Silicone Gel Implants for Women Below 22 Years Old?

asked 3 years ago by espitzer in Chicago, IL
Latest answer by Phillip Chang, MD
Question viewed 6,101 times
Tags: breasts, bigger

Okay, so I went to my consultation about a week ago with a plastic surgeon in Chicago IL. I was always told that you need to be 22 to get silicon gel implants, but when talking to the director when looking at sizes, she told me I was able to get silicon gel implants with just signing a waiver, is this true?! Can women below 22 get silicone gel implants in this manner?

11 answers to Silicone Gel Implants for Women Below 22 Years Old?

Silicone implants and age requirements

When the FDA reintroduced silicone breast implants for use in cosmetic breast surgery, the restriction put in place was patients had to be at least 22 years of age. The only exception was for patients with severe rippling from a previous breast augmentation or patients requiring them for reconstructive reasons (Polands Syndrome or other congenital breast deformities). Use of silicone implants for any other purposes than stated above are considered off label uses. This means the implant... more

David A. Robinson, MD
Munster Plastic Surgeon

Silicone Implants are only FDA approved for patients over 22

Silicone Implants have been reintroduced and have been approved for Breast augmentation but with some limitations. One of these limitations is that women should be over the age of 22. While FDA approval is not necessarily law, it represents guidelines for which most medical devices are used. Very often in medicine, physicians will use products for purposes that are not FDA approved. For example, Botox has only been approved for the treatment of the glabella; most patients who use Botox... more

Phillip Chang, MD
Leesburg Plastic Surgeon

Not illegal but not recommended

Many products are used "off label" including botox and fillers. This is something that is left to the judgement of the surgeon and his discussion with his patients. I would not recommend using silicone implants "off label".

Parham Ganchi, MD
Wayne Plastic Surgeon

Silicone implants in patients under age 22

Hi there- Silicone implants are approved at this point for unrestricted use in women over the age of 22... However, they can also be used for the correction of asymmetries and deformities and for the correction of certain problems possible with saline implants, such as visible rippling. As mentioned, they can be used in women under 22 "off label", which means you have been told this is not an approved use and you understand the recommendation is to use them only in women over 22. Medi more

Armando Soto, MD
Orlando Plastic Surgeon

www.DrArmandoSoto.com

Silicone gel implnats and 22

Silicone implants were approved by the FDA for women 22 and older. If you have a breast deformity ( i.e. Poland's Syndrome) then you can probably get them. This has been approved for all women with breast reconstructive needs, but not for primary augmentation in women under 22.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

There is no FDA approval for silicone implants in breast augmentation for women under 22 years old.

Hi! In New York, we do not use silicone implants for routine breast augmentation if you are less than 22 years of age. This FDA mandated age cut off does not make a lot of sense, but we must stick to the on-going study protocols.

George J. Beraka, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Silicone implants

Silicone gel implants feel the most natural when they work as intended but, under some circumstances, so can saline depending on the the relative size and volume of implants to your natural breast. You should review the pros and cons and the necessities for or against silicone or saline implants vis a vis your goals and risk tolerance. It is possible that saline implants might work for you. If you are set on silicone, depending on your age, you might elect to wait until you fall under the... more

Robin T.W. Yuan, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Why 22?

Silicone gel breast implants for aesthetic purposes are approved for women over 22 years of age. They can be used in younger women for reconstructive purposes, such as when there is severe asymmetry or congenital absence of one breast. Why did the FDA put a 22 year cut off in their approval? No one knows for sure. One rumor is that there weren't enough women under 22 in the core ipmlant study, but that isn't true. Besides, there indeed weren't many women over 50 in the study, and it is... more

Steven Teitelbaum, MD
Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

Silicone implants approved for age 22 and over

Hi, As you may know, the FDA re-approved silicone implants in 2006. At that time, they stated that these devices were approved for women who are at least 22 years of age. A reason for this age was not given (to my knowledge), but it is likely that the studies they reviewed were done in women who were at least that age. If you are younger than 22, and you do want silicone implants, I would recommend waiting until then or having saline implants placed if you wan to proceed now. They can... more

Nina S. Naidu, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

22 years old for silicone breast augmentation

FDA requirement is to be 22 years of age to be able to have a silicone implant for cosmetic augmentation. As mentioned on this forum, for other reconstructive indication e.g poland syndrome etc., this requirement could be waived.

Hisham Seify, MD, PhD
Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

Cosmetic silicone augmentation mammaplasty generally for 22 years and older

Generally, the FDA advises that implants be limited to 22 years and older. However, they can be used for reconstructive purposes. IF you have a condition interpreted to be a congenital breast deformity (tuberous/constricted/Poland's), you may be considered elegible for the implants.