Getting breast augmentation involves choosing the right implant type, finding a qualified surgeon, preparing for surgery, and planning for several weeks of recovery. The average surgeon’s fee is $4,875 for implant-based augmentation, but total costs run higher once you factor in anesthesia, facility fees, and follow-up care. Here’s what the full process looks like from start to finish.
Who Can Get Breast Implants
The FDA sets minimum age requirements based on implant type. Saline implants are available at age 18 and older, while silicone implants require you to be at least 22 for cosmetic augmentation (though they’re available at any age for breast reconstruction after mastectomy). The American Society of Plastic Surgeons recommends waiting until the body is fully developed, noting that breasts may not finish growing until the early twenties.
Beyond age, your surgeon will evaluate your overall health, including whether you smoke, your medical history, and your expectations. Smoking significantly impairs healing, so most surgeons require you to quit all nicotine products at least six weeks before surgery.
Saline vs. Silicone vs. Gummy Bear Implants
You’ll choose between three main implant types, each with trade-offs in feel, longevity, and safety monitoring.
- Saline implants are filled with sterile saltwater after being placed. They tend to feel firmer than natural tissue. Their advantage is rupture detection: if one tears, it deflates visibly, making the problem obvious. They typically last 10 to 15 years.
- Silicone implants are pre-filled with silicone gel and widely considered to look and feel more like natural breast tissue. The downside is that a rupture can be “silent,” meaning the silicone stays trapped in surrounding scar tissue and you may not notice any change. The FDA recommends an MRI or ultrasound five years after surgery and every two years after that to check for this. Silicone implants often maintain their shape for 15 to 20 years.
- Form-stable (“gummy bear”) implants use a thicker, cohesive silicone gel that holds its shape even if the shell breaks. They can potentially last 15 to 20 years or longer.
There’s also fat grafting, which uses liposuction to harvest fat from another part of your body and inject it into the breasts. It avoids implants entirely but costs more on average ($5,719) and typically produces a more modest size increase.
How to Choose a Surgeon
Your surgeon should be certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) or, in Canada, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons. Board certification confirms specialized training in plastic and reconstructive procedures. You can verify a surgeon’s certification through the ABPS website.
Beyond credentials, look at before-and-after photos of their breast augmentation patients, paying attention to results on body types similar to yours. Schedule consultations with at least two or three surgeons. A good consultation should feel unhurried. The surgeon should discuss implant size, shape, and placement options specific to your anatomy rather than offering a one-size-fits-all recommendation.
Incision and Placement Options
During your consultation, you’ll discuss where the incision will be made and where the implant will sit. There are three main incision locations: in the crease under the breast (inframammary), under the arm (transaxillary), or around the edge of the nipple (periareolar). Each leaves a scar in a different spot, and your surgeon will recommend one based on your implant type, size, and body.
Implants can be placed either above or below the chest muscle. Submuscular placement (under the muscle) provides more tissue coverage over the implant, which can look more natural on thinner patients and may reduce the risk of certain complications. Subglandular placement (above the muscle) involves a shorter recovery and can work well for patients who already have enough natural tissue to cover the implant.
What the Surgery Costs
The $4,875 average surgeon’s fee is only one piece of the bill. Total costs also include anesthesia fees, hospital or surgical facility charges, medical tests, post-surgery compression garments, and prescription medications. Depending on your location and the complexity of the procedure, the all-in price typically ranges from $6,000 to $12,000. Cosmetic breast augmentation is not covered by insurance.
Many practices offer financing plans. If you go this route, compare interest rates carefully. Some promotional plans charge zero interest for a set period but revert to high rates if the balance isn’t paid off in time.
Preparing for Surgery
Preparation starts weeks in advance. Six weeks before your procedure, stop all nicotine products, including patches and vaping. Two weeks out, stop taking aspirin and any herbal supplements like garlic and ginseng, which can increase bleeding risk.
The morning of surgery, don’t drink milk, juice with pulp, cream, or anything with sugar. Remove all jewelry, including body piercings from every location. Leave contact lenses, hairpins, and wigs at home. You’ll need someone to drive you to and from the surgical facility and stay with you for at least the first 24 hours.
Recovery Week by Week
The first few days are the most uncomfortable. Expect soreness, tightness, and swelling across the chest. You’ll wear a surgical support bra and may have small drainage tubes for the first day or two. Pain is typically managed with prescribed medication and transitions to over-the-counter options within a few days.
By the end of the first week, swelling and bruising decrease noticeably, and many patients return to desk work or other non-physical jobs. During this phase, you can’t lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk. If you have young children, plan for someone to help with lifting and carrying them.
Strenuous exercise, heavy lifting, and contact sports are off limits for at least six weeks. Most patients feel largely back to normal within that timeframe, though final results, including implant settling and scar fading, continue to develop over three to six months.
Risks and Complications
Breast augmentation is one of the most commonly performed cosmetic surgeries, but it carries real risks. The FDA lists several complications that occur in at least 1 percent of patients, including capsular contracture (when scar tissue around the implant tightens and hardens, which can cause pain or distort the breast shape), infection, changes in nipple or breast sensation, implant rupture, and the need for additional surgery.
Implants can also interfere with mammograms by obscuring some breast tissue, though technicians use special techniques to work around them. Let your mammography provider know you have implants when scheduling.
Long-Term Maintenance
Breast implants are not lifetime devices. Most last 10 to 20 years depending on the type, but some women keep their original implants much longer without problems. At some point, you’ll likely need a replacement or removal surgery, whether because of a rupture, capsular contracture, cosmetic changes, or simply personal preference.
If you have silicone implants, keep up with the recommended imaging schedule: an MRI or ultrasound at five years post-surgery, then every two years. This is the primary way to catch a silent rupture before it causes symptoms. Saline implant ruptures are self-evident because the breast visibly changes size, so routine imaging isn’t necessary for those.