Mastopexy, commonly known as the breast lift, is a plastic surgery procedure that improves the appearance of the breasts. This operation makes it possible to firm up, raise and give volume to the bust. In addition, this operation does not affect sensation or the ability to breastfeed in a vast majority of cases.
This operation is ideal for women who have breastfed or who have lost weight, having affected the shape of their breasts and their position on the chest wall. In other words, the breast lift procedure is the plastic surgery option to correct saggy breasts. The procedure will remove excess skin, reshape and lift the breast and improve the overall appearance of the bust. If you want to get more volume in addition to the lift, implant placement is possible which will allow an optimal result for breasts to look younger and firm. Following the operation, a rest of at least a week is recommended, and simple instructions will be given to optimize the healing and appearance of scars. In this article, we will discuss the details of the plastic surgery options for saggy breasts.
Exercise, diet, pills, and massages for saggy breasts
Breast ptosis can have many causes, starting with naturally having breasts on the large side, weight fluctuations, and ending with the natural aging process. The reality is that most women after a certain age are confronted with saggy breasts, no matter the size of the breasts or the genetic predisposition. Breast sagginess can occur earlier or later on in life depending on a multitude of factors, but unfortunately, it can’t be prevented.
Saggy breasts are breasts that have lost their contour and shape and are positioned low on the chest wall. There are three types of breast ptosis: minor, moderate and severe, and the diagnostic is established after a medical examination. The level of ptosis is evaluated depending on the amount of mammary gland that is positioned below the inframammary fold.
When breast ptosis occurs, there is a relaxation of breast tissue and of the ligaments that are supposed to hold the breasts in an elevated position. Saggy breasts often mean breasts with excess skin. This means that exercise, diets, pills, and massages can’t do much to improve the breasts after the onset of breast ptosis. When doing exercises to improve your breasts, what you are actually doing is improve the tonus of the pectoral muscle, which is the muscle that is positioned under the breast tissues. But this muscle is not considered a part of the breasts. The breasts are made out of skin envelope, fat tissue, and mammary gland tissue.
To be able to correct breast ptosis, we need to control the skin envelope of the breasts and elevate the mammary gland, and this can’t be done with physical exercise. The same is valid for pills and massages. When it comes to diets to improve the breasts, things can be tricky. Putting on weight might cause the breasts to look larger, but the sagginess won’t be corrected. Losing weight in an attempt to enhance the breasts might result in an accentuated sagginess due to the loss of fat tissue. That being said, the only efficient method to correct saggy breasts is via breast lift surgery.
Breast lift to treat saggy breasts
Every woman dreams of having perfect breasts as they are the symbol of femininity and sex appeal. This is why it is difficult for most women to cope with changes brought by time, such as pregnancy, breastfeeding, weight loss, weight gain, etc. When the breasts look like they are falling on the chest wall, this can create a damaged self-image, and emotional complexes can develop. The breast lift surgery is intended for women who are bothered by sagging, droopy breasts sometimes taking the form of empty bags.
The breast lift is an aesthetic surgery procedure that consists of raising and giving a beautiful shape to your breasts. In addition to the breast lift, there are two other procedures that can be performed in combination with it to improve the breasts furthermore, namely implant placement or breast reduction.
1. Women with large breasts that are saggy
Having naturally large breasts can seem like a blessing for the ones not enjoying them; however, women with heavy breasts know that they are not always a blessing. Big breasts have a tendency to develop breast ptosis earlier than small breasts. This means even teenagers have big breasts that are droopy on the chest.
When this is the case, the recommendation is to undergo a procedure combining the techniques of the breast lift with breast reduction. The plastic surgeon can reduce the size of the breast by eliminating the excess mammary gland, then he redraws the skin to lift the breast, giving it a nice shape and an elevated position on the chest. When this is the preferred surgical plan, the plastic surgeon will remove both mammary gland and skin tissue that are in excess. The results are breasts that are smaller and more elevated on the thorax.
2. Women with small breasts that are saggy
Having smaller breasts is not a guarantee that you can avoid breast ptosis. Even if the onset of breast sagginess might occur later on in life, women with small breasts will still be facing this condition. When this is the case and if the patient also wants to enhance the breasts by increasing their size, the plastic surgeon can combine the breast lift technique with the placement of implants.
When the breast lift is performed with implants, the plastic surgeon will first eliminate the excess of skin and fat tissue and then create a pocket either under the mammary gland or the pectoral muscle to insert the implant. The results are breasts that are bigger, higher on the chest and firm looking.
3. Women with normal size breasts that are saggy
Often, women who had great looking breasts during their youth tend to notice that the firmness and elevated position of the breasts have altered with the passing of time or due to multiple pregnancies and breastfeeding. Many women are bothered by the sagginess of the breasts after they reach a certain age, usually around 40 years old.
When this is the case, the plastic surgeon will perform a breast lift to correct the condition. During the intervention, often performed with the patient under general anesthesia, the plastic surgeon removes excess skin, raises the breast and nipple, doing breast lift techniques only, without changing the volume.
Breast lifting technique
The breast lift is plastic surgery procedure that takes place under general anesthesia and requires no longer than 12-24 hours of hospitalization. The plastic surgeon removes excess skin from the breast and fat if necessary and will then re-adjust the skin to its new volume. The scar will be around the nipple and vertically to the fold under the breast. If the remodeling is slight, there may be a single scar around the nipple. The length and number of scars that result after the breast lift are dependent on the severity of the breast ptosis. However, even if the scars are permanent, it will be difficult to spot them if good healing occurs. Most patients consider scarring a small price to pay for having firmer, youthful looking breasts.
Conclusion
The breast lift procedure is the plastic surgery option to correct saggy breasts. The procedure can be performed as a stand-alone intervention or in combination with implants or a breast reduction.
The results of the breast lift begin to transpire after one month when the breasts have deflated after the initial swelling; however, it can take more months for the edema to subside fully. The final appearance of the breast is usually evaluated after 3 to 6 months, and the appearance of the scars are final a year after the procedure.
Make sure to choose an experienced and board-certified plastic surgeon to play out your intervention to maximize your chances of achieving a spectacular result after the breast lift.