I am a 36DDD, and comfortable. Will my breast appear smaller after I have a lift without implants? (Photo)

Thanks for your question and the photo.A true breast lift only removes a few grams of skin on each side. So you lose a little bit of skin but not much change in size.Early on patients will look smaller because at the end of surgery the skin is tight and tends to flatten the projection, like wearing a tight bra to hide your bust size.  Over the first few months the skin will relax and the projection will be restored. That is why we make lifts intentionally a little too tight from the get go. Skin is smarter than your surgeon and will relax over time. The breasts will relax and round over the first few months.When the breasts settle they may look less large not because the volume is smaller but after a lift they don't look as elongated.Its hard to tell from your photo how large you are or how heavy the breast is. If your breasts are heavy and dense you may want to consider reducing the volume. Any competent plastic surgeon can perform a breast lift but gravity will always win and heavier breasts go south again more quickly. Smaller breasts stay north longer.I hope this makes sense and is helpful to you.Best wishes.Dr. T

While only a small amount of skin is removed, the perception by patients is that there is some decrease in size that varies based upon the degree of droop and the density of the breast tissue.Try to research this to find the surgeon who consistently produces the
results you would expect. Look at reviews on this site and see who gets the surgery right every time. Find
a board certified plastic surgeon who performs hundreds of breast lifts each year. Then look at the plastic surgeon's
website before and after photo galleries to get a sense of who can
deliver the results. Kenneth Hughes, MDLos Angeles, CA

The breast the picture certainly do not need breast implants. A breast lift will make the areola smaller and better positioned. In addition of volume will be further upon the chest wall giving it a more youthful look.

At
size 36 DDD, you certainly do not need implants. I recommend a new technique called The
Ultimate Breast LiftTM. This
technique reshapes your breast tissue creating upper pole fullness, elevates
them higher on the chest wall and more medial to increase your cleavage. The breast size can be adjusted to the size
you desire and you can maintain the DDD size if that is your choice. This technique avoids the ugly vertical scars
of the traditional technique, maintains nipple sensation and the ability to
breast feed. This technique results in
immediate relief of neck, back and shoulder pain by transferring the weight of
the breast to the underlying muscle. Best Wishes,Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Hello,You would benefit from a physical exam where specific measurements could be taken.  It is difficult to judge by your photo how much skin will need to be removed to lift your breasts.  Generally when breasts undergo a lift a certain amount of skin is removed and if enough skin is removed your cup volume could be diminished.  Usually this is not by a significant amount.  Also, since your breasts will have more fullness in the upper portion of your chest after a successful lift, you may not perceive the change as having smaller breasts but more shapely breasts.  Sometimes when you wish to maintain your pre-lift size we can add a small implant to achieve this.Best Regards,Lane Smith, MD, FACS

You can stay the same size or be smaller it is really up to you. If kept the same size the results will not last as long since the larger or heavier the breasts the more stretch is put on the skin and therefore the faster things can relax. A breast lift with small reduction would be a very reasonable option and you could keep a full DD size. Best wishes.

Breasts do not always look smaller with a lift, but certainly can, especially at some viewing angles. When you look directly at yourself in the mirror, you will have a visual image of your breast that includes the width and height of your breast. This will give you an impression of the overall size of your breast based on dimensions. If you have a breast lift, the breast is almost always lifted and the overall height of the breast is decreased. This will make it look smaller from an AP (straight on) view. The same breasts when compared from a side view will not look much different in size. And they may not fill a bra cup differently either. With that being said, most breast lifts are very good at reshaping the breast, but not great at adding volume to the upper pole of the breast. If you desire significant volume in the upper portion of the breast, you might need a breast implant. Also, I have found that my ability, at least, in reshaping a breast is greatly enhanced when I am able to intentionally remove a small portion of the breast tissue instead of just skin. This will make the breast a bit smaller if this type of technique is used, but the overall shape and longevity of the lift is increased. 

In general, removing skin and lifting the breast will decrease the size about a half a cup size for the average patient. For patients with very deflated breasts, this may be more, and for patients with very firm breast tissue, it can be less. Your breasts look fairly full in the photo, so chances are your size wouldn't be significantly decreased.

It looks like you have quite a bit of volume and ptosis (sag) of your breasts. I think you would be very happy with a breast lift/breast reduction. There are many benefits including reshaping, lifting, and downsizing of your areolas. Your breasts are unlikely to look too small after a good lift; they will look proportionate and perky.

Generally, most women feel that their breast looks larger because the same volume is up higher on the chest with less skin holding it.  Your cup size may decrease because there is less skin.