Preparing for a mammogram takes just a few simple steps, most of which happen in the day or two before your appointment. The whole procedure typically takes less than 30 minutes, and a little planning ahead of time can make it more comfortable and help ensure clear, accurate images.
Schedule During the Right Week
Your breasts change throughout your menstrual cycle, becoming more swollen and tender in the days leading up to your period. The CDC recommends avoiding the week before and the week of your period for your mammogram appointment. Scheduling during the first two weeks after your period starts, when breast tissue is least tender, can make the compression more tolerable and produce clearer images.
Skip Deodorant, Powder, and Lotions
This is the single most important prep step. Antiperspirants contain aluminum-based compounds that show up as bright white specks on a mammogram, mimicking the tiny calcium deposits (called microcalcifications) that radiologists look for as early signs of breast cancer. Solid stick antiperspirants are the worst offenders, producing particles that most closely resemble real microcalcifications. Roll-on formulas create fewer of these artifacts, but all types can cause problems.
It’s not just deodorant. Powders, body lotions, soaps with residue, and even some perfumes can leave deposits on the skin that interfere with imaging. On the morning of your appointment, shower as usual but skip all products on your chest, underarms, and breasts. If you forget and apply deodorant out of habit, ask the facility for a wipe to clean it off before the exam.
What to Wear
You’ll need to undress from the waist up, so a two-piece outfit saves you from having to change entirely into a gown. A loose-fitting top that’s easy to pull on and off is ideal. Leave necklaces and dangling earrings at home since you’ll be asked to remove any jewelry near your chest.
Reduce Discomfort Before You Arrive
Mammograms involve compressing the breast between two plates to spread the tissue thin enough for a clear X-ray. It’s uncomfortable for most people, though the compression only lasts a few seconds per image. Two things can help:
- Cut caffeine for two days beforehand. Caffeine can increase breast tenderness and make compression feel worse.
- Take a pain reliever about an hour before. An over-the-counter option like ibuprofen or acetaminophen can take the edge off. Check with your doctor first if you have any concerns about taking these medications.
Bring Your Previous Images
Radiologists compare your current mammogram to earlier ones to spot subtle changes in breast tissue over time. If you’re going to a new facility or switching providers, your previous images won’t automatically be in their system. Call the facility where you had your last mammogram and request your records. You’ll need to sign a release form, and the images are usually provided on a CD or flash drive. Bring them with you to your appointment, or ask your new facility if they can request the transfer directly.
If this is your first mammogram, there’s nothing to bring. Your current images become the baseline for future comparisons.
If You Have Breast Implants
Mention your implants when you book the appointment, not just when you show up. This ensures the facility has technologists experienced in imaging around implants. The exam takes longer because you’ll need eight images instead of the standard four. The extra views use a technique that pushes the implant back against the chest wall while pulling breast tissue forward, allowing the radiologist to see tissue that the implant would otherwise block.
Implant rupture during a mammogram is extremely rare, but it’s a recognized risk. Making sure your facility has experience with implants minimizes this possibility.
If You’re Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding doesn’t prevent you from getting a mammogram, but full breasts are denser and harder to image clearly. Nursing or pumping shortly before your appointment reduces the amount of milk in your breasts, which can improve image quality and make compression less painful.
What Happens at the Appointment
You’ll change into a gown from the waist up, then stand in front of the mammography machine. A technologist will position one breast at a time on a flat plate, then lower a second plate to compress it. You’ll feel firm pressure for about 10 to 15 seconds per image while the X-ray is taken. A standard screening mammogram involves four images: two of each breast from different angles. The whole visit, including check-in and changing, usually wraps up in under 30 minutes.
Try to stay still and hold your breath briefly when the technologist asks. Movement, even slight, can blur the image and require a retake.
Current Screening Guidelines
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends a mammogram every two years for women aged 40 to 74 who are at average risk for breast cancer. These guidelines also apply to transgender men and nonbinary individuals assigned female at birth. For women 75 and older, there isn’t enough evidence yet to make a blanket recommendation, so screening decisions at that age are more individual.
If you have a family history of breast cancer or other risk factors, your doctor may recommend starting earlier or screening annually instead of every two years.