Plastic Surgery Laws - What is the Minimum Age to Have Breast Augmentation?

When it comes to the breast augmentation procedure, there are a few federal regulations that anyone needs to be aware of. For starters, even though a minor can go in for other forms of plastic surgery, unless it is a reconstructive procedure that minor cannot get a breast augmentation.

In 2000, the federal government passed a new regulation stipulating that no person under the age of 18 may have a breast augmentation procedure except for some rare occasions in which that breast augmentation is truly a reconstructive procedure. A few years later in 2006 another regulation was passed that further amended the age 18 stipulations for breast augmentations.

This new regulation that was passed in 2006 stipulated that no person under the age of 22 was allowed the option of silicone filled breast implants. Basically a person who is going in for a breast augmentation and is between the ages of 18 and 22 is only allowed the saline solution filled breast implants.

The reasons cited for this new stipulation regarding the silicone filled implants was due to the fact that a woman's breast have been know to still be in the process of forming well passed the age of 18 in into their 20's. This was also due to the belief that a young adult is still not mature enough mentally to make a sound decision regarding the procedure. There are also no known risks of implant rupture of a saline filled implant where as the silicone filled implants are still under investigation.

Even upon reaching the age of 22, it is important to always discuss the risks associated with young adult breast augmentations with your doctor as there may be some cases in which having the procedure formed by be more detrimental to the patient's health.

If you are between the ages of 18 and 22, you should most likely wait to be sure that your breasts have completed their growing process before contemplating undergoing a breast augmentation. Should you be one of the many minors who are under the age of 18 and contemplating a breast augmentation, then chances are you are only thinking about it to be like someone on TV. It is in this reasoning that the federal government has disallowed persons under the age of 18 from undergoing a breast augmentation.