⏱️ Reading time: 8 minutes
🎯 Who is this article for?
✔ Those
considering breast augmentation ✔ Those
who are undecided ✔ Those
seeking objective information before having surgery 📌 Be sure to complete the interactive decision-making quiz at the end of the article.

An Honest Guide I’d Like You to Read Before Making a Decision

Breast augmentation surgery is not merely a cosmetic procedure that increases breast volume. It is also a significant decision that can affect a person’s body image, self-confidence, choice of clothing and daily life. For this reason, the right question is not ‘Am I eligible for breast augmentation?’, but ‘Should I really have breast augmentation?’.

As a plastic surgeon who has been working in the field of breast aesthetics for around 15 years, there have been patients who came for a consultation firmly resolved to have surgery, but whom I advised to postpone the procedure at the end of the consultation; conversely, I have also had many patients who had been undecided for many years, but whom we jointly assessed as suitable candidates, and whose quality of life improved significantly following the operation.

That is why I have put this page together not to persuade you to have the operation, but to help you make the right decision.

If, by the end of this article, you still find yourself thinking, “Yes, this operation is right for me,” your decision will be based on much firmer grounds. If, on the other hand, you come to the conclusion that “Perhaps I should wait a little longer,” that too may be just as sound a decision as going ahead with the operation.

What Will You Find in This Guide?

In this article, we will explore the answers to the following questions together:

Does breast augmentation really solve your problem?
In what circumstances is surgery a sensible option?
In what circumstances might it be better to wait?
What should realistic expectations be?
Do you recognise the disadvantages of the operation as well as its advantages?
What are the most important questions you should ask yourself before making your final decision?

First of all, I’d like to say this

Breast augmentation surgery is not necessary for everyone.

Having small breasts is not, in itself, a medical condition or something that needs to be corrected. Similarly, large breasts do not always mean they are more aesthetically pleasing.

The aim of this operation is not to conform to societal standards of beauty, but to help the individual feel more at peace with their own body.

If your breasts have been bothering you for a long time, are affecting your choice of clothing, make you unhappy when you look in the mirror, and this is not just a passing thought, then breast augmentation surgery may be the right option for you.

However, this decision should not be based solely on appearance; it must be made in accordance with your expectations, your life plans and the responsibilities that the operation will entail.

Does Breast Augmentation Really Solve Your Problem?

Breast augmentation surgery does not solve every aesthetic problem. We therefore need to establish first of all whether what is bothering you is actually a lack of breast volume.

The first question I usually ask my patients during a consultation is:

“What is the main reason that has led you to consider having an operation?”

The answer to this question is the most important step in determining which operation is appropriate.

Breast augmentation may be the right option for you if…

✓ If your breasts have been small in relation to your body since childhood.

✓ If your breast size has decreased noticeably after losing weight.

✓ If your breasts feel empty after pregnancy and breastfeeding.

✓ If you’re struggling to achieve the look you want with low-cut outfits.

✓ If there is a slight difference in volume between the right and left breast.

✓ If this situation has been bothering you for a long time and your decision is not just a spur-of-the-moment thought.

In these patients, breast augmentation surgery can generally have a positive impact on both their physical appearance and their self-perception.

However, breast augmentation is not the solution to every problem.

Sometimes patients come in thinking, “My breasts are small”; however, during the examination, we find that the real problem is not the size but sagging.

In some patients, however, the breast volume is adequate but the nipple points downwards. In this case, simply inserting an implant will not produce the desired result.

Similarly;

severe breast asymmetry,
pronounced tubular breast deformity,
excess skin resulting from significant weight fluctuations,

In such cases, different surgical techniques or combined procedures may be required.

For this reason, simply looking at photographs online and saying “I want the same implant fitted to me” is often not the right approach. Every patient’s anatomy is different, and the treatment plan must be tailored to the individual.

In short, the right operation is not about choosing the largest implant, but about analysing your problem correctly.

📚 Read these too before making a decision

Before you decide on breast augmentation, the following guides may also be of help to you:

Is it possible to enlarge the breasts naturally?
The pros and cons of breast implant surgery
What is the ideal age for breast augmentation?
Who are suitable candidates for breast augmentation?

Ask Yourself the Following Questions

If you answer ‘yes’ to most of the following questions, breast augmentation may be a suitable option for you.

The size of my breasts has been bothering me for a long time.
This situation affects my choice of clothes.
I want to look fuller, but I don’t want to compromise on a natural look.
I make the decision about the operation myself; I do not act at someone else’s request.
I think I can accept both the benefits and the potential risks of the operation.
I am in a position to set aside time for the recovery process.

On the other hand, if the following thoughts are predominant, it might be wiser to postpone your decision a little longer:

“I’m having it done because my partner wants me to.”
“Everyone’s having it done, so I should too.”
“This operation is going to change my whole life.”
“I want there to be no scars at all, and no risk whatsoever.”
“I’m not quite sure yet, but I might have it done.”

Cosmetic surgery achieves the highest levels of satisfaction when it is a conscious decision taken of one’s own free will.

📋 Breast Augmentation Decision Test

This test does not tell you whether you ‘should’ or ‘should not’ have surgery. Its purpose is to help you ask yourself the right questions. The final decision should be made after taking into account the findings of your examination, your state of health and your expectations.

Meme büyütme yaptırmalı mıyım? Ameliyat kararı vermeden önce değerlendirilmesi gereken 5 temel kriteri gösteren infografik.

What Are the Right Reasons for Breast Augmentation?

Breast augmentation surgery is one of the cosmetic procedures that enjoys a very high patient satisfaction rate when performed for the right reasons. However, this satisfaction is based not only on a successful operation but also on the right motivation.

During my consultations, I always ask my patients the following:

“What is the main reason that has led you to have the operation?”

The answer to this question is even more important than the size of the implant in cc.

Breast augmentation may be the right choice for you if…

If the size of your breasts has been bothering you for a long time

Having had small breasts since adolescence, or becoming self-conscious about this over the years, is one of the most common reasons for seeking breast augmentation surgery.

What is important here is that this desire is not a passing thought, but a long-standing personal dissatisfaction.

If your breasts have lost their former volume following pregnancy or breastfeeding

Significant changes occur in breast tissue during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Whilst some women retain most of their breast volume after breastfeeding, others may find that their breasts appear deflated and have lost some of their upper volume.

In this case, breast augmentation surgery may be an effective option for restoring the lost volume. If this is accompanied by significant sagging, it may be more appropriate to plan the procedure in conjunction with a breast lift.

If your breasts have shrunk after losing weight

The process of losing weight is often a positive change for the body. However, as a significant proportion of breast tissue consists of fatty tissue, a reduction in breast volume may be observed following rapid or excessive weight loss.

This condition may lead to a loss of volume in some women, and to both a loss of volume and sagging in others.

If you want to achieve a more balanced body shape

Some women feel that, because of their small breasts, the proportions of their shoulders, waist and hips are not in harmony with one another.

Breast augmentation surgery does not merely increase breast volume; when the right implant is chosen, it can also help to create a more balanced appearance in terms of body proportions.

The aim here is not to use the largest possible implant, but to select the volume best suited to the individual’s anatomy.

If you are making this decision solely for yourself

This is perhaps the most important point.

The decision to undergo cosmetic surgery should be based on the individual’s own wishes, not on the expectations of others.

The expectations of your partner, your circle of friends or social media may change over time. However, you will continue to live with your own body every day.

For this reason, the decision to have surgery should be based, first and foremost, on your desire to feel better.

Please remember this

Breast augmentation surgery will not solve all the problems in your life.

However, it can correct an aesthetic problem that has been bothering you for a long time and affecting your quality of life.

When the right patient selection, proper implant planning and realistic expectations come together, the patient satisfaction rate for this procedure is very high.

In which circumstances would I recommend postponing the decision to have breast augmentation?

The right time is not the same for every patient seeking cosmetic surgery. Whilst breast augmentation surgery can yield truly excellent results in some cases, in others it may be both safer and more satisfying to wait a little longer.

During my consultations, rather than scheduling an operation straight away for some of my patients, I recommend that they first allow the following conditions to improve.

If you are planning to become pregnant in the near future.

Pregnancy does not prevent you from having breast augmentation surgery, and the implants will not prevent you from becoming pregnant in the future.

However, significant changes in breast volume occur throughout pregnancy. After breastfeeding, some women may experience a further loss of volume or sagging.

For this reason, if you are planning to become pregnant within the next few months, it may often make more sense to postpone the operation until after you have given birth and finished breastfeeding.

This may also reduce the likelihood of needing a second operation in the future.

If you are actively trying to lose weight

Breast volume is not determined by the implant alone.

Natural breast tissue and fatty tissue also have a significant impact on the final appearance.

Losing 15–20 kilograms after the operation may cause the shape of your breasts to change again.

For this reason, it is generally a better approach to plan the operation once you have reached your target weight and your weight has remained stable for a few months.

If you can’t give up smoking

Smoking is one of the risk factors we regard as most significant in cosmetic surgery.

Nicotine reduces the amount of oxygen reaching the tissues and can adversely affect wound healing. As a result, the risk of experiencing undesirable outcomes such as infection, wound dehiscence or poor scar quality may increase.

For this reason, I would particularly ask my patients who smoke to give up smoking for a certain period of time both before and after their operation.

If your expectations are unrealistic

Sometimes patients turn up for their appointment with a photograph of a particular celebrity.

However, the same implant may look completely different in two different people.

Because;

chest width,
breast base,
skin quality,
existing breast tissue,
shoulder-to-waist ratio

It’s different for everyone.

My aim is not to copy someone else’s breasts, but to plan the most natural and balanced result for your body.

If you are unsure about your decision

Sometimes, at the end of a consultation, patients say to me:

“Doctor, to be honest, I’m still not entirely sure.”

When I hear that, I don’t rush to set a date for the operation.

This is because cosmetic surgery is a process in which a person must make a decision entirely of their own free will, without feeling any pressure.

It’s not wrong to be undecided.

Sometimes, taking a few more months to think things over, considering the matter from different angles, or simply gathering information may be the best course of action.

To which of my patients do I say, ‘Let’s wait a little longer’?

In my professional career spanning some 15 years, I have learnt this:

A successful cosmetic operation is not only dependent on good surgical technique; it is also dependent on the operation being carried out at the right time.

For this reason, I usually prefer to postpone surgery in the following circumstances:

Patients planning to become pregnant in the near future
Those currently actively trying to lose weight
Those who have no intention of giving up smoking
Those who want the operation solely to please their partner
Patients who are unsure about their decision
People with unrealistic expectations

Sometimes the best surgical decision is not to operate straight away, but to wait a little longer.

💬 Should I feel disheartened at hearing from my surgeon that I need to wait?

Absolutely not.

On the contrary, the fact that your surgeon advises you to wait if necessary, rather than simply recommending surgery, is an important indication that the decision is based on medical and ethical grounds rather than commercial ones.

For me, a successful operation is not just one that goes well from a technical point of view; it is one where, years later, the patient can say, ‘I’m so glad I had it done at the right time.’

What Can Breast Augmentation Surgery Offer You, and What Can’t It?

The most important reason for high patient satisfaction following breast augmentation surgery is the establishment of realistic expectations prior to the operation.

During consultations, I always tell my patients the following:

“It is just as important to discuss what we cannot do as it is to discuss what we can do.”

In cosmetic surgery, the happiest patients are those who understand the limits of the procedure.

Breast Augmentation Surgery Could Offer You the Following Benefits

✓ Fuller breast volume

The primary aim of the operation is to increase the volume of the breast.

When the right implant is chosen, a look that is in harmony with your body – whether natural or more pronounced – can be achieved.

✓ A more balanced body shape

In some women, the proportions of the shoulders, waist and hips may not look as desired due to a small breast size.

Breast augmentation surgery can help to create a more balanced silhouette not only for the breasts but for the entire upper body.

✓ A fuller-looking décolletage

In particular, in breasts where the upper pole has lost volume, the décolletage area can be made to appear fuller through the selection of a suitable implant.

This appearance is related not so much to the size of the implant as to its correct positioning and proper planning.

✓ Can help restore volume after pregnancy or weight loss

It is possible to restore a degree of fullness to breasts that have lost volume following breastfeeding or weight loss.

If there is also significant sagging, planning the procedure in conjunction with a breast lift may yield more successful results.

✓ Can correct mild breast asymmetry

No two women’s breasts are exactly the same.

Slight differences in volume can be significantly reduced by adjusting implant sizes or surgical techniques.

However, the aim is not perfect symmetry, but to achieve a more balanced appearance.

Breast Augmentation Surgery Cannot Do the Following

✗ It cannot achieve perfect symmetry

The human body is not naturally symmetrical.

The ribs, shoulders, breast base and breast tissue may differ on either side.

For this reason, it is entirely normal for there to be minor differences even after the operation.

✗ It does not produce a result with absolutely no scarring

Every effort is made to conceal any traces using modern techniques.

However, like any surgical procedure, breast augmentation surgery also requires an incision.

Although the marks may fade noticeably over time, they are not expected to disappear completely.

✗ It does not stop the ageing process

Implants do not age.

However, breast tissue, skin and gravity continue to change throughout a woman’s life.

Over the years, the appearance of the breasts may change again as a result of pregnancy, weight fluctuations or ageing.

✗ It cannot correct severe sagging on its own

This is one of the most commonly misunderstood points.

In cases of severely sagging breasts, the use of implants alone will not lift the breasts sufficiently.

In some cases, it may even make existing sagging more noticeable.

In these patients, a breast lift may also need to be planned alongside the implant procedure.

✗ It won’t solve all the problems in your life

Breast augmentation surgery can change your appearance.

It can have a positive effect on your self-confidence.

However, no cosmetic surgery;

does not mend relations,
does not completely eliminate unhappiness,
It doesn’t solve all of life’s problems.

It is therefore important to properly assess the changes that the operation will bring about.

My Approach

My aim during the consultation is never to recommend the largest implant to you.

For me, a successful breast augmentation operation is;

that suits your body,
which continues to look natural even years later,
who looks just as well-proportioned without clothes as she does when dressed,
that makes you happy every day

is to achieve a result.

For some patients, this may be 250 cc; for others, it may be 400 cc. There is no single ‘correct’ size for an implant; the right implant is the one that best suits your anatomy.

📚 You might also be interested in these topics

Read These Too Before Making a Decision

Breast enlargement through natural methods → Do natural methods really work?
The pros and cons of breast implant surgery → What are the advantages and disadvantages?
The ideal age for breast augmentation → When is the right time for surgery?
Who are suitable candidates for breast augmentation? → How is medical suitability assessed?

So, what would I do if I were in their shoes?

There is no single correct answer to this question.

However, as a plastic surgeon who has been performing breast cosmetic surgery for around 15 years, I would ask myself the following questions during the decision-making process:

Are my breasts really bothering me, or is this just a passing thought?

Am I really making this decision for myself?

Do I understand the limits of the changes that the operation will bring about?

Am I ready for the recovery process and for life with an implant?

If I can confidently answer ‘Yes’ to the vast majority of these questions, I would like to consult a plastic surgeon to discuss my options.

However, the basis of my decision is;

other people’s expectations,
the images I’ve seen on social media,
a passing fancy

If that were the case, I’d probably prefer to wait a little longer.

Because in cosmetic surgery, the right timing is just as important as the right technique.

Don’t forget

You do not have to have breast augmentation surgery.

Having small breasts is not a flaw.

Similarly, wanting to have breast augmentation surgery is not the wrong decision either.

The important thing is that this decision is yours to make.

My role is not to persuade you to have surgery; it is to provide you with accurate information, understand your expectations and work with you to assess the most suitable option for you.

Sometimes the option is surgery.

Sometimes, however, it’s simply a matter of waiting a little longer.

In either case, the right decision is the one that best suits your life and your expectations.

What Could Be Your Next Step?

If, after reading this article, you still think that breast augmentation surgery might be suitable for you, the next step is not to set a date for the operation, but to undergo a detailed assessment.

During the consultation, your breast structure, skin quality, current breast size, any asymmetry, your lifestyle and your expectations are all assessed together. Based on this assessment, the implant type, size and surgical technique best suited to your body type are planned together. Our aim is not simply to create the largest possible breasts; rather, it is to achieve a result that retains its natural appearance for years to come, is in harmony with your body, and will bring you long-term satisfaction.

📚 I’d recommend you have a look at these guides before making a decision

The decision to have breast augmentation is not made on the basis of a single article. The guides below will help you make a more informed decision.

Who is a suitable candidate for breast augmentation? → An assessment based on your health and anatomical characteristics.
Is it really possible to enlarge the breasts naturally? → The effectiveness of natural methods in the light of scientific evidence.
The pros and cons of breast implant surgery → Advantages, disadvantages and long-term expectations.
What is the ideal age for breast augmentation? → Age, plans for pregnancy and the right timing.

Please contact us for detailed information on breast augmentation prices (breast augmentation prices for 2026 ).

Breast augmentation surgery prices may vary depending on the type of implant used, the surgical technique and the patient’s individual needs. Pricing in Istanbul is generally determined by the quality of the materials used and the surgeon’s level of experience.

Discover My Approach to Breast Surgery

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