Am I Too Old for Breast Augmentation? 4 Reasons You Shouldn’t Rule Out Breast Implants if You’re 40+

Let’s cut to the chase: you are not too old to have breast augmentation. While often perceived as a procedure mainly for 20- or 30-somethings, there is no right or wrong age to get breast implants. In fact, women over 35 accounted for over 50% of breast augmentation patients in 2017, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

Here at Berks Plastic Surgery, Dr. Reedy and Dr. Lindsay have breast augmentation patients ranging in age from 20 to 50+ who are thrilled with their results. Here are 4 reasons why our over-40 breast augmentation patients are among our happiest patients.

1. Breast implants can help achieve or restore your preferred shape and size

The beauty of breast augmentation is that it can achieve many improvements beyond size increase that are perfectly suited for women over 40. An experienced plastic surgeon can adjust their surgical technique and your breast implant selection to improve breast symmetry, add fullness to the upper part of the breast, restore a rounder, perkier shape, and restore balance to your upper and lower body proportions.

For many older breast augmentation patients, adding a breast lift to the surgical plan gets the best results. This allows your surgeon to address any breast sagging by removing excess skin and reshaping your natural tissue around the implant, ensuring your implants settle into a naturally youthful position. They can also reposition and reduce the areola if necessary.

2. You don’t have to worry about pregnancy ruining your results

Breast changes during pregnancy and breastfeeding can alter results of breast augmentation, making a second surgery necessary within a few years. One big perk about having breast augmentation later is that you most likely won’t have to deal with this. While the aging process will naturally cause some changes to your breasts as time goes on, these are usually subtle and rarely require surgery to correct.

That said, it’s not necessary to wait until you’re finished having children to get breast implants. Our plastic surgeons use incision techniques that preserve your milk ducts whenever possible. Our augmented patients who want to breastfeed can usually do so and have no more trouble breastfeeding than women without implants.

3. It may be easier to take time off for recovery

All done juggling multiple jobs to pay the rent and/or chasing toddlers? You may find taking a week off to recover not as difficult to manage nowadays. It’s important not to rush your recovery, and with older kids and more PTO at your disposal, you won’t be pressured to do too much too soon. In fact, you might enjoy the peace and quiet of staying home for a few days and binging on Netflix, knowing that you’re doing the best thing for your health and your results.

4. The self-confidence that comes with loving your appearance can enhance your life in many areas.

Taking time to invest in yourself can be a real confidence-booster—and loving your shape doesn’t hurt either! Our more mature breast augmentation patients often report feeling more positive and confident in social and work situations, as well as having enhanced confidence in the bedroom!

A few things to consider if you’re considering breast augmentation a little later in life….

For the most part, the same rules apply for women seeking breast augmentation at any age: for a safe surgery and superb results, you should be in good health, have realistic expectations, and choose a board certified plastic surgeon who has extensive experience performing breast augmentation on patients who have body types and goals similar to yours. Still, there are few things you may need to consider now that didn’t apply in your 20s.

Mammograms and breast implants

Many of our Reading breast augmentation patients ask if breast implants will interfere with accurate mammograms in the future. They should not. Breast implants are placed behind the breast tissue, and we almost always place them behind the chest muscle as well, so your breast tissue remains fully visible during screenings. While it’s always a good idea to tell your mammography team that you have breast implants, these days technicians are very accustomed to performing mammograms on patients with breast implants. And, since you’re wondering, no—even a mammogram machine will not break FDA approved breast implants.

Be prepared to hear that you may need a breast lift too

We touched on the benefits of a breast lift with implants above, and the older you get, the more likely you’ll need this option for a satisfactory result. Breast tissues often become thinner and weaker with age and may not be able to provide optimal support or coverage to the implant without additional surgery. A breast lift usually means additional scars on the breast, but the improvement in breast shape and position are well worth it. Scars also fade over time and are easily hidden by a bra or swimsuit top.

There’s no age limit to feeling confident! Get started at a free consultation.

If you would like to enhance the size, shape or symmetry of your breasts, it’s never too late to discuss your goals with a board certified plastic surgeon. Dr. Reedy has performed over 4,000 breast augmentation procedures throughout his career, and Dr. Lindsay has extensive knowledge and experience in cosmetic breast surgery techniques with a restorative aspect. Either can offer experienced advice on what breast enhancement options might best achieve your goals. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.