Will my breast implants last a lifetime?

Both clients and practitioners are aware of the cost of a breast implant procedure, and both want the maximum return on the client’s outlay and the practitioner’s skill. So one of the first questions to come up during an initial consultation is an inquiry as to how long an implant will last. The thing is, it can be the equivalent of asking how long a piece of string is.

In theory, the answer is yes:  a breast implant is capable of lasting for the duration of your lifespan without needing to be replaced. However, there will be a welter of factors in your future life which could mean a replacement is preferable, or necessary. Let’s break them down…

The implants themselves

The first response to the question is: it depends on how long the ‘lifetime’ is. While the manufacturers are confident that modern implants are perfectly capable of lasting over long durations of time, they shy away from the term ‘lifetime guarantee’ as the possibility will always exist that they could fail over the course of time.   

There have been several studies of the durability of saline implants, and one of the most reliable reports claim a risk of rupture and/or deflation rate of 1% per year – which is why certain practitioners recommend clients come in to get ‘checked out’ either after ten of fifteen years after the initial procedure. In a lot of cases, the shape of the breasts still look fine after fifteen years, and the general rule of thumb will always be ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. However, there are still examples of clients experiencing a failure of the implant much sooner – an unfortunate consequence of going with an inexperienced or dodgy surgery.

A change in body shape

While there are no maintenance or care regimes you will need to carry out after your procedure – the implant just sits there, after all – the rest of your body is bound to age change, and your breasts will not be exempt from this process (which is another reason for the ten-to-fifteen-year review). Changes in weight – either in the plus or minus column – can change the proportion of the breasts.

A change in mindset

Probably the most crucial factor involves the client themselves. What worked for them a decade or so ago might not be a desirable look tomorrow. Some clients may start to hanker for a fuller figure as they age, while others may prefer to reduce their body shape in the future. Women with larger-cup implants may want to reduce the load on their frame as they enter a new phase of their lives.

It gets easier in future

The good news for clients thinking about changing their implants is that a repeat procedure is more manageable. The procedure will be the same as before, but clients report less stress (as they already know what to expect), the fears about scarring are virtually eliminated (as the incisions are taken in the same place, the client experiences less discomfort, the procedure takes much less time, the recovery time is shorter and the results are almost instant.