Can I just get breast implants or is a lift necessary as well? (Photo)

It does appear that you have some tissue hanging below the inframammary fold but you are not in mandatory lift territory yet. I would never advise doing a lift and breast augmentation at the same time due to revision risk. Based upon your photos it appears you would be a candidate for breast augmentation alone. If you still desire a lift in the future after implants are placed, this can be done without harming implants.

After I measure and discuss goals with my patients, we then look at pictures of women (my patients) with similar measurements with different size and style breast implants. They also get to see what they would look like when the breasts have fully dropped and fluffed and in clothes. You get to see actual results and the surgeon's experience and not a virtual idea of what can be achieved. Women tell me that this process is very helpful in determining what size and style breast implant is right for them. Mildly Sagging Breasts: If your breasts are mildly droopy, a saline or silicone gel implant placed behind the pectoral muscle might help create the illusion of perkiness. That’s because as the implant fills out the top of the breast, it also fills out the bottom, making it look as if the nipple has moved higher. It hasn’t. You can always get a lift later if you feel you are not perky enough when fully settled and healed. Dr. Ted Eisenberg, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and Author. RealSelf Distinguished Hall of Fame Inductee. Philadelphia, Pa., USA

Thanks for your inquiry and pictures, including wish pictures. Without an exam and in person consultation it is hard to give best advice, but wanted to discuss a few things. First a crescent lift can improve nipple-areolar position without large scar. Secondly, it is possible to look like your first wish breast (brunette woman with short hair in picture) but I do not believe you can achieve the implant position in the next two pics without a lift, best of luck.

Thank you for the question. It all depends on your goals. Your wish pics require you to have a lift, but it will create scarring that you are trying to avoid. I believe that you can have a beautiful result with breast augmentation alone, despite the nipples being lower than ideally desired. You can have a breast lift after a breast augmentation if you change your mind but you cannot undo the lift once performed. I wish you the best of luck. Vasileios Vasilakis, MD. Double board-certified, fellowship-trained plastic surgeon, Houston. TX.

Good afternoon,
Your goal photos show different nipple positions- low, medium and high. You can probably achieve the look of the patient holding the camera and showing her face, but to achieve the nipple height of the others you would need a donut mastopexy, so it's really up to your preference.

The technique I recommend is a mini lift. Using a circumareola incision, your breast tissue is reshaped, elevated higher on the chest wall and more medial to increase your cleavage. At the same time, fat transfers or small implants can be placed totally submuscular.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Dear misselac,
determining whether you need simply a breast augmentation versus a breast lift can be somewhat complicated. It depends on a number of factors including skin laxity and current nipple position. Generally speaking, if the nipples are lower than the inframammary line the patient will most likely need a breast lift. If the nipples are at or above the inframammary line we can generally get by with just a breast augmentation depending on the size of the implant the patient wants. I often still using implant when I perform a breast lift because it provides more upper breast fullness after the lift. To be sure a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon will help determine what the patient actually needs.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Thank you for sharing your question and photographs.  Based on your goal images it appears that you would most benefit from implant placement and a lift.  The implant will help restore lost breast tissue after pregnancy and weight loss, while the lift will remove excess skin and allow for resizing and repositioning of your nipple into a higher, more youthful, position.  Hope this helps

You can choose to just have implants placed in front of the muscle for fuller and still sagging breasts. If you want upper breast fullness and more perkiness, you will need a lift. I recommend placing the implants behind the muscle and a lift for you best long term results.

Hello, and thanks for your question. It really depends on the look you are going for, if you don't get a lift and only an aug, your breasts will look most similar to the third picture you posted. You will not be able to achieve the look in the 4th and 5th pictures without a lift and aug. Your breasts will droop as you age, so it may be beneficial to get a lift now to prevent more droopiness in the future. Please see my attached video on determining breast implant size. Please see a board-certified physician for your consultation. Best of luck to you!

Sincerely, James Fernau, MD FACS Aesthetic Surgery Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery Certified, American Board of Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery Member: American Society of Plastic Surgery (ASPS) American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) American Academy of Facial Plastic Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) American Academy of Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery (AAOHNS) American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS) The Rhinoplasty Society