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Is Circumareolar Lift Necessary with Breast Implants to Increase Fullness?

asked 2 years ago by tracy2222 in USA
Latest answer by Steven Wallach, MD
Question viewed 1,280 times
Tags: age 35-44, breasts, female, full

I am having a hard time deciding if I need to have a circumareolar lift with Breast implants or the implants alone to increase the fullness of my breasts after pregnancy. I am 36 years old.

I'm borderline according to a couple of doctors that I've seen. I would really rather have the implants alone if it is possible to perk up my breasts just a bit by giving me back my fullness but want to be happy with my results, too. Thank you very much.

12 answers to Is Circumareolar Lift Necessary with Breast Implants to Increase Fullness?

Circumareolar lift unlikely to improve fullness without implants

Circumareolar lift is all about nipple position. The goal is to keep the nipple forward and on the front of the breast. The breast will not appear fuller, in fact the geometry of circumareolar lift can have the opposite effect and reduce projection of the breast. You are courageous to send your pictures and I feel you will do well with implants alone. The scar from a circumareolar lift can be acceptable when necessary, though regrettable when it is not. The best approach is augmentation,... more

Peter E. Johnson, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

www.peterejohnsonmd.com

Implants and lift

Just looking at the side view of your photos suggests taht an implant will not be enough. You may be able to only have a circumareola lift with the implants.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Do I need a Breast Lift, or will Implants alone Achieve my Goals?

Hi there- Depending on your goals for the size of your breasts, I do think that you would be a candidate for breast enhancement via an augmentation alone. This is not to say, however, that I think you would achieve your best outcome through this approach... This would be a compromise procedure, with a necessarily compromised outcome- no breast lift scars, but less than ideal shape. Your nipple would still be a bit low on the breast, and the volume of the implant may sit a bit lower on your body more

Armando Soto, MD
Orlando Plastic Surgeon

www.DrArmandoSoto.com

Mastopexy.

One other benefit of the circumareolar lift is the ability to limit the size of the areola as well as to lift it. The tradeoff is the scar. If fullness alone is your goal, you will be pleased with the results of augmentation alone. If, however, you intend on wearing anything revealing and are concerned about the position of the nipple on the breast mound, then a breast lift may be something you should consider. Of course, as stated below, you can have the augmentation first and always... more

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Breast augmentation with mastopexy

The breast lift with augmentation is a very tricky operation because on one hand you are trying to make the breast bigger and on the other you are taking skin away making the skin covering (envelope) smaller. A conservative approach is to stage the procedure and do the breast augmentation first and see how you like the result. You can then do the mastopexy lift as a separate procedure once you have healed. One problem with the periaeolar/circumaeolar mastopexy is widening/enlarging of... more

John Burns, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

Breast lift with implants

This is a very common question-- do I need a lift or can I get away with just the implants, and no lift? Most of the time, if we think a patient would benefit from a lift, it's hard to get the ideal result without it. The one instance when we MAY be able to get a nice result without a lift is if we place the implants above the muscle in someone with just a little bit of droop to the breast . This will correct it a bit, but there are some downsides with this approach, including a... more

Shahram Salemy, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Minimal breast sagging can be corrected without a breast lift.

Hi! You don't need a lift. We often do a circumareolar breast lift together with breast implants, but you will do fine just with moderate sized implants. I would recommend round, smooth walled. moderate plus profile cohesive silicone gel implants placed OVER the muscle, because this placement corrects sagging much better.

George J. Beraka, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Do you need a breast lift?

From your photos, anatomically you need a breast lift to get the best result from a classical breast shape standpoint. If you just do an implant your nipple will stay low, but it is up to you to decide if that is acceptable to you. When I pose this question to prospective patients and show them the photos of unlifted patients who have had implants and then come to me unhappy, I have not yet had a patient who has seen the photos and said they they'd be okay with that result. So the choice... more

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Can I have implants alone or do I need lift?

Hi Tracy2222. In my opinion, ideally you would have a lift. However, you can have a nice result with implants alone and your goals have to taken into consideration. I do believe that in time, you will need a lift to maintain an optimal aesthetic result. However, every patient's aesthetic sense is different and you may be very happy for several years. You can address the lift if and when it becomes an issue for you. Recognize that the implants will most likey accelerate ptosis... more

Tracy Pfeifer, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

drpfeifer.com

Circumareolar Lift with Breast Implants to increase fullness

A well done breast augmentation may be sufficiently pleasing to the point you may not need ANY breast lift in your case. If in doubt, as you are, I would have the breast augmentation alone and wait up to 4-6 months to see how the breasts settle. If you are happy with the results, you need not have anything else. But, if you want a lift - a periareolar lift may get you the best result.

Peter A. Aldea, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon

Circumareolar lift

The circumareolar lift will only partially correct the glandular sagging or ptosis you have. The lift will not increast fullness and may actually reduce the forward projection of the breast since it has a telescoping effect on the nipple area. The only way to get increased fullness is with an implant. However, the other consideration is the relationship of the nipple to the implant and breast mound. The circumareolar lift can help to normalize this relationship but at the price of a scar.... more

Robin T.W. Yuan, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Breast Lift with Implants

It appears to me from your photo that you could obtain a result with which you would be pleased with augmentation alone. In cases similar to yours, I have performed an augmentation alone. There is always the option of performing a small lift later, if you feel it is needed. I sometimes do the lift as an office procedure under local to minimize costs.