Can I get a lift with minimal scars? (Repost with better pictures)

Thank you for your photos. Your nipple/areola are well above your inframammary fold and you have a grade 1 ptosis with only a small amount of breast tissue below your inframammary fold. There is no reason to elevate the position of your nipple/areola. As you get closer to your ideal weight, you may find your breasts elevate up slightly eliminating the need for a lift. To avoid any vertical incision on your breasts, you could consider removal of an ellipse of skin along the inframammary fold which would tighten the skin in the lower pole of your breasts and improve your Grade 1 ptosis. Have a detailed discussion with your plastic surgeon. Best wishes.

Hi, thanks for your question. I understand that last photo is the breast that you desire. Currently you don’t have breast ptosis. After weight loss, it seems like you’re going to need implants to achieve your desired results. Because when you lose weight there will be some downsizing in your breast also. If you have a good skin quality there will be a good chance that you won’t need the lifting surgery, implants will do all the work. So you won’t have a vertical scar.

Dear PancakesPK,

my preferred lift is a lollipop lift when a periareolar won't do (ie greater than 2cm lift required). The lollipop technique was created by a Canadian plastic surgeon named Elizabeth Hall-Findley and treats the breast as a three dimensional structure instead of two dimensions (anchor - lift). Most importantly it does not require the horizontal component scars that the anchor-lift requires and breasts appear much more natural, lifted, and less boxy. Lastly, the lift lasts longer because the lollipop doesn't rely on the skin to hold the breast up, its actually breast tissue thats being brought together to support the breast and hence improves longevity.

Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Once you lose the weight, breasts will become lighter and not pulled down as much. It doesn't seem that you have any stretch marks above the nipple so the breasts will not sag as much as now. However, if the nipples need to be raised, you can have a half circle incision right above the nipple (crescent mastopexy) to raise them up to 25mm.

I recommend an in person consultation with a plastic surgeon to discuss your goals and be measured. 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

I would really have to do an examination to give you the best advice. The decision of just a scar around the areole of versus a lollipop pattern scar might be a bit difficult in your case. With a scar placed only around the areola, the lift tends to be quite weak and you can often expect flattening of the breast and early drooping. It would probably be a good start for you to see a board certified plastic surgeon who could best evaluate the best way to meet your expectations.

The technique I recommend is The Bellesoma Method. This will reshape your breast tissue creating upper pole fullness without implants, elevate them higher on the chest wall and more medial to increase your cleavage. Vertical scars are avoided, nipple sensation (in 95%) and the ability to breast feed are maintained.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Plastic surgery scars require attention after surgery so that they remain cosmetically-appealing and barely noticeable. In our office, we use a protocol for scars that minimizes their activity in the 6-8 weeks after surgery. If you have late plastic surgery scars, you may also require laser and RF therapy to help reduce the longterm effects of the scarring. Keloids, hypertrophic scars, widened scars, red scars, and hyperpigmented scars all require scar modulation with topical creams followed by lasers and RF therapy. Topical skincare should be directed to a specific need, whether for pigmentation or hypertrophy and our office can guide you through the process to obtain the correct Plato’s Scar cream or Melarase cream for hypertrophy and discoloration. In terms of lasers, we would employ the vbeam laser for redness, Venus Viva RF, PRP microneedling, chemical peels, and Morpheus 8, fractional erbium, or fractional co2. All of these have their individual benefits. Most of all, we recommend you visit a solid plastic surgeon who understands surgical scar revision, laser therapy, and RF therapy for scars.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

You might consider the lollipop lift. It avoids the scar under the breast and usually heals quite well. A donut lift will not provide the lift you need

You would not need the anchor type scar for a lift. It can be done with more of a lollipop pattern with a short extension along the inframammary fold. I would wait until you are at your desired weight before surgery.