Preparing for a mammogram is straightforward: wear a two-piece outfit, skip deodorant, and schedule your appointment for the week or two after your period ends. Beyond those basics, a few other steps can make the experience more comfortable and help ensure your images are as clear as possible.
What to Wear
You’ll need to undress from the waist up, so a two-piece outfit is ideal. A separate top and bottoms let you keep your pants or skirt on while changing into a gown. Loose-fitting clothing also makes the process quicker and more comfortable. Skip rompers, jumpsuits, or one-piece outfits that require you to fully undress.
Skip Deodorant, Powder, and Lotion
This is the single most important prep step. Many deodorants contain aluminum, and those metallic particles show up on mammogram images as tiny bright white specks, nearly identical to calcifications, which are small calcium deposits that radiologists look for as potential signs of cancer. Powders and lotions can cause similar interference. One breast imaging radiologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering describes it simply: calcifications look like little dots of sand, and the metallic particles in deodorant look like little grains of sand too.
Go without deodorant, antiperspirant, body powder, or lotion on your chest, underarms, and breasts on the day of your appointment. If you forget and apply something, let the technologist know. Some facilities have wipes available, but it’s easier to just skip it that morning.
Time It Around Your Cycle
If you’re still menstruating, try to schedule your mammogram for the week after your period ends. The CDC recommends avoiding the week before and during your period, when hormonal changes can make your breasts swollen and tender. Since the exam involves compressing your breast between two plates, less tenderness means a more comfortable experience. If your cycle is unpredictable, don’t let timing stop you from going. Any day is better than skipping the appointment entirely.
Managing Discomfort
The compression during a mammogram lasts only a few seconds per image, but it can be uncomfortable. If you’re concerned, taking an over-the-counter pain reliever like ibuprofen or acetaminophen about an hour before your appointment can help take the edge off. Caffeine can also increase breast tenderness for some people, so you may want to cut back for a day or two before your exam.
Bring Your Prior Images
If you’ve had mammograms at a different facility in the past, request that those images be sent to your current imaging center before your appointment. Radiologists rely heavily on comparing your current mammogram to previous ones. Normal breast tissue can look different from year to year based on how you’re positioned and the imaging technique used, so having multiple prior exams for comparison helps radiologists distinguish a harmless change in positioning from an actual developing concern. Comparison with older images can also prevent unnecessary callbacks for findings that have been stable for years.
Most facilities can transfer images digitally if you call ahead. If you’re going to the same place you’ve always gone, your prior images should already be on file.
If You Have Breast Implants
You can and should still get mammograms with breast implants, but the process is a bit different. Let the facility know when you schedule your appointment so they can allow extra time. The technologist will use a special technique that gently pushes the implant back against the chest wall while pulling breast tissue forward for a clearer image. This requires additional views beyond the standard set, so the appointment takes longer.
Full compression isn’t used on implants. The technologist applies minimal pressure, since the implant itself already compresses the tissue somewhat. There’s no evidence that mammogram compression has ever ruptured an implant, but the team will take care throughout the exam. If you know whether your implant is placed above or below the chest muscle, share that information, as it affects how the images are taken. If you’ve had injectable fillers or fat transfer to your breasts, mention that too, since some products can reduce image quality.
If you suspect your implant may be leaking, let the facility know before your appointment. They may want confirmation from your surgeon that it’s safe to proceed with compression.
If You’re Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding doesn’t prevent you from getting a mammogram, but lactating tissue is denser and can make images harder to read. Nursing or pumping right before the exam reduces this density difference and makes it easier for the radiologist to spot any abnormalities. Try to time your feeding or pumping session as close to your appointment as possible.
When to Start and How Often
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening mammograms every two years starting at age 40 and continuing through age 74. If you have a family history of breast cancer or other risk factors, your doctor may recommend starting earlier or screening more frequently. Your first mammogram takes a bit longer because there are no prior images for comparison, and the technologist may spend extra time explaining the process.
What You’ll Learn Afterward
Your results letter will now include information about your breast density, a federal requirement as of 2024. You’ll be told whether your tissue falls into one of four categories, from almost entirely fatty to extremely dense. About half of women have dense breast tissue, which both makes mammograms harder to read and slightly raises breast cancer risk. If your tissue is classified as dense, your results letter will note that additional imaging tests beyond mammography may help find cancers, and you can discuss next steps with your provider.
Results typically arrive within a few weeks. A callback for additional imaging doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong. It often just means the radiologist wants a closer look at a particular area, especially if it’s your first mammogram and there are no prior images to compare against.