THE AGE of enormous, fake breasts spilling out of the dress, is over.

This is according to Bruce Williams, a Joburg-based model scout.

He says this move has been influenced by a recent embrace of natural curves and a return to nature is the order of the day.

"Natural beauty is gaining back its respect and importance. Hollywood celebrities are now favouring natural curves over over-inflated bosoms. We recently saw trend-setting Victoria Beckham removing her breast implants for a more natural look.

Even fashion ramps seem to be favouring the natural look again.

This trend has infiltrated plastic surgeon consulting rooms.

Cape Town cosmetic surgeon, Dr Stuart Geldenhuys, says more and more breast augmentation clients want breasts that look natural, like they were born that way.

"Gone are the Pamela Anderson twins. Instead the catwalks and red carpets are filled with perfectly pert, but naturally rounded and not too big boobs," Geldenhuys says.

He adds that breast augmentation was about enlarging breasts but now shaping and proportion are the priorities.

Size is purely a consequence of these choices, Geldenhuys says.

He says despite this trend, breast augmentation, also known as a boob job, is still the most commonly requested surgical procedure.

"A patient needs a result that in 20 years will still be appropriate and look good.

"A natural result is proportional, has a gradual slope to the upper half of the breast, full-rounded lower pole with focus and projection of the nipple areolar complex, noticeable cleavage with soft transitions between the breast and chest wall," Geldenhuys says.

He says a growing number of celebrities was having their implants removed for more naturally looking boobs.

"In many instances, women who have implants removed or redone, might have made bad or uninformed choices - either having chosen breast implants disproportionately large in relation to their frames and which have caused breast tissue to thin, reducing the soft tissue cover or stretching of the breasts with sagging, or they have experienced capsular contracture or visible rippling," he says.

He adds that breast augmentation techniques have become more sophisticated since the first implants were done.

"These days, emphasis on long-term outcome and breast stability is paramount. Adequate soft tissue cover, dual plane, sub-muscular pockets and the use of anatomical shaped implants are becoming more commonly performed to provide durable and natural results," he says.

What are the common reasons for doing a boob job?

According to Geldenhuys, the most common reasons women have breast augmentation include enlarging breasts to make the body more proportional, reshaping and enlarging breasts that have lost their shape and balancing breasts that differ in size or shape.

He says often after pregnancy and breast-feeding, breasts lose both shape and volume.

He says women with small or sagging breasts find it difficult to buy underwear or swim wear. In some instances, failure of breasts to develop, unevenly developed or tuberous breasts make young women extremely self-conscious.

"Essentially, it's about how you feel about your body. If you are comfortable with your shape, no matter what type of breasts you have, plastic surgery is not for you, but if the size and shape of your breasts are negatively impacting on your self-esteem, then plastic surgery can make a major difference," Geldenhuys says.

He warns that plastic surgery is not a cure-all.

"I do not operate on women with dysmorphophobia, on women who are doing it to please partners or who see plastic surgery as the solution to all their relationship and psychological problems," Geldenhuys says. He also says there is a direct correlation between the satisfaction rate for breast augmentations and a patient having realistic expectations and a positive attitude to life.