Many patients wish to try out different implant sizes in order to determine how they would look and feel before their consultation. One way to do this is through the rice test. This is a simple method that allows you to try out the volume difference at home.
This guide is reflective of the process used at Whitlock Cosmetic Center. This guide is supplemental to your consultation and is not a replacement for a consultation. Final decisions on implant selection will be based on your measurements, anatomy, tissue quality and your goals. These are things that can only be evaluated in person.
What you need
Clean knee-high nylon stockings (one per sizer)
Raw rice
A measuring cup and standard measuring spoons
Scissors and string or a rubber band to tie off
A well-fitting bra to test in
A mirror and, optionally, a phone or camera to compare sizes
How to fill your sizer
Measure the amount of rice that corresponds to the implant size you would like to try (see rice conversion table below). Pour this amount of rice into the toe end of a clean nylon stocking. A funnel can be helpful for this. Gently squeeze or tap down the rice.
Shape the filled area into a rounded form. Tie the top securely with string or a rubber band, using a double knot so no rice escapes.
Place the sizer in your bra on one or both sides. Try to position it so that it sits naturally against your breast tissue.
Rice-to-volume conversion table
The following table converts the volume of implants (cc) to the equivalent amount of rice used in the kitchen. These are the exact same measurements used at WCC:
200cc = ¾ cup + 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp
230cc = ¾ cup + 3 Tbsp + 1 tsp
260cc = 1 cup + 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp
290cc = 1 cup + 3 Tbsp + 1 tsp
320cc = 1¼ cups + 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp
350cc = 1¼ cups + 3 Tbsp + 1 tsp
380cc = 1½ cups + 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp
410cc = 1½ cups + 3 Tbsp + 1 tsp
440cc = 1¾ cups + 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp
470cc = 1¾ cups + 3 Tbsp + 1 tsp
500cc = 2 cups + 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp
530cc = 2 cups + 3 Tbsp + 1 tsp
560cc = 2¼ cups + 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp
590cc = 2¼ cups + 3 Tbsp + 1 tsp
600cc = 2½ cups
Quick reference: 1 tsp = 5cc · 1 Tbsp = 15cc · ¼ cup = 60cc · 1 cup = 240cc
What to pay attention to
Try different sizes and compare. Use a mirror to compare. Try on clothes that you normally wear. Take pictures. Note the appearance of different volumes in both front and profile views.
Notice how the sizer fits against your chest wall, the motion of the sizer and how it fits into your clothing. Larger does not necessarily mean better. It is important to maintain proportion to your body size rather than focusing on volume alone.
Rice sizers only approximate volume. They do not copy the shape, feel, weight, or projection of an actual implant, and silicone gel implants in particular feel very different from rice.
What this test cannot do
Rice sizing can only provide an estimate for volume. It does not accurately simulate the shape, weight, texture or projection of an implant. Silicone gel implants can be quite different from rice implants.
Whitlock Cosmetic Center has served Tulsa for more than two decades from its office in South Tulsa near 91st and Yale. Patients across the metro usually know the area: the turn off Yale, the parking, and the quieter stretch of medical offices.
