More and more women around the world are deciding to have breast augmentation. Many women see this method as a way to achieve these results: to increase their seductive power, to obtain a more attractive cleavage and to have a better self-esteem.
However, when we decide to undergo this procedure, several questions, with good reason, cross our minds. One of the most recurrent questions from older patients concerns the age limit.
Is there a specific age limit for breast augmentation?
Find out all the answers in this article.
What is breast augmentation?
Breast augmentation, as the name suggests, is a cosmetic surgery that increases the volume of the breasts and increases the size of the cup.
In concrete terms, this augmentation is achieved by placing breast implants. The implants can be placed behind or in front of the pectoral muscle.
These implants are made of silicone gel and can last up to 10 years. After this time, the patient will have to change them, she can return to the clinic to have the procedure repeated.
The implants are available in different shapes and volumes, the choice of the prostheses to be placed will be made before the operation in agreement with the surgeon and according to the patient’s wishes.
It is also possible to make different incisions, the technique chosen will depend on the patient’s case and the surgeon’s habits.
Breast augmentation can be performed for purely aesthetic reasons, but it can also be performed as a repair procedure, for example to correct breast asymmetry.
The ideal age for breast augmentation
There is no real age limit for breast augmentation. According to statistics, women in their thirties to fifties are the ideal age for breast augmentation, but it is possible to have implants even after the age of fifty.
Whatever the age, if the operation is carried out properly, the results will be satisfactory and in line with the patient’s wishes. Moreover, with the progress of modern surgery and the quality of the implants offered, risks are rare, and the patient can enjoy her new breasts for many years without any problems.
Specifically, when a patient comes in for a breast augmentation, one of the most important things the surgeon will assess is the patient’s maturity and approach to the operation.
In fact, the patient will have to show that she has thought the matter through and taken the time to weigh up the pros and cons. The preliminary meeting will thus be fundamental in determining the patient’s real motivations and in helping her to make her choice.
Other points to be evaluated will obviously concern the general health of the patient, the state of her breasts (to see if the patient needs reconstructive rather than cosmetic surgery) and her medical history.
The patient will need to undergo a full medical check-up, mammogram and breast ultrasound, as well as blood tests to prepare for the procedure.
The reasons for breast augmentation
Regardless of the patient’s age, she must be fully aware of the changes her body will undergo and the impact of such a procedure.
Whether it is a simple desire to change her figure or a way to remedy a complex, the patient must be completely honest with herself and with the surgeon who will perform the operation.
This awareness will greatly help the patient to better apprehend such an important procedure and to be more in tune with her new breasts following the operation.
In the end, the patient should do this procedure for herself and not under the pressure of society’s judgment.
After the meeting with the surgeon, the patient can decide whether or not she wants to undergo the surgery.
Breast implants: before or after pregnancy?
If the patient wishes to have a breast augmentation to beautify the breasts, then generally the surgeon will recommend scheduling the operation for after pregnancy.
This is because whether the breasts are natural or reconstructed, pregnancy will have an impact on their appearance. During pregnancy, the change in the appearance of the breasts will be different from one woman to another: in some patients, the breasts will increase in volume, and in others, the breasts may sag.
Following the pregnancy, and depending on the evolution of the appearance of the breasts, it will be possible to carry out a breast augmentation that will give satisfactory results.
As far as breastfeeding is concerned, this is generally possible even if there are prostheses already in place. However, following certain operations, the milk ducts (which are used to transmit milk) may be cut, and the patient will then have difficulty breastfeeding her baby.
If you are considering breast augmentation and plan to have children in the future, do not hesitate to talk to your surgeon. He or she will suggest the best solutions for your situation.
What is the minimum age for a breast augmentation?
Be careful, because even if there is no theoretical maximum age for this procedure, the patient must wait until she is 18 years old to be able to benefit from the operation.
Nowadays, more and more young patients are influenced by the stars of the entertainment world and by the models in magazines and on social networks.
They want to have the same size breasts and enhance the shape of their figure at the same time. Before the procedure, the surgeon will take the time to assess the patient’s level of maturity and ensure that she is aware of the effects of such an operation.