Would a lift on one side make my breasts more symmetrical? Could this be done without affecting my areolas? (Photos)

Question

Would I need a lift on the one side to make my breast more symmetrical? If so what type of lift? I Love my areolas and do jot want to make them smaller or cookie cutter look.

Leila Kasrai, MD, FRCSC · Answer

It is difficult to see the shape of your breasts and nipple positioning related to your breast fold. If one or both nipples are located below your breast fold, then a lift would be recommended. Either way, a more aggressive lift can be performed on the saggier side to improve shape symmetry. Your areolae would be about the same size as they are now if that’s what you prefer.

Tyler Frew, MD · Answer

Hi there,
Yes, lifting just one side is a common and effective way to even out breasts, as long as the other side is a shape you're happy with. Which lift you'd need depends on how much the lower breast needs to come up, so an in-person exam is needed to know for sure.
A few educational points. The surgeon matches the lifted breast to the other side, and the nipple stays attached to its own blood and nerve supply. Lifts usually reposition the areola and often reduce its size so it matches, so I can't promise your areolas won't change at all, but you can tell your surgeon exactly what size and look you love and ask them to plan around that. A lift around the nipple only gives the smallest scar, but it can widen and flatten the areola over time, so for more than a small lift many surgeons prefer a vertical lift for better control.
To be honest, perfect symmetry isn't realistic, and about 5 to 9% of lift patients need a small touch-up, often for scars or leftover differences.
Ask for 3D imaging like Crisalix to preview the options, and bring photos of the areolas you like to your consult.
All the best!

Emre Guvercin, MD, FEBOPRAS · Answer

Yes, a unilateral breast lift may improve your breast symmetry. However, achieving meaningful symmetry without changing the position or size of the areola may be difficult.
When one breast sits lower than the other, correcting the asymmetry usually requires repositioning the nipple-areola complex along with reshaping the breast tissue. Depending on your anatomy, some adjustment of the areolar diameter may also be necessary to achieve a balanced result.
My preferred approach would be a tissue-preserving Push-Up Lift, which allows the breast to be reshaped and elevated while preserving its natural volume. However, I would explain that maintaining your areolas completely unchanged may limit the degree of symmetry we can achieve.
The goal should not be to create an artificial, cookie-cutter appearance. Your preferred areolar size can be considered during surgical planning, but some modification may be unavoidable if symmetry is the priority.

Gary DeCesare, MD · Answer

Hi There! It seems like the symmetry is more due to size discrepancy than nipple height, though it's not a great picture angle to determine that. A lift would not increase size. 
Hope this helps!

Mehmet Surmeli, MD, FEBOPRAS · Answer

Photographs taken while you are holding the camera affect the overall symmetry of the breasts and make a photo-based evaluation significantly problematic, because one pectoralis major muscle is contracted more than the other. Even so, it is visible that you have a moderate degree of breast asymmetry, and there is a clear difference between the right and left breast in terms of breast and fat volume.

In these cases we usually recommend a breast lift with augmentation. It usually involves both sides, to achieve better symmetry and a better placement of the implants. Without implants, the likelihood of a remaining asymmetry is more significant.

These comments are based on limited information about you and on the photographs you have presented. For the definitive planning of any treatment or surgery, a face-to-face consultation and examination are necessary.

Dr. Mehmet Sürmeli, MD, FEBOPRAS

Yasemin Aydinli, MD · Answer

In your photo, both breasts are small and have lost some of their upper fullness, and the breast on your left hangs lower, with the nipple pointing down, while the other one sits a little higher and shorter. The difference is mainly in position and not size, so a lift on the lower side alone is a reasonable plan. A lift with a vertical scar around the nipple can raise the nipple and reshape that breast, and your areola can be kept at its natural size. The areola is only moved up, and it does not have to be reduced unless you ask for it, although the opening around it is usually made round and the skin is closed around it, so the shape may look slightly more regular. A donut lift would not be enough for this much difference in height, and it tends to widen the scar and flatten the breast. With so little tissue, an implant on the lower side can also help to balance the volume, but it is a separate decision and carries its own trade offs. Some small difference between the two sides will always remain.

Kadir Berat Oyur, MD · Answer

We have reviewed your photos. A lift with an implant may improve symmetry while preserving your natural areola size and shape. An in-person consultation is recommended to determine the most suitable approach.

Wayne I. Yamahata, MD · Answer

Your single view photo suggests that the best outcome would be obtained with a breast lift and implants. Ideally this would be bilateral as this would provide the best symmetry. It is not mandatory that the areolas are reduced. The current diameters can be preserved if this is your preference.

Would a lift on one side make my breasts more symmetrical? Could this be done without affecting my areolas? (Photos)

Answers (8)

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