It’s a cliché to say age is just a number, but it certainly rings true when people ask about the best age for breast augmentation. As with virtually any cosmetic surgery procedure, age isn’t really an important issue for patients to consider when thinking about breast augmentation with implants. At my Fort Worth, TX, practice, I discuss several other factors with breast augmentation patients during consultations.
Breast augmentation is the most popular cosmetic surgery performed in the U.S., with more than 280,000 procedures performed in 2019, according to statistics compiled by The Aesthetic Society. How old were most patients at the time of their surgeries? Here’s a breakdown:
- 18-34: 37%
- 35-50: 46%
- 51-64: 13%
It’s pretty clear that there is no single “best” age to get breast implants. So what factors are important? These are some of the issues I encourage people to think about before making a decision:
Types of implants: More than 80% of breast augmentation patients choose implants filled with silicone gel. It’s important to know that the FDA has approved silicone implants for patients age 22 or older. Saline implants are FDA-approved for patients 18 and older.
Emotional maturity: This isn’t necessarily about a patient’s age. One of the primary reasons women get breast implants is because they’ve always had small breasts and believe enhanced breasts will give them a sense of confidence in their bodies. Occasionally, however, a patient is making her decision based on what someone else, such as a romantic partner, wants. This can happen with a woman of any age, from one in her early 20s or one in her late 40s. It’s important that women get breast augmentation because it’s something they truly want for themselves.
Financial maturity: The choice to get breast implants can be exciting, but financial stress can become an issue. In some cases, it results in patients compromising their results because they choose a plastic surgeon or implant type based on cost rather than quality. Our practice offers financing options for qualified patients at 3 premier health care financing institutions. Patients, no matter their age, who are concerned about finances may be better off postponing the procedure until they are more secure.
Plans for the future: You can’t always predict the future, but planning ahead can help you make a decision about breast augmentation. For example, a woman in her mid-20s who is planning to have children in the near future would be better off waiting to get breast implants until she’s finished having children. In fact, many of my breast augmentation patients have had children and want to restore volume to their breasts.
There’s no such thing as being “too old” for breast augmentation: Women older than 51 make up nearly 15% of breast augmentation patients. The overall health of a patient is important, and older women should discuss their plans with their primary care physicians before getting implants.
Breast augmentation may need to be combined with breast lift surgery: This is one factor that’s often related to age because women’s breasts tend to sag as their skin loses elasticity and gravity takes its toll. Breast implants add volume, so breast augmentation alone may actually cause breasts to sag even more. Whether a patient needs to combine a breast lift with augmentation is a conversation she should have with her plastic surgeon.
Whatever your age or reasons for considering breast augmentation, the results can be beautiful when the procedure is performed by an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon. Women considering breast augmentation come from Abilene and throughout Texas to our practice for cosmetic surgery. Contact us using the online form to request a consultation or call us at (817) 228-4315 to schedule an appointment.
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