Breast Augmentation: Q&A

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Do I Need a Lift with a Breast Augmentation

For several reasons I really do not want a lift and I just had my first consultation and the surgeon recommended a lift for me and really didn't give me any other options. I am small framed so I don't want to go extremely big. I would prefer to go under the muscle as well. Besides the sagging the skin is thinner as well. Thanks for any information.

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29 Doctor Answers | Asked by salc11 in Orlando, FL

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Do I need a breast lift or just implants?

Very few people interested in breast augmentation come in wanting to have a lift...the question is whether you need a lift in order to avoid a bad result. Although it is difficult to tell exactly where your inframammary fold is without measuring you, it looks like your nipple level is below the level of the inframammary fold, and that you have a significant amount of breast overhang below the level of the fold. Since the implant has its bottom at the level of the fold, and only fills out the... more

Breast implant and breast lift

Judging from your photographs, if you have implants under the muscle without a lift, you risk a 'double bubble' appearance where the implant sits higher under the muscle and the breast tissue droops lower. The best appearance is likely to come from - 1) just a lift if you are happy with the volume of your breasts within a bra, or 2) a lift and a small-ish implant if you would like some more volume and projection.

Anindya Lahiri, MBBS

4 reviews

Birmingham Plastic Surgeon

Do I need a lift with breast augmentation?

I agree with your surgeon - you need a lift. I can understand why you wouldn't necessarily want to take on the extra scars and potential complications associated with a lift, but there is no doubt that you need one to restore the shape of your breast. If you are happy with the volume of your breast in a bra, a lift is all you need. If you want to have a larger cup size, then you will need an augmentation as well, which can be done at the same time or separately... more

Improved shape with a lift out-weighs the scars

Thank you for your question and photographs. Based on your pictures, I would strongly recommend a full breast lift. I agree that your implants should be placed under the muscle for a wide variety of reasons. You appear to have lot of extra breast skin. I feel that the improved shape and contour that you get from a breast lift out-weigh the scars.

To lift or not to lift.

You certainly can have an augmentation without a lift. However, you are likely to be unhappy with the results. Without an overly large implant, the breast tissue will tend to "hang" off the implant which most women dislike. You can always stage the procedures and have the lift later to be sure that you want it, but that is likely to cost a bit more as an additional surgery.

David Bogue, MD

6 reviews

Boca Raton Plastic Surgeon

www.drbogue.com

Breast Lift Is Needed When the Nipples Are Low on Your Breasts

Patients frequently wish to have only breast enlargement instead of breast enlargement with a lifting procedure because they want to avoid the additional scarring. I spend 30 - 45 minutes reviewing a patients medical history and expectations for their result, examining their breasts and discussing the possible options. It is important for you to know why you need a breast lift, since it involves extra scarring. You should also know how those scars will usually look once... more

Need for Mastopexy - Breast Lift

Based on your pictures and especially since you say that you do not want large implants, you definitely need a breast lift in addition to a small implant to achieve the best results. Good Luck.

Choose a minimal scar breast lift

In your case, it appears you can get a good result with a minimal scar lift with the incision just around the areola. The augmentation can be done through the same incision. These scars heal very well and are frequently nearly imperceptable.

Breast Implant and lift

Based on your photos, I agree with your surgeon. You will get the best result when you combine breast implant and Mastopexy (lift). Not all patients need a lift with breast implant. For most patient's, the main concern is scar and cost. The scar can be placed around the nipple for both the lift and augmentation. The scar fades over time. Cost of lift varies. Make sure your surgeon is a board certified Plastic surgeon.

Signs To Decide if you Need a Breast Lift with your Breast Augmentation

Without even looking at photos, you may need a breast lift if - the position of your nipple is at or below your breast fold - you have a fair amount to a large amount of loose skin - if you want the nipple to be in the middle of your breast, and not at the lower portion of your breast Getting a breast augmentation only will lift up your breast position overall, but not by a large amount. So, based on your photos, just a breast... more

Is a mastopexy needed to give me a good result in addition to a breast augmentation

Your photos are excellent and clearly demonstrate exactly what you would need surgically. Given that you would like to be larger, there is NO way that implants alone will correct the obvious drooping that you have - either placed above or below the muscle. Because your skin tone (elasticity) is diminished along with many other reasons, the implants should be placed behind the muscle. Some physicians try to avoid a lift and place the implants above the muscle which results in the wrong... more

Breast Augmentation With or Without a Lift

Consider that the average breast implant weighs about 12 ounces (350g). This additional weight on the chest may accelerate the rate of ongoing breast ptosis. In some cases with just a slight sagging of the breasts, an implant alone, without a lift, may lift the breast some. However, in a majority of cases, the implant is placed beneath the pectoral muscle and a mastopexy is then performed. The shape of the breast mound is usually better when both breast augmentation and breast lift are... more

Two things to consider for a lift.

There are two things girls complain about when they say that they need a lift. One is that they are scooped up above, and have no upper pole fullness, and the second is that the nipples are pointing at the floor. These two things need two different fixes. The only way to get fullness up above is with an implant. The only way to move the nipple up is with a lift. When using an implant, the larger the implant, the more "swing effect" (like being in a... more

Dan Mills, MD

10 reviews

Orange County Plastic Surgeon

www.danmillsmd.com

Lift or not to?

From the photos it looks like your surgeon is right. Remember that the nipple is suppose to be across from the infra-mammary fold (fold behind the breast) . Additionally redundant skin looks like a concern. Also submuscular placement is my preferred location due to the natural slope of the breast with this position. But without examining you, it looks like a lift will be necessary. Is a peri-areolar vs a vertical component needed with the mastopexy depends on the physical exam. To... more

Do I have to have a breast lift if I want implants?

In general, if the breasts appear droopy or sagging, you need a lift if you are having a breast augmentation. This will give the best possible result. For many reasons, including scars, some patients do not want to have a breast lift. You can always have a breast augmentation first, and if not pleased, have a breast lift later. A middle ground would be a breast augmentation with a periareolar lift (only a circle around the areola).

Is a breast lift a necesary adjunct to breast augmentation

After looking at your photos I agree with your surgeon that a breast lift is necessary. You never want to have to add a procedure unless it's necessary which it is in your case. But I believe that in your case your only scar for the lifting will be around the areola which usually heals well. You do not need other scars. The breast augmentation can also be done through this scar. Any you can go below the muscle.

Breast augmentation with breast lift

An examination is obviously necessary to determine what procedure would be ideal,but your pictures do seem to show a fair amount of breast sagging which would benefit from a lift in conjunction with your augmentation. The general rule of thumb is that when the nipple falls below the level of the inframammary fold a lift is required for optimum shape. If you are significantly concerned with the scars associated with the lift an augmentation could be done first and a lift secondarily if... more

Breast Lift

From the looks of your photos you would need a lift along with implants to give you what you are looking for. An implant by itself will still leave you hanging and but larger due to your anatomy and the amount of skin present. There are different methods of doing lifts however, and my preference would be a vertical lift that would uses an incision around the areola and up and down, like a lollipop. No one likes to have any scarring but you may be surprised that it may not be... more

Lift and implants

You would be best treated with a breast lift to correct the sagging and simultaneous implants to give you the upper pole fullness you want. You don't have to be any larger than you are now, but have the breast fullness where you want it. A lift alone does not restore upper pole fullness. Implants alone do not correct sagging and you will be back for a lift. All lifts are not created equal. A periareolar lift is not a good operation, nor is an inverted-T... more

"breast augmentation with lift"

It is possible to improve the appearance of your breast by adding moderate size implant with high profile (350-450cc implant) which is going to make your breast to become more perky and nipples to move up about quarter inch. However if you want to have a better result you should consider to have a donut Mastopexy (remove the donut of skin around your are lo which does not give you significant visible scars. During this implants could be placed under your muscle. To see example of above... more

Breast lift with implants is best for you

Based on your photos, I would definitely recommend a breast lift at the same time as a breast augmentation. In fact you may even get a better result if you did a breast lift alone, followed 6 months later by a breast implant. I would not recommend doing breast implants alone however- you will not be happy with your results. You should consult with a few different plastic surgeons and I suspect all will agree a breast lift is needed based on your anatomy. Best wishes, Dr.Bruno more

Breast Lift with Augmentation when Breast Position is Low

Anytime the breast position is low, a breast lift should be performed with the breast augmentation. Generally, the nipple should be above the breast crease for breast augmentation alone. If you augment a breast that is relatively low, you will have a larger breast that remains low. That would generally not be considered a youthful, aesthetic breast. Based on the limited photo you provided, your breast appears low and your skin appears thin. If your goal is a more youthful... more

Breast augmentation together with breast lift

Your posted photos show stetched out areola, nipples lying below the level of the crease under the breast and stetchmarks covering the upper half of both breasts. This indicates that the breasts were larger at one such as during pregnancy and that increase stretched the skin. Now that the breasts are smaller you are left with extra skin. Some of this extra skin will be taken up by the breasts after enlarged with breast implants. However, it is highly unlikely that they can take up all the... more

What is your goal?

Very large implants will give you a small lift --- but if you want a lift you need one. The scars fade, but you are stretched out and should have a pexy with moderate implants.

Do I Need a Breast Lift With Breast Augmentation

A breast implant placed under the muscle will push your breast outward and give the illusion of a small amount of lift, but it will not allow your breast tissue and nipple to defy gravity. If your breasts appear deflated, then the key to the decision making process is the position of your nipple. If it is more than one inch below your breast fold, which is how it appears in your photos, then you should consider a periareolar breast lift, in which the only scar is around the boarder of the... more

Lift Or Not With Augmentation

I agree that you need to have a mastopexy or breast lift performed. You will not be at all pleased with the result if you have an augmentation alone. Since you are concerned about being too big, I would in fact suggest that you have a lift without an implant. You may be quite pleased with this; if not, you can always have an implant placed later.

Breast lift is the better aesthetic choice

A breast lift is the better aesthetic choice. If you do proceed with an augmentation (with or without lift), I would recommend your have silicone implants placed in a subglandular plane to minimize risk of the deformity that arises from progressive descent of your native breast over a high riding submuscular implant.

Nobody "wants" a lift but many need one

From an anatomical standpoint, your breasts have drooped enough that an implant alone won't look as good as one with a lift. Implants don't lift you, they just make you bigger. Lifts lift you and give you more youthful shape and tone. The scars improve wih time and the result looks much better. But you can elect to do the implant alone and see if you like it. You probably won't though and will do the lift later.

Not every low breast has to be lifted

Many women do not want a lift because of the scars, which is a good reason. You have two choices: have an implant placed without a mastopexy and accept the fact that the breasts will not look high but will look larger and mature. That is fine with many women--as long as they know what to expect. You will get some lift just with the implant. The other option is to have an augmentation and a periareolar mastopexy, where the scars are limited. However, the amount you... more