How to Tell If Your Implants Are Over or Under the Muscle

This is actually a very common question. Many patients don't remember — or were never even told — whether their implants were placed over or under the muscle. Here's how to figure it out.

From a historical standpoint, implant placement trends have shifted over the decades:

• 1980s and early 1990s — it was more common for implants to be placed over the muscle (subglandular)
• Last 20+ years — it's been more common to place implants under the muscle (submuscular)

So the era when you had your surgery can give you a general clue, but it's not definitive.

There's a simple test you can do right at home:

1. Get out of the shower (so you can see your chest clearly)
2. Put your hands together in front of you — palms pressing against each other
3. Push your hands together firmly — this activates your pectoralis major muscle

Your pectoralis major runs across your chest, attaching from the sternum to the humerus bone in your upper arm. When you push your palms together, it contracts.

• Implants move to the side when you push → they're under the muscle. The contracting pec is physically pushing the implants outward.
• You see a flicker of muscle motion but the implants stay in place → they're over the muscle. The muscle is contracting on top of or behind the implant without displacing it.

This palm-press test is the easiest way to check at home. If you're still unsure, your plastic surgeon can confirm placement with a physical exam or imaging.