Just like life in general, our breasts evolve and shift – stagnant isn’t a word in their repertoire. By our early 20s – across the Tanner Stages, eight to late teens – our breasts undergo a complete transformation, come our mid 30s breasts are truly matured, before swinging into perimenopausal shifts in our 40s onwards, resulting in tissue composition changes and firmness. By the time menopause takes full effect, our breasts may have shrunk up to a cup size – or gone up a couple! – and nipples well and truly headed South. Fortunately, a breast reduction and a breast lift are effective surgeries no matter what age and stage.
Both breast lift and breast reduction surgeries remove excess breast tissue and skin to reshape the breast – both lift the appearance of the breasts. A key difference between the two procedures is one is often cosmetically linked – a breast lift – and the other more often for medical and health reasons – a breast reduction.
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 to2022. There’s more than one rhyme and reason women are reaching for greater lift. These include . . .
- Rapid weight loss – resulting in drooping breasts, lower nipple position, loss of volume and loose skin.
- Weight fluctuation – can accelerate skin laxity, resulting in sag and loss of contour.
- Removal of breast implants – resulting in loose skin and disproportionate shape.
- Ageing and hormones – decreasing oestrogen levels can result in supportive tissues shrinking, effecting size and shape
- Pregnancy – Post-childbirth the breasts cansag, laxity and asymmetries.
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 specialist breast surgeon will 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. In the instance that your nipples spiral downwards or you are experiencing sagging below the crease – or both! – a breast lift in conjunction with breast augmentation (either an implant or fat grafting) may be required for additional skin tightening, boost and extra lift.
Breast reduction surgery, or a mammoplasty, naturally shapes and harmonises breast size, and gifts relief from the limitation's large breasts place on many women – including painful neck, back and shoulder pain. Depending on breast size before the operation and the final post-operative size, incisions and removal are fitted to your individual needs. This may involve an incision around the nipple and areola, accompanied by a vertical incision below the areola with or without a horizontal incision made in the crease below the breast. By engaging short scar techniques breast size is reduced, with improved shape and incisions kept to a minimum. Many women are concerned with losing breast sensation when considering a breast reduction or a breast lift – particularly a reduction. Sensation in the nipple can sometimes decrease or increase, which is why surgeons will engage certain reduction techniques to preserve nipple sensation. Breast lifting and tightening steps are an integral part of breast reduction surgery – not separate to.
Alongside a breast reduction, it is common practice for cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgeons to simultaneously perform a breast lift. A breast lift, also known as a mastopexy, lifts the breasts by removing excess skin and tightening surrounding breast tissue. This affords greater shape and contour, and firmness. Depending on your specific situation – and health guidelines you meet – breast reduction surgery may be covered by a private insurer – such as our affiliated insurance provider Southern Cross. Unfortunately, insurance will not cover a breast lift for cosmetic reasons.
