Does a Breast Lift Always Result in Dramatically Smaller Breasts?

A breast lift alone should not alter breast size. The skin removed from a breast during a breast lift has very little mass. Perhaps you had a breast reduction, a lift combined with a reduction in the size of the breast. It is also possible that the size was not actually reduced, but the lift caused the breast shape to change and for you to feel more comfortable in a different size bra.

There are many ways to do a breast lift.  Depending on one's anatomy, in order to achieve the best result... a small reduction of some tissue may be required.  Especially when there is significant ptosis or extra skin.  Sometimes, a circular
scar around the areola will be sufficient to do the lift without removal of tissue... other times a keyhole or lollipop
type or anchor scar may be needed. So, depending on the technique that is used, it is common to make the breasts slightly smaller when performing a breast lift.  Anything more than that would be considered a breast reduction.  

A breast lift does not technically change the size, since no breast tissue is removed during this operation.  Nonetheless many patients feel that they are slightly smaller after this operation due to the way they fit into their bras after excess skin is removed.  Many factors determine which cup size you wear, so I tell my patients not to focus as much on what the tag on their bra says as much as how they look and feel in the mirror.  

Breast lift surgery usually involves removing only the superficial layers of skin on the breast, but little or no breast tissue.  Therefore there should be very little change in the overall volume of tissue.  However, bras may fit very differently after breast lift surgery because the breast shape changes so much.  Patients may find that they no longer need the same cup size even though there was very little tissue removed from the breasts.

If you were a G cup, it probably would have been very difficult to give you the amount of lift you desired without making you smaller.  The breast tissue simply would not have fit in the smaller skin envelope.

The breasts are not typically smaller following a lift, but they will fit differently in bras because of their more ideal shape.  Unless some breast tissue is removed from one side to improve symmetry, breast tissue would not be removed with a breast lift.

A mastopexy or breast lift operation is designed to improve the shape and position of the breasts without reducing their size or volume. As there it is less flat afterwards it just gives the illusion that it is smaller.. After the procedure, the previously droopy breast should be more full and round (perky), rather than flat and wide. The bra size may have gone down because the shape of the breast has changed.

Mastopexy (breastlifts) usually do not result in smaller breasts. It is ultimately to improve shape and contour, however, with the periareolar or inverted T or vertical fashion. One can improve breast shape and size with an augmentation concomitantly. This must be done in carefully selected patients.

Many patients are very happy with the size of their breast, but have developed breast sag over the course of time.  This potentially affects their self esteem, self image, self confidence, sexuality and feelings of femininity.  For these reasons they often request breast lift surgery in an effort to correct this problem.
When breast lift surgery is performed the excess skin is removed and the remaining breast tissue is lifted into place.  Breast tissue can be removed when breast reduction is requested or when the removal of breast tissue is necessary for creation of a shapely breast.
When breasts are lifted in an upward direction, it not only changes their shape, and the way they look, but it also potentially changes the way they feel.  In some cases it might even affect bra size.
If your concerned about your breast size following breast lift surgery, you should meet with your plastic surgeon.  He will be able to tell you how much breast tissue was removed from each breast and explain exactly what was done at the time of surgery.  It’s possible that some breast tissue was removed so your breasts could be properly shaped to optimize your aesthetic result.

Thank you for your question.  I think for many this is a source of confusion.

 

An isolated breast lift only removes only skin from the breast.  It does not remove the underlying fatty tissue or the volume.  So in a simple isolated breast lift if the breast loses any size it is minimal if any.  The skin does not weigh that much.

If your breasts are asymmetric your Dr. may recommend some degree of volume reduction simply to make the breasts more even.

If your breasts are overly large and heavy your Dr. May suggest some degree of volume reduction so that the breasts don't droop again as quickly.

But to summarize again, a routine breasts lift alone removes only skin which changes the volume of the breast very very minimally.

 

I hope this helps to clarify your concerns.

A breast lift only removes the excess skin of the breast and places all the breast tissue originally there, up inside a smaller envelope of skin, while elevating the nipple and areola to the correct position.  As only skin is removed, the amount of weight removed is minimal.  However if a patient has very large breasts and only a lift is done, the weight of the breasts can cause the breasts to sag again and the scars to widen.  In these cases a reduction of some of the breast weight is done to improve the final outcome.  The end point should be proportional breast size to the rest of your body.