Breast implant surgery is becoming more popular and more common for teens. Parents facing this request can be easily overwhelmed by the controversy and pressure from their teens. Teenagers considering the surgery need to make an informed decision and, due to the controversy, unbiased information can be hard to find. Your plastic surgeon can help guide you through many aspects of this decision. There are several factors to take into consideration before making this life long decision, including physical and emotional maturity and the true underlying reasons for desiring breast augmentation surgery.
Physical maturity. Has your body fully developed or will nature take care of the problem? Whether you are seeking larger breasts or wish to correct asymmetry, it is important to consider whether your body is ready for breast augmentation surgery. Most plastic surgeons prefer to wait until a patient is at least eighteen years of age to perform breast augmentation, but in some cases will consider the surgery at a younger age.
Emotional maturity. Breast implant surgery is a life long commitment. There are several questions to ask yourself before deciding to have breast augmentation surgery. How long have you been considering the procedure? Do you want breast implants for yourself or to please others? What are your expectations from breast augmentation? Have you researched the procedure and do you understand how it will impact you for the rest of your life?
Breast implants can be appropriate for teens for several reasons. Asymmetry of the breasts may be balanced in time by nature, but there comes a time when it becomes apparent that this is not going to happen. If the condition is extreme and causing serious quality of life issues it may not always be best to wait for nature to take its course. Some teens suffer from a complete lack of breast tissue. Both conditions can be an obstacle to enjoying everyday life. Purchasing clothing, dating, and common activities like swimming and other sports can become unpleasant and embarrassing situations transforming the already trying experience of the teen years into a painful and unrewarding time of life.
Breast implant surgery has a life-long impact. Teens should not undergo breast augmentation on a fleeting impulse, to please a boyfriend or parents, or to keep up with fads. Breast implants acquired at a young age will require more surgery later in life. Not all teens are good candidates for breast augmentation surgery, but some teens do know what they want now. Holding them back from this change and improvement in their life may also be holding them back from other progress on the road to a bright future. Boosting confidence at this stage in life can start the path to success. Teens who feel good about their bodies also feel more confident in other areas of life.
A teenager with realistic expectations, a well matured body, a firm long-held grasp on what they want out of life, and a thorough understanding of what the surgery entails in both the short and long term may find that breast augmentation is the right choice.
