Even as we are advised not to expect perfection when it comes to cosmetic surgery results, a recent public poll seems to provide an indication as to what constitutes ‘perfect breasts’. The poll was conducted as part of a study by British researchers aimed at providing plastic surgeons with a more consistent template for breast augmentation, breast reduction surgery and reconstruction after a mastectomy. According to the respondents, the ideal proportions of the breasts are 45 per cent of the breast above the line of the nipples and 55 per cent below.
A report on the study which was published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, says that the natural looking shape got the most votes – a ratio of 45:55. The survey covered 1,315 people, including men, women and plastic surgeons who were asked to look at photos of breast types and pick the proportions they liked the most.
The winning ratio across all three groups was 45:55, meaning 45% of breast tissue above the nipple line and 55% below it. The researchers noted that this proportion was a natural shape similar to the Venus de Milo. According to them, in the past decades, plastic surgeons have provided women with round implants over-filled with a saline solution as they thought that this was what women wanted. However, this did not provide results that were aesthetically appealing.
Based on the ideal 45:55 proportion, another report names the celebrities who people chose as having ‘scientifically perfect breasts’ – the Duchess of Cambridge and Scarlett Johansson. Megan Fox, Miranda Kerr, Katy Perry and Kelly Brook are also considered as blessed with perfect proportions or an ideally placed nipple meridian.
Women over 40 who participated in the study chose bigger, rounder breasts as perfect. The researchers say that this could be because older women sought to restore volume loss and improve conditions such as sagging and nipple-fall.