape more strongly and maintain more fullness at the top of the breast, even when upright. This is often chosen by patients who want more visible cleavage or a more augmented look.
Breast Implant Brand Options at Integrated Aesthetics
We offer three of the most advanced implant brands available today:
Natrelle® (by Allergan)
Natrelle is one of the most widely used and trusted implant brands. They offer a wide range of silicone gel implants with different profiles, widths, and firmness levels, making it easier to customize your results. Natrelle implants are especially popular for patients who want a soft, natural look with proven long-term safety data.
Mentor®
Mentor implants are known for their consistency, safety, and durability. They offer both saline and silicone options with a range of profiles and sizes. Mentor implants are often chosen for patients who want reliable, time-tested results.
Motiva®
Motiva represents the next generation of breast implant technology. These implants are designed to move and feel more like natural breast tissue, with extremely soft gel and a smooth, adaptive surface. Motiva is ideal for patients who want the most natural look and feel possible with advanced technology.
Choosing the Right Implant Size
This is where the process becomes truly personalized.
At your consultation, you won’t just pick a number; you’ll see it on your body. At Integrated Aesthetics, we use a sizing process that includes:
A non-padded bra
Implant sizers
Trying on clothes with sizers so you can see how different sizes look in real life
You’ll try different volumes until you find a range that feels right. Most patients naturally gravitate toward a narrow volume window where they feel confident but still balanced. Once that range is identified, detailed measurements are taken of your chest, breast width, and tissue to determine whether a wider or taller implant will best achieve the look you want.
Implant firmness then fine-tunes how much fullness and cleavage you’ll have.
Your Pre-Op Visit: What to Expect
Your pre-operative appointment is where everything comes together. During this visit, we review:
Your final implant size and brand
Surgical plan and incision placement
What to expect before, during, and after surgery
Recovery timeline and post-op care
This ensures you feel confident, informed, and prepared for surgery.
Take the Next Step Toward Your Ideal Results
Choosing the right breast implant is only part of the journey—choosing the right surgeon is what brings everything together. At Integrated Aesthetics, your consultation with board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Young Cho is a personalized, in-depth experience designed to create results that look natural, balanced, and tailored to your body.
Dr. Cho will evaluate your anatomy, walk you through implant options from Natrelle, Mentor, and Motiva, and help you confidently choose the size, shape, and feel that best match your goals.
When it comes to filler treatments, most patients think about smoothing lines or adding volume. However, truly natural, balanced results come from understanding why and how the face changes over time. That’s where MD Codes® comes in. MD Codes is an advanced, anatomy-based injection system that helps injectors treat the underlying causes of aging rather than just the surface concerns. As our team at Integrated Aesthetics begins incorporating this method into your injectable treatments, you’ll experience a more strategic, precise, and results-driven approach designed to enhance overall facial harmony and elevate your outcome.
What Are MD Codes®?
Developed by world-renowned plastic surgeon Dr. Mauricio de Maio, MD Codes® is a highly structured, evidence-based approach to facial injectables. Instead of simply “filling lines,” the MD Codes system breaks the face into precise, anatomically validated injection points, each with a defined purpose, depth, and expected outcome.
MD Codes help injectors address:
Why an area looks tired, angry, sad, saggy, or deflated
The structural causes behind aging
How to lift, contour, and balance the face in a natural, harmonious way
How to project more positive baseline emotions
This method moves treatments from “chasing wrinkles” to strategically restoring facial support and creating results patients truly love.
Why MD Codes Matter for Patients
1. Natural, More Predictable Results
MD Codes guide injectors to treat foundational areas first by creating lift, structure, and balance before refining smaller details.
This leads to:
smoother contours
more lifted features
results that look refreshed, not “filled”
replacing negative emotional appearance with more positive ones
2. Safer, Anatomy-Based Techniques
Each injection point in the MD Codes system aligns with:
known safe zones
recommended depths
product-specific considerations
Patients get the benefit of a safer, more controlled approach, and a team trained to prioritize precision.
3. Treating the Real Cause, Not Just the Symptom
For example, under-eye hollowing may actually stem from volume loss in the cheeks. MD Codes gives injectors a map to treat the origin of the issue, not just the visible line. This ultimately leads to longer-lasting, more impactful rejuvenation.
4. Emotionally Focused Outcomes
One of the strengths of MD Codes is its alignment with emotional goals.
Common patient goals include:
Look less tired
Look less sad or angry
Look more refreshed and lifted
MD Codes help achieve these outcomes strategically and intentionally.
Why Practices (Like Ours) Choose to Implement MD Codes
Adopting MD Codes is a major investment in training and technique, but it’s also one of the most powerful ways a practice can enhance patient results and safety.
Here’s why Integrated Aesthetics is implementing MD Codes across our injectable services:
1. Elevated Precision and Consistency
MD Codes create a shared language and process across providers.
Patients benefit from:
Consistent outcomes
Elevated standards
A cohesive aesthetic style
This is especially important in a practice with multiple advanced injectors.
2. A Stronger, More Comprehensive Treatment Experience
MD Codes allow for full-face treatment planning that considers structure, symmetry, and long-term aesthetic goals, not just isolated concerns.
This creates:
Better facial balance
Less risk of overfilling
Long-lasting, more elegant results
3. Superior Consultation & Patient Education
MD Codes make our consultations clearer, more strategic, and more collaborative, so patients understand:
Why certain areas are treated
How aging patterns are connected
What each point will accomplish
This improves trust and increases treatment success.
4. Enhanced Safety & Clinical Excellence
Because MD Codes are rooted in anatomy and evidence, they:
Reduce complication risks
Promote optimal depth and placement
Guide product selection and sequencing
This reflects our commitment to delivering the safest and most advanced injectable techniques available.
5. Better Patient Satisfaction & Retention
Natural, emotionally aligned results build trust, and trust keeps patients continuing treatment with the same provider.
MD Codes support:
Higher satisfaction rates
Stronger outcomes
More meaningful transformations
What Patients Can Expect at Integrated Aesthetics
As our injectors begin incorporating MD Codes, your treatment will become:
More strategic
More customized
More results-driven
More focused on overall facial harmony
Expect an elevated consultation, a clearer plan, and outcomes aligned with your aesthetic and emotional goals.
The Power of MD Codes®
MD Codes® represents the future of injectable artistry and safety, and we’re proud to bring this advanced approach to our patients at Integrated Aesthetics.
This system helps us deliver natural, predictable, emotionally powerful results while raising the bar for safety, precision, and patient care. Ready to experience the difference? Schedule your injectable consultation today.
No matter how dedicated you are to your diet and fitness routine, stubborn pockets of fat or loose skin can sometimes hold you back from the body you’ve worked so hard to achieve. That’s where body contouring comes in—a range of treatments designed to sculpt, tighten, and tone your figure.
But with so many options available, how do you know which approach is right for you? Should you consider a non-surgical treatment with minimal downtime, or is a surgical procedure necessary for more dramatic results? Let’s break it down.
Decoding Body Contouring Options
Non-surgical body contouring includes minimally invasive treatments that target fat, tighten skin, and even tone muscles without the need for incisions or anesthesia. Popular examples include CoolSculpting, Morpheus8, and Emsculpt or Emsculpt Neo.
Benefits:
Minimal downtime- most patients resume normal activities immediately
Lower risk compared to surgery
Subtle, natural-looking results
Limitations:
Results appear gradually over weeks or months
Multiple sessions may be required for optimal results
Smaller volume reduction compared to surgical options
Scarring is inevitable, though often strategically placed
Slightly higher risks compared to non-surgical treatments
Did you know? Surgical results are often more dramatic, but non-surgical options are ideal for subtle, targeted refinement.
Are You a Candidate for Non-Surgical Treatments?
Non-surgical body contouring is best suited for individuals who are:
Close to their goal weight
Have good skin elasticity
Generally healthy and medically cleared for treatment
Common treatment areas include the abdomen, flanks, arms, thighs, and double chin. Patients should also be committed to maintaining their results through a balanced diet, regular exercise, and follow-up treatments.
Limitations:
Results are gradual and may require multiple sessions
Less effective for significant fat reduction or loose skin
Pro tip: Many patients opt for non-surgical contouring after reaching a plateau in their fitness journey—it’s a way to refine their shape without surgery.
Are You a Candidate for Surgical Procedures?
Surgical body contouring is ideal for individuals who:
Have moderate to significant fat deposits
Struggle with loose or sagging skin
Have realistic expectations for recovery and results
Common areas treated surgically include the abdomen, arms, thighs, back, and buttocks. While the results are more dramatic, surgical procedures require medical clearance, a longer recovery period, and a tolerance for scarring and anesthesia.
Surgical transformation can feel like hitting the reset button, which is perfect for those ready for a bigger change.
Key Questions to Ask Yourself
Before deciding between non-surgical and surgical options, consider:
What are my goals—subtle refinement or dramatic transformation?
How much downtime can I realistically take?
What is my comfort level with risk and surgery?
How important is recovery and potential scarring?
Have I optimized diet and exercise first?
Taking time to answer these questions honestly will help guide your decision.
The Value of a Consultation at Integrated Aesthetics
At Integrated Aesthetics, we understand that every body is unique—and so is every treatment plan. During a personalized consultation, our expert providers, including Dr. Cho, evaluate your:
Body type and fat distribution
Skin quality and elasticity
Overall health and lifestyle factors
This allows us to recommend the approach that will deliver safe, realistic, and beautiful results, whether you’re considering non-surgical body contouring or a surgical procedure. Our team works closely with each patient to answer questions, manage expectations, and create a roadmap for their body transformation journey.
Why Choose Integrated Aesthetics
At Integrated Aesthetics, we believe your body contouring journey should be customized, precise, and effective. Our patients benefit from:
Expert guidance from board-certified providers like Dr. Young Cho
Access to both non-surgical and surgical body contouring options
A focus on achieving natural, refined results that enhance your confidence
Whether you’re seeking subtle, targeted refinement or a more dramatic transformation, our team is here to guide you every step of the way. Schedule a consultation today to explore your options and discover the treatment plan that aligns perfectly with your goals.
Join us for an exciting in-person event, Shrink, Tighten, and Tone - Powered by InMode,
where we introduce the latest advancements in aesthetic treatments and cutting-edge technology coming to our
practice that are designed to help you look and feel your best!
Thursday, October 17, 2024 ‘Lunch and Learn’ (12PM -1PM) and Happy Hour
(4-7PM)
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Americans with Disabilities Act or a similar law, and you wish to discuss potential accommodations
related to using this website, please contact our Accessibility Manager at (281) 247-5142.
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