A breast reduction includes a breast lift

Many patients are confused by the terms breast lift and breast reduction and think that they are mutually exclusive. This is not true. A  breast reduction makes the breast smaller and repositions the breast up on the chest wall.  A breast lift does not involve the removal of any breast tissue so the breasts remain the same size but they are repositoned up on the chest wall. That is to say, a breast reduction reduces and lifts the breast while a breast lift only lifts the breast.

Breast reduction involves reducing the size of the breast. A breast lift involves lifting the nipple-areolar complex and reducing the excess skin of the breast. Breast reductions can involve just liposuction in patients who have more fatty tissue than glandular breast tissue. Liposuction alone indeed does reduce the volume of the breasts. However, sagging of the breast can result and liposuction alone is therefore performed usually in highly selected patients.

Many different types of breast lifts are now available in conjunction with a breast reduction, including lifts just around the areola (periareolar), vertical/lollipop mastopexies (incision around the areola and down to the breast fold, and full breast lifts with an anchor incision. For patients who have very loose skin in the armpit or back, axillary or bra lifts are also often combined with breast reductions.

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If you are considering a breast reduction procedure, the top 6 criteria in deciding what type of operation to perform are as follows:

• Position of the nipple relative to the bra crease
• Amount of skin redundancy
• Amount of volume excess
• Size of the areola
• Amount of lateral breast fullness
• Previous incisions on the breast

The position of the nipple and areola is important in answering your question.  If the nipple is below the breast crease, then you will need a breast lift at the same time.  This is usually performed during the same procedure.

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A Breast Reduction always includes a component of lifting the breast.

Generally, large breasts stretch the skin of the breasts due to the effect of gravity, causing the breasts to elongate in a downward direction. Also, the areola usually enlarges proportionately to the enlargement of the breast. As a result, the nipple tends to be below the actual fold beneath the breast, and the areola is too large.

A Breast Reduction elevates the nipple to the proper position on the reduced, smaller breast mound, and makes the areola proportionately smaller as well, no matter which technique is used.

Breast Reduction makes breasts smaller, higher, and better.

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