Is 18 Too Young for a Breast Lift? (photo)

Breast shape, volume and skin laxity are more important factors than age in determining the need for a breast lift. I often see young women with no children who have loose, saggy breast. The decision as to whether to have only a breast lift, only a breast augmentation, or a combination of both really depends on what your goals are for the final result. In your situation, an implant will add more volume to the upper breast, but will not address the amount of sag you currently have. A lift alone will improve your shape and slightly increase the upper pole volume at the expense of incisions on the breast. A lift with an implant will both increase your volume, and elevate the breast and nipple/areolar complex.

There is no doubt that you will benefit in terms of aesthetics from a breast uplift that may be combined with an implant to enhance your volume. You should however be aware of the potential scars and the inability to breast feed after a mastopexy. You need to consult a Plastic surgeon and consider the surgery before proceeding. 

Hello! Thank you for your question. Breast lift is an excellent procedure to rejuvenate of reshape the breasts.  Women who have the breast lift done report increased self-confidence, self-esteem, and more comfortable
with her body. In fact, it has been one of the the most popular procedures 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 an aesthetic
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. However, your breasts will continue to grow and change with age, gravity, pregnancy, weight gain/loss - so this is something to consider in your decision.  But, a consultation once you are ready to at least hear the discussion can be done at any time.  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!