Are you a good candidate for breast augmentation?

Breast augmentation suits many people, but a good consultation includes honest screening, because the procedure is right only for some, and matching expectations to anatomy is part of the surgeon's job.

Good candidates are in good general health, non-smoking (or willing to stop well before and after surgery, since smoking impairs healing), at a stable weight, finished with pregnancy and breastfeeding or accepting that future pregnancy can change results, and have realistic expectations about what augmentation can achieve. Importantly, candidacy depends on what you want: augmentation adds volume and improves shape, but if your main concern is sagging, you may need a lift instead of or alongside implants, adding volume to significantly drooping breasts does not lift them and can look unnatural.

A surgeon also assesses your tissue, frame, and any asymmetry to plan an achievable result. The patients who do best come in healthy, with stable goals, and open to the surgeon's guidance on size and technique rather than fixed on an image that does not fit their body. Honest surgeons will recommend a lift when that is what is needed, or advise against an implant size your tissue cannot support well. That candor is a good sign, it leads to results that look natural and last, which is what a satisfying augmentation really requires.

Related reading: Breast augmentation incision options and scars.