Why Do Breasts Sag? Considering Breast Reduction or Lift?
- Genetically poor skin elasticity
- Gravity and lack of bra use (night and day)
- Advancing age
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Weight loss and gain
- Hormonal changes
The more sagging you have, the more skin needs to be removed with a Breast Lift. Periareolar involves removing skin from above the areola only. Circumareolar involves removing skin from around the areola. Vertical involves removing skin from around areola and below. Anchor involves removing skin from around and below areola, and under the breast. All sutures are placed under the skin to give the best appearance of the scar.
Lifting a breast will almost always decrease your cup size. If you have an empty skin envelope an implant may be desired (saline or silicone) to give you upper pole fullness. If you have a lot of your own breast tissue, an implant may not fit. You can always put an implant in at a future date.
Candidates for Breast Lift include one must be relatively healthy (medical exam if over 50 or have any significant medical issues). Must have a mammogram that is normal if over 40. Must not be smoking. Body Mass Index (BMI) of less than 30 is preferred. One week at home recovery (stay home from work with no housework). No heavy lifting, exercise or swimming for 4-6 weeks. Post op bra or sports bra for one month. All sutures under the skin. With our scar care techniques, your incision can be barely visible after 6-12 months.
Meanwhile, Breast Reduction performed for large, pendulous breasts. Can relieve neck and back pain, rashes under the breast and grooving from bra straps. Scars usually fade over the course of a year or longer to a barely visible white line with proper after care. Performed in the same fashion as a vertical or anchor breast lift. 2-4 hour surgery with one week recovery.In addition to removing skin, excess breast fat and tissue is removed. Areola size is decreased, and areola is lifted. May involve the use of drainage tubes in post-operative care
Getting a breast lift (with or without implants) will still look natural. We cannot give you a “stretched” look because we are “wrapping” the excess skin around the implant, not stretching a small skin envelope. We cannot put a “huge” implant in the reduced skin envelope because only so much will fit