Is 19 Too Young for Breast Implants?

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. 23 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!

 

"I am 19 years old. Will my breasts develop anymore? " The answer is yes. Your breasts will develop and change with oral contraceptives, hormones,. weight gain/loss,. pregnancy, menopause, etc.

By the age of 19 you should probably be fully developed.  It should be no problem to get implants. However you are only allowed to have saline at this time.

Most women will see the vast majority of their breast growth and development through their adolescent years.  By age 18, the breasts are nearly fully developed with slight changes to come.  That being said there is no way to be 100% sure that your breast development is complete, but if you haven't demonstrated significant breast tissue by age 19, it is likely that very little will change.  Thus, breast surgery is a very reasonable option if your lack of breast size is an issue for you.

I would recommend seeing several board certified plastic surgeons in your area as well as discussing this at length with your parents as electing to proceed with surgery is a serious decision and should not be taken lightly. However, I have many, many patients who are elated about their breast augmentation results and additional patients who wonder why they waited so long.

Best of luck

Vincent Marin, MD, FACS

La Jolla Plastic Surgeon

We women are incredibly aware of our breast appearance-- maybe even more than men are. Breasts are sexual and sensual, a big part of what makes us women, and they can dictate our sense of attractiveness and desirability (for better or worse). Many women embrace this procedure because it carries little risk of complication and because an implant can be inserted through a tiny incision and is a quick, nearly scarless operation. There are various factors regarding how you want your breasts to look and feel, but if you and your doctor have a good, open line of communication, you shouldn’t need to go back and forth on your decision.

Breast augmentation surgery is routinely performed in a surgeon’s office. You will be given a local anesthetic and twilight sedation during the length of the surgery, which is typically one to two hours. You will feel relaxed but not too groggy during recovery. When you wake up, you’ll probably feel as if your breasts are pushed up to your chin. Part of this is imaginary, but as to the part that is real, don’t panic, the swelling will usually go down in about two weeks. It is also possible that you will have some pain postoperatively, but this should get better within a few days.

The procedure is fine for a healthy 19 year old as long as your expectations are realistic and you have an understanding of the commitment needed for the healing process. Make sure that you understand the nature of your surgery, the recovery process, and that you feel comfortable and emotionally ready to make these changes to your body.