Age is Just a Number: Why Your 40s Could Be the Perfect Time for Breast Augmentation

Contrary to popular belief, the vast majority of women who have breast augmentation surgery do so from ages 20-40, but there’s been a recent trend among older women who choose to have the procedure done too, with women over 35 accounting for over 50% of breast augmentation patients in 2017. As women enter a new stage of their life, more and more women over age 40 are choosing to have breast augmentations, and there are compelling reasons why this decade might actually be ideal for the procedure.

Why Women Over 40 Are Choosing Breast Augmentation

Your 40s are an ideal time to make changes you may have thought about for years. By 40, many women have had children and are in a settled place in their career and home life, and it’s an age when you might finally have some time to do something special for yourself. Many women in middle age know themselves well, and possess the maturity and financial security to make breast surgery a great choice.

For many women, their 40s are the decade in which they have completed childbearing and the breast tissues are not the same as earlier in life. Breast volume loss and sagging are closely associated with pregnancy and breastfeeding, weight changes, and aging, and affect most women after age 40. Some want to restore the breast volume they lost to pregnancy, making this an ideal time for restoration.

Unique Considerations for Women Over 40

Women older than 40 tend to have more realistic expectations about what breast augmentation can do for them and why they want the surgery in the first place. However, there are specific factors to consider at this stage of life.

Skin Quality and Breast Lift Considerations

The primary concern with this age group is a loss of volume with a lot of excess skin on the breast due to childbirth or weight loss. If enough excess skin exists to detract from the look of the augmentation, you may need to have a breast lift at the same time as the breast augmentation procedure. For women over 50, it is typically necessary to also perform a breast lift, or mastopexy, in a combined lift-augmentation procedure. A breast lift involves removing excess skin, adjusting the placement of the nipple-areolar complex, and creating a firmer foundation in the lower pole of the breast to support breast implants.

Implant Size Considerations

If you are in your 40s or older, consider that larger implants place more weight on the breasts, which can contribute to breast sagging over time. Accurately gauging the optimum breast implant shape and profile in women over 40 becomes even more critical to ensuring flattering results.

Health Screening and Safety

This is especially important if you’re older than 40, though, because there is an increasing number of age-related risk factors, such as high blood pressure, that come into play. You should note that many well-managed chronic diseases, including high blood pressure, do not necessarily disqualify you for cosmetic surgery.

Mammography and Future Screening

One common concern among women over 40 is how breast implants will affect mammograms. In terms of mammograms and imaging over time, breast augmentation tends to be quite safe, adding that most of the time plastic surgeons place the implants under the muscle, which puts them in a separate space from the breast gland. 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.

The Advantages of Waiting Until Your 40s

Perhaps you’ve had all the children you want and have no future plans to become pregnant. While pregnancy has no effect on a breast augmentation or vice versa, there is a benefit to waiting until you no longer plan for pregnancy to undergo breast augmentation: Your results won’t be affected by pregnancy. When it comes to maintaining your results, you will be at an advantage if you have no plans for future pregnancies!

Perhaps you desired breast augmentation throughout your 20s and 30s, but never had the time or available budget for the procedure. This, combined with factors such as better financial stability, more free time for surgery and recovery, and being past the age when your family is growing are all excellent reasons to consider a cosmetic procedure such as a breast augmentation when you’re older.

Choosing the Right Surgeon

When considering breast augmentation at any age, selecting an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon is crucial. For women in Connecticut seeking expert care, Breast Augmentation Bridgeport offers comprehensive consultation and personalized treatment plans. Drawing from his extensive surgical experience and academic training, Dr. Chang Soo Kim MD provides his patients with comprehensive cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. He also dedicates himself to each patient, providing personalized, uncompromised care.

Dr. Kim’s cosmetic surgery techniques enhances one’s natural beauty without appearing artificial or overdone. Committed to reconstructive surgery with the best possible functional and cosmetic results, he is capable of tailoring surgery to a patient’s specific needs and expectations. Located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, the practice serves patients throughout the region with a focus on patient safety, comfort, and natural-looking results.

The Bottom Line

While often perceived as a procedure mainly for 20- or 30-somethings, there is no right or wrong age to get breast implants. There is no age limit for breast surgery. People can get breast implant surgery or surgery to lift breasts at any age. There is no medical reason that you cannot have breast augmentation at age 50 or above.

For women over 40, breast augmentation can be a transformative procedure that restores confidence and enhances quality of life. With realistic expectations, proper planning, and an experienced surgeon, your 40s might just be the perfect time to invest in yourself and achieve the silhouette you’ve always desired. The key is thorough consultation, understanding the unique considerations for your age group, and choosing a qualified surgeon who can deliver natural, beautiful results tailored to your individual needs and goals.