Many women lose elasticity and firmness in their breasts, leading to a droopy, sagging appearance. This can happen with age, as gravity and a natural loss of elasticity conspire to pull breasts south. Extreme weight loss or even a lifetime of smaller fluctuations also can contribute. Pregnancy and breastfeeding can similarly lead to a deflated shape. Last, heredity can contribute, as some women are just naturally less full or have a more tubular shape.
Regardless of the reason for a woman’s sagging breasts, a breast lift surgery can help you to get the firmness and youthful shape that you need to feel confident and attractive. This procedure is designed for women who are happy with the size of their breasts but desire a rounder shape with higher placement.
Dr. Cuber is considered an expert in procedures that lift and shape the breasts. They can help to restore your breasts to a rounder and firmer shape, giving you the youthful, shapely appearance, you desire. In a breast lift, extra skin and tissue is removed so the remaining tissue can be sculpted into a new shape. In addition, the nipple is moved to the center and top of the breast to give a natural appearance that complements the rest of the breast.
Different Breast Lift Techniques
There are a variety of approaches that can be used in a breast lift procedure. These all involve different placement of incisions and can lead to subtly differences in the end result. These include:
- Peri-areolar, or donut, lift, which is used for mild lift
- Crescent lift, which is used for mild lift
- Vertical (or Lollipop) lift, which has a larger incision but can correct more sagging and allows for reshaping
- The Anchor or Inverted T lift, which is used for more extreme sagging and resculpting of breast tissue
Breast Lift Patient 1: Upon reaching middle age, this mother of three desired a return to her more youthful breast size and shape. Her breast lift returned her breasts to a higher position while giving them a newly firm shape.
Benefits of a Crescent Breast Lift
A crescent breast lift uses a small half-circle incision made on the top of the areola, or the colored skin surrounding your nipple. As a result, there is often no noticeable scarring. This lift is used for very mild lift. It is particularly popular when the patient is also having an augmentation.
Benefits of a Periareolar (Donut) Lift
This technique also is used only for mild sagging. In this type of breast lift, the incision is made around the areola. The scar will be on the outside edge. Many women choose this approach because it allows them to change the size of their areolas. It leaves a barely visible scar.
Benefits of a Vertical (or Lollipop) Approach
This is the most common incision technique for breast lifts. As seen in our diagram, two incisions are made: one on the lower border of the areola and one extending down the bottom half of the breast. While this can leave a visible scar, it allows the surgeon to remove excessive sagging tissue and to completely reshape the breast. The scar is hidden by a typical bikini top or brassiere and will fade over about a year.
Inverted T or Anchor Lift
This technique is used for women who have a great deal of sagging or who need extensive reshaping. Three incisions are made, the two used in the lollipop technique as well as a third in the lower crease of the breast. This makes the shape of an anchor. This breast lift is used when the breasts sag well below the lower crease of the breast and a thorough sculpting is needed to form a firm, round breast. Although this technique has the most scarring of any technique, the scars are hidden by most brassieres and tops, and will fade significantly with time.
Breast Lift Patient 2: This woman was quite young and had sagging breasts due to a large natural shape and simple heredity. A breast lift was used to give her the firm yet full look she desired. As you can see, the new shape was very natural in appearance.
Recovering from a Breast Lift: What to Expect
A breast lift is usually performed as an outpatient surgery, which means you will go home the same day. However, there is still an extensive recovery. You will go home with surgical dressings covering your incisions. You may have a drainage tube temporarily to help drain excess fluid from the site.
Most women will have bruising and swelling after a breast lift. You will also have to wear a special surgical bra, which will support your breasts while reducing stress on the incisions. Patients usually will need pain medications for the first several days.
Patients should sleep on their backs for the first few weeks to avoid compressing stitches or inadvertently flattening their new breast shape. While you can return to work in just a few days, you will need to wait 5 to 6 weeks before performing any strenuous activities like exercise.
Breast Lift Patient 3: Like many women, this patient’s breasts had been changed by aging as well as pregnancy and breastfeeding. As seen in the “after” photo, her breast lift gave her breasts a firmer shape while maintaining her size and minimizing scarring.
Is a Breast Lift Right for Me?
If you are in good health and want a dramatic change in breast appearance, this procedure may be right for you. In general, women will be happiest with the results when they have large sagging breasts that they want lifted without adding size. In addition, you should be near your personal goal weight to prevent fluctuations from creating yet more sagging.
It is important to understand how the procedure will happen and what you can expect. Our board-certified plastic surgeons are here to give you the information and advice you need. We can help you to choose a type of breast lift that will help you to meet your appearance goals.
Breast Lift Patient 4: This patient had already had a breast augmentation with a different plastic surgery group. She was unhappy with the results and sought a revision from our plastic surgeons. We were able to give her a more natural and attractive appearance with a breast lift combined with a new augmentation.
Breast Lift Patient 5: This middle aged mother of three was unhappy with the shape and size of her breasts. She underwent a breast lift to raise them back to a natural position and to return to a fuller and firmer shape.
Breast Lift Patient 6: This young lady who naturally had large breasts wanted to lift them higher back to their natural position. Her after photo shows her breasts have been lifted and reshaped and look very natural.
Breast Lift Patient 7: Breastfeeding and age both attributed to the sagging of this woman’s breasts. She had a breast lift surgery performed and her after photos show very natural results with minimal scarring.
If you are considering this or other body sculpting procedures, contact our Long Island offices today for a consultation. We can be reached at 516-472-7846 or with our convenient online contact form.