Can I get a breast lift without implants if I'm happy with the size but want perkier breasts?

You only get implants if you want to be larger. Period.
I don't know who it was...but someone started telling patients that they needed to get an implant to get a nice result wtih a lift. Rubbish! In fact, it is better to avoid implants if having a lift.
By definition, any patient needing a lift has skin that has already failed to hold up the existing weight of their breast. Adding weight to that makes no sense. Sure, you have removed skin, but the skin that remains is the same skin that gave way once already.
But for you, who doesn't even want to look any larger, for sure you don't need implants.

I actually prefer to to perform breast lift first without implants, because the operation is safer, and you can then determine whether it is even necessary to add volume with an implant. Lift is a great way to perk up the breasts!

Yes, you can certainly get a breast lift without implants. Implants are by no means required in order to lift the breasts. If you have adequate breast tissue volume and you are happy with your size, then a standard breast lift or mastopexy procedure should be adequate to lift the breasts and to improve their shape. The limitation of a breast lift alone compared to a breast lift and implant placement is in restoring fullness at the upper part of the breast. Implants are often placed with breast lift procedures just for this purpose. If it is important to you to avoid having implants or to not have larger breasts, then a breast lift alone is probably the best procedure for you. If you were not completely satisfied with the result and you desired a more full shape afterward, you could then have an implant augmentation as a separate procedure. There would be nothing lost in having these as staged procedures. If anything, it is more safe to do it this way; as far as achieving the best cosmetic result and minimizing the risk of nipple/areola necrosis.

Great question, but not an easy answer. If the quality of the breast tissue and skin envelope is good and if there is minimal sag, then a breast lift alone can give you your ideal result: full, rounded breast mound with the nipple/areolar complex at the apex of the mound.
However, if the skin laxity is of such degree that the nipple is below, the breast crease, then a combination of the breast lift and submuscular implants will give you the ideal result. 
Make sure you don't put an oversized implant in to give you your lift alone. It all depends on the quality of the breast tissue itself and the skin envelope that will decide the best surgical approach. 

Yes. Provided you're sure you don't want any increase in size or a prominent upper pole fullness in the expectation of your desired surgical outcome of your breast lift procedure.

There are a variety of breast lift techniques without implants which involve redistributing the internal breast tissues coupled with appropriate tightening of the external breast skin envelope and lifting & reshaping of both the nipple positions and dimensions. It is the most natural and elegant way for enhancing primarily the shape of your breasts without worrying about all the implications of having breast implants. 

Hope that helps.

Best wishes

Ellis Choy

The answer is YES but be careful.  You can always get a breast lift without an implant and it Will make your breast fuller and perkier.  That being said depending on your anatomy and how much they currently sag sometimes a lift does not fill the top of the breast also known as the upper pole.  Often that is the most important part of the breast and what most women are looking for and so you may not be satisfied without an implant.  I sometimes tell patients don't think of the implant only in terms of size but rather fullnessHope that helps

Dear Anon,

     The only way to lift the breast without increasing its size is to perform a a breast lift.  A lift can raise  both the nipple/areola complex as well as the breast itself to a perkier position.  What a lift cannot do with any reliability is to produce upper pole fullness, that is, it cannot produce convexity at the upper part of the breast.  The only reliable way to produce that fullness is with an implant.  I, respectfully , disagree with a few of  my  colleagues who are making the argument that implants should be used for volume increase only and not for shape.  I believe they are mistaken.  Their argument may be valid if implants are placed in front of the muscle, where the implants are sitting against the breast tissue and exert direct weight on the breast.   However, today, implants are preferentially placed behind the muscle.  In this position the muscle supports the weight of the implants with very little, if any, force imparted onto the breast tissue and skin outside it.  This phenomenon is easily illustrated by women who originally had breast implants and then became pregnant.  Very often after child birth and postpartum atrophy you see the implants sitting in their original position but the breasts have deflated and dropped to a lower position below the implants.  This finding would never be the case if their argument was valid.  As a second illustration to dismiss their claim that implants are for volume only and not for shape is that it is relatively simple to to tell the difference visually between women who underwent a lift alone versus women who underwent lift with implants.  The women who underwent lift with implants generally have much more upper pole fullness and a fuller cleavage.  This, again, would not be true if the statements that implants are only for volume and are actually contraindicated in cases where lifts are desired without desire to increase volume. 

Good luck,

Ary Krau MD FACS

 

Yes, you can absolutely get a breast lift (mastopexy) without implants if you are happy with the size of your breasts but want them to appear perkier. A breast lift focuses on repositioning and reshaping the existing breast tissue, removing excess skin, and tightening the surrounding tissue to lift the breasts and restore a more youthful contour. It can also reposition the nipples and areolae for a more youthful appearance.
This procedure will not increase breast volume, but it will improve the firmness and shape of your breasts, giving them a lifted and more youthful look. If you are content with your breast size and only want a perkier appearance, a breast lift alone is often the best option.
It's important to consult with an experienced plastic surgeon to discuss your goals and ensure you're a good candidate for the procedure. In some cases, if there is a slight loss of volume in the upper part of the breasts, the surgeon may recommend a fat transfer or a small reduction of tissue, but implants are not necessary if you are happy with the size.
Krishna Vyas, MD, PhD, MHSHarvard, Hopkins, & Mayo Clinic Trained Aesthetic Plastic SurgeonNew York, New York

Implants can be very useful in creating architecture and projection, improving asymmetry, and adding extra volume to small or lax breasts that have been depleted by nursing or changes related to weight loss or aging. If you are already happy with your current breast volume adding weight with implants will only defeat the purpose of trying to make them more lifted or perky with a mastopexy. You would be best served by having a mastopexy (or breast lift). If there is a little too much tissue a very small reduction of tissue along with reshaping of the breast with mastopexy will give a very natural and uplifted result. A small deficiency of volume in the upper pole can be corrected with fat transfer and mastopexy. This has the added benefit of liposuction of stubborn areas of fat in the abdomen, flanks and thighs as donor sites for fat (preferred sources for fat transfer).

Absolutely, if you're happy with the size of your breasts but want them to appear perkier, a breast lift (mastopexy) can be an excellent option. This procedure focuses on lifting and reshaping the breast tissue by removing excess skin and tightening the surrounding tissue to support a new, more youthful breast contour. The nipples and areolae can also be repositioned or resized to better match the newly shaped breasts. A breast lift doesn't increase the size of the breasts; rather, it aims to improve their position and firmness, providing a more lifted, rejuvenated appearance. It's an effective solution for those who are satisfied with their breast volume but seek enhancement in terms of lift and shape due to sagging or changes following pregnancy, breastfeeding, or weight fluctuations.

An uplift operation is performed when the patient is happy with the breast volume and the tissues need lifting to bring nipple areola to better position and remove excess skin. Certain techniques can produce a perkier results with uplift where an internal lift can achieve such results. Normally implants are needed to give upper pole fullness. Internal lift can give some fullness in upper pole without adding any implants.