Breast Augmentation: Q&A

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What Breast Procedure Would I Need to Achieve Desired Look? (photo)

I lost considerable volume in breasts after breast feeding, & would like to replenish the lost volume & re-fill the breasts. I decided on smooth round silicone sub-muscular implants. I'm 5'4" 115lbs 27yo. I want to fill the volume and achieve the look in the photo. I'm happy with my nipple placement & don't want to alter nipple position/shape. Please advise what procedure you feel is best. I posted this before, but am re-posting due to my reconsideration of the desired shape. Thank you!

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29 Doctor Answers | Asked by simonal in Portland, OR

Doctor Answers (29)
Community Comments (0)

What Breast Procedure Would I Need to Achieve Desired Look?

Your nipples are low, but you say that does not bother you, and the photo you show of your desired breast shape is a woman with relatively low nipples. However, you must realize that there are two purposes of a breast lift when performed in a patient who is undergoing breast augmentation...one is to lift the nipple, but the other and probably more important purpose is to lift a breast that is too far overhanging the fold beneath the breast. Why is this important? Because... more

Breast volume loss, implants, and breast lift

It is unrealistic to expect a specific shape as seen in the photo of another individual. After surgery, they will still be your breasts, lifted and bigger. Discuss specifically with your plastic surgeon, implant size, shape, position and possible need for a lift including were the incisions will be. Good luck. I wish you well.

Lift or no lift?

Breasts are as unique as your fingerprints. Implants can improve the appearance and replace lost volume, but since each patients anatomy is distinctive, they most likely will not look like those in the photo. From the photos you provided, it appears that you would benefit from a lift as well as an augmentation. Consult with a board certified plastic surgeon to see which procedures will help you achieve the best outcome.

George John Alexander, MD

3 reviews

Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon

Breast lift vs augmentation

Breast lift moves the breast tissue superiorly including the nipple and areola (the pigmented tissue around the nipple) and leaves scars around the areola and skin underneath the breast. An augmentation adds volume to the breast without changing the position of the nipple. So if you are serious about being happy with the placement of your nipple, but not the volume of your breasts and were a patient of mine, I would recommend an augmentation without a lift--as long as you understand that the... more

Breast lift needed if significant sagging

Thank you for providing the photos. It appears from your photos that you need a lift in addition to augmentation. If you look at your picture taken from the side, you can see that most of your breast tissue is below your breast crease. The implant will sit above this crease. Without a lift, the breast tissue will "hang" off the implant. The breast tissue needs to be lifted higher to give you the best result and achieve harmony between the implant... more

What breast procedure is needed to achieve optimum an optimum result?

The best and exacting way of evaluating breasts is through actual physical examination. But after reviewing your phots it appears that yuo will need a breast lift and augmentation. Breast augmentation alone will leave the breasts hanging, and breast lifting alone will leave your breasts with lifted but leaving them flat. It iis quite possible that the lifting may be able to be performed via an incision only around the areola, therefore leaving minimal scarring. I think that if you... more

Procedures needed are a breast lift and augmentation

It is very clear from your photos (thanks!) that the only way that you will be able to have your breasts rejuvenated appropriately would be with a breast lift and augmentation together. With the drooping present, a breast augmentation alone will not achieve a natural or desirable look.

Breast augmentation with or without a lift

After review of your photographs and the picture of the desired result, my impression is that a breast augmentation combined with a breast lift will give you the optimal results. You should understand that although breast lifts require additional incisions compared with augmentation alone, the breast skin tends to heal very well from incisions which generally fade quite nicely with time and the overall shape and position of your breasts will likely be more important ultimately. ... more

What Breast Procedure

I think what you are really asking is can you just have a breast augmentation to achieve your goals. From your pictures, it appears that you have a bit more sag than the woman in your "ideal" photo, though this is hard to determine since we don't have her preoperative photo. From your photographs, I am concerned that you may have more sag than the "ideal patient" and/or that your breast shape will not be like the "ideal" if you just do an... more

Donald Griffin, MD

7 reviews

Nashville Plastic Surgeon

What procedure is best

I believe you would have the best result with a combination augmentation and breast lift. You can do the augmentation alone and have the lift secondary if you are not pleased with the appearance. But that would require an additional surgery. Donald R. Nunn MD Atlanta Plastic Surgeon.

Donald Nunn, MD, DDS

3 reviews

Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

Short Cuts Never Pay Off in Plastic Surgery

Hi there- In situations like yours, it is important to take a step back from the trees (the details of the procedure), and realize that you are looking at a forrest (re-examine your ultimate goal)... If we can agree that your goal is to SAFELY achieve a lovely and long lasting, beautiful appearance, then it becomes very easy to understand that your best interests would be served over the long term by Breast Lift with Augmentation. Trying to avoid a breast lift, or getting cute... more

Breast Augmentation

I do not believe augmentation alone will give you the look in the picture because your skin envelope is different than the girl in the picture. I would recommend you either having an augmentation and mastopexy at the same time so that you can have just one procedure that will give you a look close to what is in the picture or just have an augmentation done and wait 6 months and see if you want a lift. Since you seem decided against a lift I would recommend the augmentation only... more

Gary Hall, MD

8 reviews

Kansas City Plastic Surgeon

www.hallmd.com

TO LIFT OR NOT TO LIFT

Without a thorough exam and measurements it is difficult to recommend tne best approach. If you are set against a lift then probably a subfascial breast augmentation would approach the look in the photo. Good Luck

Tattoo Under Breast, Will Breast Augmentation Distort It?

To obtain/copy the photo posted for the look is very hard to achieve. But if I were to try I might go above muscle with a 450 cc HP implant. Also a possible donut lift. But remember I have not examined you in person this is just my guess.

Aug vs lift

The best way to proceed with a problem like yours is to do an augmentation to try and achieve the cup size of the woman in the photo . Then wait several months and see if you need a lift to position the breast where you desire. Using the photo of another person to achieve a result is not a precise way but it is done all the time to get an approximation of what a patient wants.

Breast augmentation after significant weight loss

Dear Simonal, I'm afraid you won't be able to achieve your desired look by simply placing implants. If you were to attempt a submuscular implant without a lift you would most likely get a 'double-bubble' look. NOT pretty. And placing an implant above the muscle is not recommended as this will make matters worse for you in the long run. I would suggest placing a small submuscular implant, a circumareolar lift with a dual plane lift. The dual plane lift part of the... more

Breast Procedure to Achieve a Certain Look

In general, not everyone can achieve a certain look or appearance since breasts have different proportions, tissue qualities and measurements relative to a person's chest and body. While breast implants may give you a cup size similar to the model in the picture you submitted, the shape in not likely to be the same since loose skin may result in the implants being much lower on the chest. If you are not willing to consider a breast lift, you need to be ready to accept an appearance that... more

Augmentation and possible post-augmentation lift

Since you do not want to change the size, shape, or position of your nipples it is possible you may "get away" with an augmentation only. However, you do not have a great deal of breast tissue below your aereola and after the augmentation you may decided to undergo a breast lift to achieve the look you desire.

Lift and augmentation

If you want to look similar to the photos you posted, then you woudl probably need a lift and an implant placement. you can probably have it done through a circumareola approach.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Look will depend on procedure you choose

If you decide to forego a lift you will likely have lower set breasts than the model photo you show. I doubt the implants could be placed submuscular either. To get the most natural look without a lift, the implants will need to be dual-plane (partially submuscular), or subglandular. Even if you do forego a lift at this point, there's a good chance you will require one in the future as the weight of the implants will likely speed the sagging process. Very often when trying to create... more

Breast lift or just breast augmentation?

Without a careful examination I can only give some general advice, but your question is very, very common. I think that it is great that you have included a photograph of someone's breasts who feel had a desirable outcome, whether or not it can actually be achieved. It will help your surgeon to better understand your goals and desires, as well as manage your expectations. The photographs of your current breasts show that they are relatively empty and have become somewhat... more

Lift Breast Or Not With Implants

I agree with your choice of smooth round silicone implants placed beneath the muscle. Although it appears that you would benefit from a breast lift, you state that you are happy with your nipple location. You should proceed with the augmentation. You can always have a small vertical lift performed later if you wish.

Treatment for breast sagging

I understand your desire to avoid a lift if possible. The augment is quicker and less expensive and scarring is not a big deal. However, given the positiion of your nipples, I do not think that an implant alone with produce the desired outcome. An implant would accentuate the position of the nipples and may not result in an aesthetically pleasing breast.

Breast augmentation together with breast lift

With or without a lift you will not look like the women in the photo whose look you are trying to achieve. When you had the extra breast volume it stretched the skin and nipple areola on both sides. After loss of the volume the extra skin did not go away although it may have shrunk a bit. There is no way to assess how much extra skin you still have from just a photo because it is not an extreme amount and I cannot see any stretchmarks in the photo even when magnified. Extremes on either side... more

You can get augmentation first with the understanding that you will lift later

The difference between your breast and the desired look that you posted is the position of your breast mound which is lower and touching the chest wall. You can try implant first, but you will have breast tissue sagging off the implant. The two stage augmentation/lift which is safer may work for you.

Kamran Khoobehi, MD

28 reviews

New Orleans Plastic Surgeon

Breast augmentation with or without a lift

As you can see, experienced surgeons recognize in you the anatomical need for a lift for the best results with your augmentation. Sometimes, patients will keep moving from surgeon to surgeon until they hear what they "want" to hear even if it is not what they "need" to hear. That being said, you can always do the augmentation alone and see what you think. If after 4-6 months you are not happy with the shape (breast sitting too low off the bottom of the... more

Breast augmentation vs. augmentation with a lift

Your question is the same question that I get asked by prospective breast augmentation patients in my NJ practice on a daily basis. The big question is, "do I need a lift?" When looking at the photographs that you sent you can see several things. First of all, the areolae are almost touching the base of breasts. This often indicates that a lift may be needed or they will remain low after a straight forward augmentation. The old fashioned "pencil... more

Differences are the key

It looks like you have several differences between your current look and the look you desire. You have more skin than the desired look, so you need a skin reduction. You have larger nipple/areolas than the desired look, so you need to have an areolar reduction. You have a more saggy breast than your desired look, so you will have to have the breast tissue uplifted. Lastly, you're smaller than the desired look so you need an implant. I think you would need an augmentation-mastopexy to... more

Breast Procedure Necessary to Achieve Desired Look?

Thank you for the question and the “goal picture”. I think you will benefit most from breast augmentation with implants and positioning that you have described. However, some type of “breast lift” involving the lower pole breast skin/ tissue will also be necessary to achieve your goals. I think your side view picture is the most demonstrative of the issues at hand. If you do not “tighten up” the skin envelope I'm concerned that you will have... more