Unfortunately, many different factors of life can negatively affect a woman’s breast tissue over time, such as weight changes, pregnancy, childbirth, genetics, and gravity. While many women just turn to push up bras to get their breasts back into place, others begin to consider permanently boosting them up through plastic surgery. The breast augmentation procedure is currently the most commonly performed procedure in the U.S. with over 300,000 surgeries per year. If you have started to consider getting breast implants, there are a few things you should think about.

The right time. Before getting implants, many doctors recommend that women should be in good health, not smoke, be at a stable ideal weight, and have fully developed breasts. Some women also prefer to wait until after they are done having children, but this is not necessary. Due to swelling of the breasts during pregnancy and nursing, women sometimes end up with bigger breasts and don’t find the need for breast implants after all. But there is no way to predict if this will happen to you. Think about when would be the perfect time for your breast augmentation.

Do it for the right reasons. It is important that you do this for yourself and not for anyone else. Plastic surgery is a big a deal and should not be done to please anyone but yourself. Before following up with this decision, make sure it is exactly what you want.

Have realistic expectations. It is extremely important to have realistic expectations before getting breast implants. For the first few months and possibly up to a year, your breasts may not look completely natural. They will rest high on your chest for the first few months and it will take time for them to soften up. Do not expect to go from a AA to a DDD. Most patients with minimal breast tissue cannot jump to a huge breast size because the skin’s elasticity may not cooperate, causing stretch marks. Your doctor will help you decide which implant size is right for your body.

Know the risks. Although a breast augmentation is a low risk procedure, there are possible risks that come with this procedure, just like any other type of surgery. Some risks include infection, bleeding, loss of sensation, contracture, and wrinkling of the breast implant. Following all orders from your doctor can help prevent any of these complications from occurring.