A Question of Cleavage – Do men prefer women with augmented breasts?
With breast augmentations now topping the charts for invasive cosmetic procedures, the million dollar question just might be, “Do men prefer women with augmented breasts?” “I think men prefer larger breasts, period. It’s instinctual,” says Tucson, Ariz.-based surgeon Dr. Robert Dryden, president of ArizonaCentre Plastic Surgery. “A lot of men don’t even know when women have had implants in the first place. They just see larger breasts.”
Although it may come as a surprise to some of us (or maybe not), that there are men who say they overwhelmingly prefer natural breasts to implants. “It’s a complete turnoff for me,” says Matthew Silverman, 32, a single Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based IT specialist. Thomas Mendola, a 36-year-old graphic designer in Buffalo, N.Y., largely says the same thing. “I can’t see how any man would actually prefer fake breasts to real ones on a woman,” he says. Two men, of course, hardly present enough evidence to point to a trend, but anecdotally, this is a common response.
Of course, it all cycles back to personal preference. “I’ve seen everything,” says Southcenter Cosmetic Surgery CEO Dr. Antonio Mangubat, whose practice is based in Seattle, Wash. “There are some men who love augmented breasts, and then there are the guys who try to talk their wives or girlfriends out of the surgery. As the surgeon, it’s my job to back off and say, who is this for? It has to be for the right reason.”
Indeed, says Dr. Erik Nuveen, an Oklahoma City-based surgeon who performs an astonishing 700 augmentations a year – that’s seven surgeries a day, five days a week. “There are men who say the way a woman’s body looks is irrelevant to love,” he says. “But if she feels it’s an important addition to her life, then he will be supportive – regardless of his aesthetic preference.” But Dr. Nuveen also says he’s fairly certain the surgery causes a considerable amount of insecurity for the patient’s partner.
“The men are definitely impacted as well,” he says. “When a woman seeks to change herself, we say, is she changing because she doesn’t like me? To attract someone else? Why would she do this when I love and support her the way she is? Men certainly question the decision to get implants, which adds another element of pressure.”
Dr. Jane Petro, a cosmetic surgeon in Mt. Kisco, N.Y., rejects the idea that women get implants to attract a mate – either male or female. She believes, as do most doctors, that patients undergo surgery purely so they may feel better about themselves.
This brings us back to the question at hand: Do men prefer women with augmented breasts? But maybe that’s not the question we should be asking. According to Dr. Petro, a man’s opinion on whether implants are preferable is never a reason opt for or against the surgery. (But society’s acceptance does make the decision to undergo a breast augmentation a little bit easier.)
The real question: Does the woman herself prefer augmented breasts? Ultimately, it’s the woman’s preference.
About New You
New You Magazine is the official consumer publication of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (AACS), New You is the first line of communication between cosmetic surgery experts and readers. We are a magazine on a mission to help real people meet their personal beauty goals. As such, we provide our readers with honest information about the latest anti-aging technologies, trends, procedures and products in addition to safety, cost, real patient personal experiences and guidance on how to find the right treatment and the right surgeon.
The AACS is a professional medical society of more than 2,500 cosmetic surgeons dedicated to consumer education and safety. All of the doctors referenced in New You articles are members.
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