What is the Best Age for Breast Augmentation?

Selecting the right time in your life for breast augmentation is a very personal decision. There is no best age to undergo the procedure. Instead, the question you should be asking yourself is, “When is the best age for me?”

There are many factors which should be considered when deciding on the right time to have breast augmentation. While this page will briefly discuss some of these factors, we find that it is best to go over them with you in person. Please call 480-767-7700 to schedule your confidential consultation at our Scottsdale plastic surgery office.

Minimum Age for Breast Augmentation

While there is no one right age for breast augmentation, there are certain age-related restrictions imposed by the FDA. Saline breast implants are approved for use with women over the age of 18, and silicone breast implants are approved for women over the age of 22. If you are younger than these minimum ages, then you will need to wait a few years before considering breast augmentation.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), most women get breast augmentation in their 20s and 30s. Approximately 30% of all breast augmentations are performed on women in their 20s, and roughly 35% are performed on women in their 30s. While these are the most popular ages, there are still many women who achieve excellent results in their 40s, 50s, and beyond.

Factors to Consider

There are many factors to consider when choosing the best age for breast augmentation. Some of the most important ones are:

• Physical maturity
• Emotional maturity
• Family plans

One of the best arguments for waiting until you are at least in your mid 20s to undergo breast augmentation is that you want to wait until your breasts have finished maturing before undergoing the procedure. While some women’s breasts have fully matured by the age of 18, it is common for breasts to continue growing into a woman’s early 20s. By waiting a few years for your breasts to fully mature, you may find that you become happier with their appearance and no longer wish to increase their size with breast implants.

It is even more important to wait until you are emotionally mature enough to make such a serious decision. Just as with physical maturity, emotional maturity develops at different ages for different people. The following questions will help you determine whether you are emotionally ready for breast augmentation:

• Do I want to undergo breast augmentation to feel better about my appearance or am I getting the procedure to impress, attract, or get back at someone else?
• Am I usually happy with big, important decisions after I have made them or do I often regret the decisions I make?

If your reasons for getting breast augmentation revolve around a desire to improve your self-image and you generally feel comfortable with the important decisions you make, then you are probably emotionally ready for breast augmentation.

Family plans should also be evaluated when choosing the right age for breast augmentation. While breast augmentation will not adversely impact your ability to become pregnant or breastfeed, it is possible that future pregnancies will have a negative impact on your breast augmentation results. If you are planning on starting a family in the near future, then you may want to wait until you are done having children to undergo breast augmentation.

Please contact Dr. John Corey today to schedule your breast augmentation consultation. Dr. Corey serves patients in Scottsdale, Phoenix, Gilbert, Mesa, Chandler, and Arizona.