Sagging Breasts: How to Perk Things Up

Thank you for your question

As you've already learned, while the breasts becoming engorged during pregnancy they often become smaller than they were before pregnancy when the pregnancy is over. Volume not only diminishes but the skin can become looser as well.

It's possible that if you were to gain some weight you might restore some of the volume to the breast but you would also gain weight in other areas that might not make you so happy.  Generally gaining weight intentionally is a bad idea.

If you have just a little bit of droop then restoring volume in the form of an implant maybe your best option. For moderate droop with good volume you may benefit from a periareolar or crescent lift. For more severe droop you might need to consider a lollipop, a vertical or full mastopexy. Each of these options have different pros and cons.

A small subset of surgeons is now advocating fat grafting to the breast again.  This is controversial because as fat that is grafted absorbs in the body it can leave small calcifications that are hard to distinguish from breast cancer on mammography.  Because of this concern I do not advocate it.

A consultation with the board certified plastic surgeon would likely help you to learn what your best option is.  Best luck in achieving your goals.

In my extensive experience I find that sagging breasts can be lifted WITHOUT the need for the additional scarring of conventional breast lifts. When implants are placed in front of the muscle, they will lift the breasts quite adequately; under the muscle they will not.

Thank you for your question. You are not alone as many women experience loss of breast fullness and sagging of the breast after having children.

Plastic Surgery can restore breast shape and size after pregnancy using one of three techniques:

• Breast Augmentation with Breast Implants-If the nipple-areola is above the crease under your breast-the Inframammary Crease- then often a simple Breast Augmentation using Breast Implants can restore the breast to a full lifted appearance. Typically the implants are placed under the breast gland and not under the chest muscle.
• Breast Lift or Dermal Mastopexy- When there is significant breast sagging and the Nipple-Areola is below the crease under your breast, a surgical Breast Lift or Dermal Mastopexy is usually required to adequately lift the breast. With the Breast Lift, visible scars around the Areola and usually on the underside of the breast are required.
• Combination Breast Lift and Breast Implants- When the Nipple-Areola is below the crease under your breast and the breast gland has deflated a combination Breast Lift and Breast Augmentation is often required. This procedure is a common part of the "Mommy Makeover."

Be sure to consult a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon who is experienced in Breast Surgery.

Web reference: http://drseckel.com/surgical-procedures/mommy-makeover/

Breast sagging can consist of two things:

1. Loss of volume
2. Downward descent of the nipple and areola

The volume loss is treated by using an implant. The downward position of the nipple requires some form of a breast lift to place it back on the front of the breast mound, well positioned above the crease below the breast.

Unfortunately, an implant does not lift the breast; it only makes it bigger. There are several kinds of lifts that can be performed depending on how much of a lift is needed to get the proper shape back in the breast.

The problem with sagging breasts is usually a combination of two issues - 1. loss of volume to the breast and 2. loss of elasticity of the skin that holds the breast tissue up. The way to correct breast ptosis (sagging breasts) all depends upon which of the above factors is most causative of the problem. I have heard many patients who want to simply replace the loss of volume to "perk up" their breasts by putting in a breast implant. (And I have heard and read many plastic surgeons who say that this will work.) But if the major problem is that the skin is too weak to hold up the existing breast tissue, adding more weight in the form of an implant just is not the right solution. It may improve things for a short term, but will actually make things worse down the line. Using breast implants alone to correct ptosis is only advisable in a very small subset of patients whose only problem is a loss of volume that makes their breast appear deflated. Completing a mastopexy with or without breast implants is more often the best way to achieve long lasting results. I would caution taking advice from anyone suggesting placing implants (especially big implants) in the subglandular position to try and fix breast ptosis. Not only does this most often undercorrect the problem, it often compounds the issue in just a short amount of time. 

The important question that you must ask, our future pregnancies plans, and are you finished having additional children. It does not make any sense whatsoever to commit yourself to surgery if you are going to proceed with another pregnancy which will only worsen the condition that you presently have. The next question is whether or not you would like to have an implant or have your breasts uplifted without one, or even a combination of the both. These are questions that only you can answer, and not the surgeon. An uplift results of scars that can be inconspicuous and placed in a variety of areas depending on the technique used. If you use an implant, statistically you'll need additional operation sometime later during your lifetime. In any event, returning true original question, there is no way to uplift your breasts without some type of additional surgery.

Web reference: http://www.nyplasticsurg.com

Most Moms have some sagging and deflation of their breasts after having children. This is normal, and unfortunately permanent.

The options to lift and perk up the breasts after they sag are two-fold:

1. Invest in a sturdy, well-padded bra that does the trick!

2. Invest in a permanent surgical procedure to lift your breasts.

Surgery to lift the breast may include rearrangement of the breast tissue and removal of excess skin, decreasing the size of the areolas and lifting them to a higher and more aesthetically pleasing position on the breasts. This is known as a breast lift.

Occasionally, a breast implant is placed to add back volume lost with pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Be sure to visit a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon who is well-experienced with breast lift to learn more!

Breast lifts (medically known as a mastopexy) seek to lift and reposition the breast tissue as well as to eliminate excess drooping tissues.

There are a variety of treatment options that depend on the individual surgeon's experience and preference as well as the severity of the sagging (ptosis).

Your best route, is to seek a consultation with a qualified surgeon and discuss your options.

Web reference: http://www.bodysculptor.com/lift.html

Unfortunately, there are not any non invasive options for lifting the breasts except for the classic push up bra.

An implant may lift your breasts with minimal incisions on the breast . Look for surgeons that perform a vertical breast lift to minimize scarring on the breast if you decide to pursue surgery.

There are several ways to treat sagging breasts. I try to choose the best option with the least amount of scarring.

Sometimes, the best thing to do is insert a breast implant to fill the breast envelope. This usually will limit the incisions the most.

As we move up the ladder, so to speak, of least to most incisions, I try to offer a circumareola lift (incision only around the border of the areola), then a vertical limited inicison lift, "lollipop incision" (incision around areola and then from the bottom of the areola to the breast fold, vertically, and then if the patient has severe laxity and sagging, an anchor-type incision is used which incorporates the vertical incison as well as a transverse incision along the inframammary fold.