Breast Lift with or without Breast Augmentation

The moms that come to see me for a breast lift do so because they want the youthful breasts that they had in their 20’s, before their children.  I often hear “It’s because of breast feeding” or “I gained a lot of weight when I was pregnant and my breasts never returned to their prepregnancy position.”  As a dad I’m deeply indebted to my wife for giving me two beautiful children while her body was forever changed by the stress of pregnancy.  As a plastic surgeon I understand the anatomic changes that occur with age, pregnancy, breast feeding and weight change.

Ptosis or sagging of the breasts is due to many reasons.  First,  our genes play a big role in how elastic the skin is over time.  Second, rapid changes in breast size, such as during pregnancy, stretches the skin and results in sagging.  Finally, as women age the glands of the breasts atrophy and the breast becomes primarily fatty tissue.   In addition the skin thins and become less elastic.   All of these changes result in a nipple position that is below it’s normal anatomic location, a descent of the entire breast on the chest wall and finally thinning of the breast tissue in the upper part of the breast.

Patients often say “I’m happy with my breast size but just want them lifted.”   However, because there is loss of upper breast fullness elevation of the nipple will often not completely return the patient to their most youthful appearance.  In addition a breast lift involves removal of skin and patients often feel that their breasts are smaller after a lift.  A small to moderate size breast implant will restore that upper breast fullness without significantly increasing the overall breast size.

A breast lift can restore the breasts to a more youthful appearance and is an excellent way to gain confidence in clothing .  Adding an implant may be necessary to achieve a “home-run” result.

Contact our office for a consultation.