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- You can get the appearance of bigger boobs by toning and firming your pectoral muscles.
- This can be done by regularly doing bench presses, dumbbell flys, and chest presses.
- For more drastic results, you can try surgical options like breast augmentation or a breast lift.
- Visit Insider's Health Reference library for more advice.
A 2020 study of almost 20,000 women from over 40 countries found that a whopping 71% of women are not satisfied with some aspect of their breasts. Of those who were dissatisfied, 47.5% wanted bigger breasts.
If you are looking to get bigger boobs, below are some expert-approved methods from which you can choose.
However, it's important to point out that having bigger boobs may give you a confidence boost, but that's about all it can do for your health. And some of the ways to achieve larger breasts can come with risks. Here's what you need to know.
Exercises for bigger boobs
Muscles called the pectorals lie underneath the fatty tissue of the breasts. By working out the pectorals and surrounding muscles, you can firm and tone them as well as improve your posture, both of which can give you the appearance of bigger breasts, says Anel Pla, a certified personal trainer at Simplexity Fitness.
However, be aware that these methods may not get you drastic results. If you're looking to dramatically increase your cup size, see below for surgical options.
Here are three exercises Pla recommends for working your pectorals. She suggests doing three sets of eight to twenty reps twice a week for best results.
Bench presses
Pla says bench presses are the best chest exercise for targeting the middle of your chest. "Because the main focus of this exercise is on the middle of your pec muscle, it pushes the middle of the boob forward, making it appear larger," says Pla. Here is her step-by-step for doing a bench press.
- Start by lying back flat on a weight bench keeping your feet firmly on the ground. Position yourself so that your head is directly underneath the bar.
- Press your upper back into the bench, so that your upper body is stable.
- Reach up and unrack the bar. Keep your arms straight as you bring the weight up directly over your chest. Your arms should be fully extended.
- Take a deep breath and lower the bar to your chest until it just touches.
- Pause for a second before pushing back up through the same controlled movement.
Incline dumbbell fly
This move isolates the chest muscles and hits the inner and outer sections of the pectorals, says Pla. Follow these steps to perform the exercise:
To best stimulate the upper chest, perform the exercises on a 30-45 degree incline bench.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms straight and palms facing each other.
- With your chest up and a slight bend in your elbows, lower the weights out to the sides until you feel a good stretch across your chest, then raise them back to the start.
Decline chest press
This exercise has the potential to plump up the bottom of your chest with some additional muscle mass, since it works the muscle directly under the fullest part of the breast tissue, Plsa says. Follow these steps to perform the exercise:
- Perform the exercise on a 30-45 degree decline weight bench.
- Start by lying flat on the bench, keeping your feet fixed in the pads. Position yourself so that your head is directly underneath the bar, or you can use dumbbells.
- Press your upper back into the bench, so that your upper body is stable.
- Reach up and unrack the bar. Keep your arms straight as you bring the weight up directly over your chest. Your arms should be fully extended.
- Take a deep breath and lower the bar to your chest until it just touches.
- Pause for a second before pushing back up through the same controlled movement.
Surgical ways to get bigger boobs
If you want a drastic change in the size of your breasts and you are healthy enough for surgery, there are a few different procedures that are great options.
Breast augmentation
Breast augmentation is a type of breast enlargement surgery that involves inserting breast implants to increase the size of the breasts.
There are two different types of implants: saline and silicone, says Javad Sajan, MD, plastic surgeon at Allure Esthetic. Saline implants are filled with liquid saline solution, whereas silicone implants are pre-filled with silicone gel. These implants are typically placed behind the pectoral muscles.
This procedure can give you the most dramatic change in breast size compared to other surgical procedures. In fact, Sajan says patients can even increase their breast size by up to three cup sizes. Check with a plastic surgeon to see what a safe and realistic increase would be for you.
Breast lift
While a breast lift won't directly increase the size of your breasts, it's possible that a lift can create the illusion of having larger breasts, says Sajan.
"The primary function of a breast lift is to correct saggy breasts and reposition the nipple for a perkier, more youthful-looking breast," says Sajan. The procedure involves removing extra skin and tissue that is causing the breast to sag and then repositioning this tissue.
Breast fat transfer
A breast fat transfer can give you some of the most natural-looking results, says Sajan.
However, not everybody is a good candidate for this procedure. First off, it's only recommended for patients who want a modest augmentation (one to two cup sizes). Secondly, you need to have excess fat on your body.
Sajan says generally, qualified candidates will have one or two good harvest areas, most commonly the abdomen and the back. The fat will be harvested, purified, and then injected into the breasts.
Insider's takeaway
Although you may see creams and pills on the market that claim to increase breast size, steer clear of them. These are not effective.
Remember: surgery is the only way to get drastic increases in breast size. If you are interested in having surgery to get bigger boobs, be sure to see a qualified board-certified plastic surgeon.
