Breast implants are some of the most commonly requested procedures in any plastic surgery office. But it’s not just younger women who are interested in breast augmentation—many women over the age of 40 are also interested in enjoying the procedure’s many benefits.
Women who are past childbearing age, and seeking not to spend their later years feeling frustrated by the loss of volume and sagginess, report high levels of satisfaction after undergoing breast augmentation surgery.
Why Consider Breast Surgery After 40?
Every woman considering cosmetic breast surgery will have her own unique set of reasons for doing so. That said, here are some of the ones we most commonly hear at The Maryland Institute of Plastic Surgery:
Breasts Have Lost Volume
Women over the age of 40 may already have the breast size they want, but their breasts have started to lose volume with age.
Breast Tissue Has Started to Sag
Along with the loss of volume, it is normal for women over the age of 40 to discover that their breast tissue is starting to sag, making this one of the most common reasons women seek breast augmentation.
Pregnancy and Motherhood Have Affected Breast Size and Shape
When women over the age of 40 get breast implants, it is often due to changes in their breasts caused by pregnancy and childbirth.
What Women Over 40 Want From Breast Augmentation
Increase in Breast Size
The beauty of breast augmentation is that it can accomplish many improvements beyond merely an increase in size. Your plastic surgeon will adjust the surgical technique used and your breast implant selection to improve your breast symmetry. At the same time, this will add fullness to the upper part of your breast and also restore a fuller, perkier shape and balance to your body’s proportions.
Improvement of Breast Position
While breast implants will increase your breasts’ size, they will not improve their position on you your chest. If sagging or loose skin is bothering you, a breast lift, also known as mastopexy, can be incorporated into your breast augmentation. The procedure will restore your breasts to a youthful, perky position by removing excess skin, reshaping your natural breast tissue, and even re-positioning drooping nipples.
Advantages of Having Breast Augmentation in Your 40s
You Have Reached Your Adult Breast Volume
By the time you reach your 40s, without ongoing hormonal changes, weight fluctuations, and pregnancy, your breast volume is probably relatively constant and not a factor that would affect your surgery results.
Your Weight Is Probably Stable
Many women experience cycles of weight gain and loss, both of which can affect their breasts’ size, shape, and firmness. By the age of 40, you’ve probably reached a stable weight and can consider breast augmentation.
You’re Probably Done Having Children
Pregnancy and breastfeeding often profoundly changes a woman’s breast size and structure. Delaying breast augmentation surgery until you’re finished having children ensures that the effects of pregnancy will not compromise your surgery results.
Common Concerns of Having Breast Augmentation
Breast Augmentation and Mammograms
Breast augmentation should not interfere with mammograms. Your mammography technician will be able to complete the scan using special techniques when taking images of the breasts so that the implants don’t interfere with the radiologist’s ability to detect any problems that you might have.
Scars After Surgery
Breast surgeries, like any surgeries, will leave some scarring. However, an expert plastic surgeon will carefully place his incisions to be as small and inconspicuous as possible. Scars will fade with time and can be easily hidden by a bra or swimsuit top.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
The Maryland Institute of Plastic Surgery team, with our four board-certified cosmetic surgeons, looks forward to helping you with your decision to have a breast augmentation.
Give yourself the gift of improved self-confidence with your younger, more flattering shape, and call our practice at (410) 744-0900 to schedule your consultation. You can also reach out and contact us through our website with questions or to request more information.