Aesthetic Characteristics of the Ideal Female Breast

Abstract

Background: The female breast is a subject of significant focus within plastic surgery. Little work to date has examined public perceptions of attractiveness with respect to breast anatomy and morphology. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of anatomic and aesthetic breast characteristics valued by the general population. Methods: A single-institution retrospective review was conducted of patients presenting for aesthetic or reconstructive breast surgery between 2009 and 2019. A cohort of 25 patients were included in a nationwide survey designed to assess subjective impressions of overall “breast attractiveness.” Survey responses were assessed, and the five patients with the highest mean scores were identified. An in-depth analysis of this subgroup was performed, evaluating anatomic metrics on both two-dimensional photographs and three-dimensional imaging. Statistical analysis examined correlations between objective breast characteristics and subjective perceptions of “attractiveness.” Results: There were 1021 survey responses. Across the entire patient cohort, the mean age was 47.4 years and mean BMI was 24.9 kg/m2. On a five-point Likert scale, the mean “breast attractiveness” score for the highest-scoring subgroup patients (n = 5) was 3.1 ± 0.1. Within this group, all patients had minimal ptosis and a projected contour. Average breast size was moderate, with mean volume of 299.4 ± 115.8 cm3. Conclusions: This study reverse engineers the aesthetically appealing female breast, beginning with overall impressions of attractiveness and subsequently analyzing the influence of objective anatomic parameters on subjective perceptions. In surveying a large and diverse population, moderately sized, projected breasts with upper pole fullness were found to be associated with increased “attractiveness” scores.

Aesthetically Ideal Breasts Created With Artificial Intelligence: Validating the Literature, Racial Differences, and Deep Fakes

“…We found no articles directly discussing the topic, several articles that asked black populations to evaluate non-black breasts, 11-13 , 19 and 1 study that evaluated African American breasts as part of an racially heterogenous group of models. 22 Notably, the African American females in this study were found to have relatively curvy and more toned body types coupled with large upper poles, substantial UPS convexity, and larger areolas when compared with the Caucasian females. Anecdotally, African American patients often place heavy importance on maintaining a curvaceous figure, which is consistent with their preference for curvier back and buttock aesthetics.…”

Publication Trends in Aesthetic Breast Surgery: A Bibliometric Analysis

“…A survey conducted by Bekisz et al in 2023, collected 1021 responses from a diverse population. 118 The primary objective of the study was to evaluate the aesthetic and anatomical characteristics valued by patients seeking ABS. According to this study, females generally preferred “moderate”-sized breasts with a greater upper pole fullness to lower pole ratio.…”