Koreans' body types are becoming Westernized, yet women's breast sizes remain the same.

Koreans' body types are becoming Westernized, yet women's breast sizes remain the same.

Legs of people in their 20s are 2 cm longer compared to those in their 50s …
Average bust size, the smallest 'A cup' based on bra size




▲ Although leg length is 2 cm longer compared to women in their 20s and 50s, there was no significant change in average bust size, remaining at the smallest 'A cup' based on bra size. ©HealthO


As dietary and lifestyle habits change, the body shape of Koreans is gradually becoming Westernized. According to the results of a body measurement study conducted by the Korea Agency for Technology and Standards under the Ministry of Knowledge Economy on 14,860 men and women, the leg length of people in their 20s was 2 cm longer than that of people in their 50s.

While features such as leg length are becoming Westernized, women's breast sizes remain virtually unchanged. Although they possess slender, long legs, it is rare to find the voluptuous breasts that complete the "S-line." The average breast size of Korean women is an "A-cup," the smallest bra size. This explains why straight, skinny figures are more common than feminine, curvy ones.

Recently, the trend is to sculpt a healthy, toned body rather than an unconditionally skinny one, ensuring that curves are in all the right places. However, the breasts are not a part of the body that grows easily just because one decides to. Even if you devote yourself to chest exercises or stick to specific foods known to be beneficial, such as strawberry milk, you are bound to be disappointed as your size remains unchanged. If you are aiming for a fundamental change in size, the only answer is breast augmentation.

Ultimately, women who are ambitious about their figure choose to lie on the operating table with a determined heart. It is by no means a decision made lightly. They decided to undergo surgery despite knowing the risks associated with implant surgery, such as an unnatural appearance that is obvious to anyone, a foreign body sensation, or the hardening of surrounding tissues. In fact, there are even medical recommendations that implants, such as silicone, should be replaced every 10 years due to concerns about leakage caused by weakened durability over time.

Those hesitant about implant surgery turn to breast augmentation using simple autologous fat grafting. While it is safer and causes no foreign body sensation compared to implant surgery, the engraftment rate is only around 20–30%, meaning the breast volume typically disappears after about six months. One woman who underwent autologous fat grafting breast augmentation described the experience as fleeting, like a "midsummer night's dream." However, caution is required, as increasing the amount of fat excessively can lead to side effects such as fat necrosis and calcification.

However, an alternative to alleviate this disappointment is 'stem cell autologous fat breast augmentation,' which overcomes the disadvantage of a low engraftment rate. It has raised the engraftment rate, which was a limitation of simple fat grafting, to the 70% range.

Dr. Shin Dong-jin, director of Apgujeong SC301 Clinic, said, “The process of harvesting fat cells from the patient is the same as autologous fat grafting, but then fat-derived adult stem cells are isolated and mixed with fat tissue in a 1:4 ratio before being injected into the breasts,” adding, “Growth factors within the stem cells have a positive effect on the survival of fat cells, increasing the engraftment rate.”

SC301 Clinic is the first private hospital to introduce a cryogenic freezing system (CBS), and the fat remaining after surgery
It stores them in a healthy state. Even for a second procedure, the pure fat cells, which have been well frozen and stored, can be activated and used. This hospital is equipped with the latest stem cell extractors, such as HuriCell and TGI, to extract and separate stem cells quickly and accurately using fully automated systems.

Director Shin explained, “Based on an average body type, about 1000 cc of fat can be harvested,” adding, “The amount of fat transplanted to one breast is around 200 to 250 cc, similar to the size of commonly used implants.”

Director Shin Dong-jin enhanced the safety and reliability of the procedure by publishing an international paper, the first in Korea to demonstrate a high fat engraftment rate of over 70% driven by the effects of stem cells. He reported the results of an analysis of stem cell breast augmentation outcomes for 200 patients aged 20 to 50 who were available for follow-up observation in 2013. The findings showed that chest circumference increased from 79.11 cm pre-operatively to 84.02 cm post-operatively for those in their 20s (77 patients), from 80.58 cm to 85.19 cm for those in their 30s (80 patients), and from 83.40 cm to 88.41 cm for those in their 40s and 50s (43 patients). Regardless of age, chest circumference increased by an average of approximately 5 cm. The women who underwent the procedure received an injection of at least 90 cc and up to 260 cc of fat cells and stem cells into each breast.

Director Shin Dong-jin emphasized, “No matter how good the stem cell breast augmentation is, there is a risk of a low engraftment rate if it is not performed precisely due to a doctor’s lack of experience.” He added, “To increase the engraftment rate in stem cell breast augmentation, an average of over 1 million adipose-derived adult stem cells must be administered.” He further stated, “To achieve satisfactory results, you must find a clinic that directly verifies the exact number of stem cells injected using a ‘cell counting’ device.”