How Breasts Preferences Differ Around The World

We all know that boobs come not only in all different sizes, but all different shapes as well. And it turns out, plastic surgeons in different countries prefer different breast shapes around the world, because why not, right? Put this down under "Things to consider when shopping for boobs," I guess.

So how does anybody even come by this information? Well, it turns out someone conducted an international study on the subject — though how science comes up with the idea for an international study on plastic surgeons' preferences for breast shape, that I can't help you with. In the study, researchers sent a visual survey to plastic surgeons all over the world and received 614 responses from surgeons in 29 countries.

In the interactive survey, surgeons were shown a picture of a model and asked to adjust the image. And what the researchers found was that there were distinct patterns in surgeons' preferences based on their age and location — though ethnicity, interestingly, does not seem to be a factor.

Now, it's worth pointing out, of course, that this doesn't mean a plastic surgeon in any given country wouldn't agree to give you the exact size and shape you wanted if you walked into their office and laid out your wish list. However, if you were to ask your plastic surgeon for their opinion about the work you're having done, it's natural that their personal preference would play a role in how they answer. Basically, if you're going international breast shopping, bear that in mind.

So what were the different preferences the study revealed? Well, here are a few.

India: Lots of Fullness

Plastic surgeons in India favored fullness the most out of all the surgeons who responded.

France: Not Quite So Much

French plastic surgeons are the least obsessed with fullness, and particularly don't care as much about upper-breast fullness.

Brazil: Large Areolas

Doctors in Brazil are the biggest fans of large areolas, but doctors in the U.S., India, and France also prefer them large.

Germany: Small Areolas

Meanwhile, doctors in Germany favored the smallest areolas.

The researchers behind the study say that this information indicates there may be cultural or geographic differences not just for surgeons, but for everyone when it comes to breast size and shape, and doctors should take that into account when working with patients.

“It is important for plastic surgeons to consider the cultural background and country of origin of their patients,” Dr. Neil Tanna, one of the researchers behind the study, told Reuters. “This will help to establish a common denominator between patients and surgeons, which might ultimately lead to higher patient satisfaction.”

Image: PublicDomainPictures/Pixabay; peter burge/flickr; K Kendall/fickr; Wikipedia Commons (2)