Am I a Candidate for a Breast Lift? 

If you have noticed that your breasts no longer sit in their former perky position, you have plenty of company. Factors like pregnancy and time can lead to sagging. A breast lift offers a solution if your breast volume rests lower on your chest than you like. 

What is a Breast Lift or Mastopexy?

A breast lift is a surgical procedure to address sagging or drooping breasts. It can also improve breast shape, symmetry, and the position of the areolas. With decades of experience, your Rapaport Plastic Surgery team consistently provides results that exceed expectations. Your surgeon will assess your breast anatomy and determine whether a breast lift (also known as a mastopexy) alone can provide your desired results. A mastopexy procedure is often combined with breast implants or a fat transfer when additional volume can help achieve best results. 

Am I a Candidate for a Breast Lift?

All individuals planning cosmetic surgery should ensure that their doctors have any health conditions under control. Good candidates for a breast lift have concerns about sagging or drooping breasts. They may also have breast asymmetry or have areolas that point downward instead of forward. 

Our surgeons explain to all mastopexy candidates that the procedure does involve some degree of scarring on the breasts. The amount of scarring depends on the details of your procedure. With proper care during recovery, your breast lift scars will fade with time, but will not entirely disappear. We offer a combination of treatments post surgery to assist with scar reduction and wound healing, including topical scar cream, laser or micro-needling therapies, and platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections. 

How Does a Breast Lift Work?

Your surgeon can perform mastopexy in several ways. If you have a limited amount of loose skin and do not need repositioning of your areolas, you may only have an incision around the edge of the areola. For a more significant lift, you may also need an incision from the areola to the crease under the breast (a “lollipop” incision). Sometimes, your surgeon will also make an incision along this crease (an “anchor” incision). 

Removing and tightening sagging skin often means the areolas must be repositioned. Your surgeon performs this procedure without separating the areolas from their blood supply. As a result, your areolas will now sit in an attractive, lifted position on your breasts. 

A breast lift procedure often includes breast implants. Sagging and volume loss often occur together, and a lift alone might not produce the full, shapely breasts you want. Implants provide shape, volume, and projection, dramatically enhancing the results of your breast lift. 

What Is Recovery Like After a Breast Lift?

You can expect to have a surgical bra on after surgery, and you will wear this for about two weeks. You will also have dressings on your breasts during this time. Most people with minimally active jobs may return after one to two weeks. However, strenuous activity or exercise should wait at least three weeks. 

Do I Need a Breast Lift or Breast Augmentation?

Factors like age, pregnancy, and heredity can cause your breasts to sag and lose volume over time. While a breast lift can restore breast symmetry and position, it cannot replace lost breast volume. As a result, your surgeon may recommend a breast lift with breast augmentation. He will use implants or your own fat to add the desired volume while placing it in an attractive, lifted position. 

Take the Next Step

If you want to learn more about a breast lift, reach out today to schedule your consultation or call us today at (212) 249-9955.