Ageing, weight loss, pregnancy and genetics can all impact breasts’ shape, size and volume. For those wanting to restore youthful, perky breasts, there could be more than one reason impacting your decision-making. But, just like any cosmetic surgery procedure, a breast lift, or mastopexy, should be tailored to your individual goals and needs, and performed by a cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgeon with specific training in the field of breasts.
“Within any medical field, practitioners are trained to have a high level of skill in that scope of practice,” explains Brandon Adams, Da Vinci Plastic Surgery Clinic’s cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgeon. “Practitioners who are working outside their field do not have the depth of training and experience to deal with all aspects of the condition. When problems arise, they may not know how to deal with them safely, leading to an inferior outcome.”
Globally, breast lift procedures continue to soar in popularity. In the US alone, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons reported a 30% increase in breast lift procedures from 2019 to 2022. And, there’s more than one rhyme and reason women are reaching for greater lift. These include . . .
Rapid weight loss – Rapid weight loss can result in drooping, lower nipple position, loss of volume and loose skin.
Weight fluctuation – Resulting in sag and lose of contour.
Removal of breast implants – Resulting in loose skin and disproportionate shape.
Ageing – Which results in gravity pulling on the breasts and a drop in the nipples, so the nipple is off centre.
Pregnancy – Post-childbirth the breasts can sag, laxity and asymmetries.
So, what can you expect when you choose to undergo a mastopexy? A breast lift alone won’t restore volume, but a surgeon will reshape the contour of the breasts, tighten the tissue, elevate breast and correct any asymmetries – including, nipple repositioning and resizing the areola.
A breast lift is focused on creating a naturally-attuned well-rounded, perky aesthetic. Before any breast lift procedure is performed, there are key considerations and questions a specialist breast surgeon will discuss with you to determine whether you are best suited to just a breast lift, a breast lift and fat grafting, breast lift and reduction, or a breast lift and implant?
For example, assessment may include . . .
- If your breasts sag below the crease or your nipples point downwards. A breast lift in conjunction with breast augmentation (either an implant or fat grafting) may be needed as skin may require additional tightening coupled with extra lift.
- If your breasts are suffering significant volume loss, an implant can restore fullness and shape, and also correct lax tissue when combined with a lift.
- If your nipples have headed south, a mastopexy to raise breast tissue and reposition the nipple which may have stretched could be the best fit for you.
- If you have smaller, lopsided breasts, a surgeon may recommend an implant with a lift to correct asymmetries.
“It isn’t really up to the patient to decide what needs to be done to achieve those results: the first step is to decide what outcome is desired,” explains Adam Bialostocki, a cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgeon at Da Vinci Plastic Surgery Clinic. “A skilled specialist plastic surgeon will then be able to make a recommendation as to what technique will achieve those goals. It may be implants with or without a lift, it may be fatgrafting. It may even be a combination (hybrid breast augmentation).”
Regardless of whether you’re looking to achieve a little more breast lift and volume before summer rolls around it’s important to turn to those we can trust. Reach out for an experienced hand and individual approach to breast surgery.