I'm Young, Soon to Be 17, and I Was Wondering the Legal Age to Get Breast Implants?

Thank you for the question.

It is very difficult to give you good advice without direct examination or pictures.  Given the degree of your concern I wonder if you are dealing with congenital breast development anomalies/ asymmetry or with breast hypoplasia ( underdevelopment).

There is no “legal age to get breast implants”.  However, generally it is in your best interest to wait till you are physically,  emotionally,  and psychosocially "mature"  enough to make a very significant body altering decision. Every patient will reach this level of maturity at a different chronological age.

Your description of “a lot of mental anguish to the point of depression” is very concerning  and with all due respect seems somewhat extreme.  I wonder if counseling regarding “poor confidence” issues is indicated. It would be a shame to undergo any surgical procedure only to find subsequently that the real source of your “mental anguish” was something different altogether.

I would suggest you wait on having the procedure for at least 2-3  years.  In the meantime work on self-improvement in other ways.  When the time is right me with a few well experienced board-certified plastic surgeons.  Ask to see lots of their previous work and preferably meet with patients who have had the same procedure. Make sure you're well educated regarding the potential risks/complications...

Best wishes.

Thank you for your question!  You have to be 18 years old to have a breast augmentation, although gel implants are only available in some offices to women 21 years or older.  Do your research and find a board certified plastic surgeon discuss your goals and concerns.  Best of luck!Dr Dhaval Patel Double Board Certified Plastic SurgeonChicagoHoffman Estates Oak Brook

Hello! Thank you for your question. Breast augmentation is a procedure
often sought by women to increase
size, add upper pole fullness and projection along with improve shape
and symmetry of her breasts. Women who have the breast augmentation
done report increased self-confidence, self-esteem, and more comfortable
with her body. In fact, it has been the most popular procedure in
plastic surgery in the US for the past few years. Many surgeons use 18
years of age as the standard for when to offer the breast augmentation
procedure to women. Maturity and the ability to make an educated
decision for yourself of whether this procedure is the right one for you
as well as factors regarding implant choice, size, incision placement,
position of the implant, other adjunct procedures, etc are major
factors. Having the maturity to understand all of the risks and
benefits of the surgical procedure is also mandatory - thus, most are
readily able to comprehend this at that age. 22 years of age is the FDA
guideline for utilization of silicone implants. Good
communication between you and your surgeon of
your expectations is warranted - choosing your surgeon wisely is the
first step. Consult with a board certified plastic surgeon well-versed
in this procedure. Research your surgeon's education, training, as
well as ability to perform this procedure. See postoperative
photographs and most importantly choose the one who you feel most
comfortable with and competent to meet your expectations. Discussion of
your wishes and having an honest and open
dialog of your procedure is mandatory (e.g, implant type, incision,
placement, lift, etc). I have found that photographs brought by the
patient is helpful to get a visualization of the appearance you wish for
in terms of size, shape, fullness, etc. In addition, your surgeon's
pre and postoperative photographs should demonstrate a realistic goal
for you. Once this has been accomplished, allow your surgeon to utilize
his/her best medical judgment during the procedure to finesse the best
possible result for you after preoperative biodimensional planning and
fitting the right implant for your breast width. Hope that this helps! Best wishes for a wonderful result!