5'2, 155 lbs., 70 pound weight loss. Should I get a breast lift or a reduction? (Photos)

Question

Hello I am 29 years old today. I am 5'2 155 lbs. and I had WLS in Nov of 2025 and lost 70 lbs. The fat my breast has disappeared. Should I get a breast reduction or a lift? Thank you,

Mert Demirel, MD · Answer

After 70 pounds of weight loss, it is very common for the breasts to lose upper fullness and become deflated or saggy. From your photos and description, a breast lift would likely be the main procedure needed to raise the nipple position, remove extra skin, and reshape the breast.
A breast reduction is usually chosen when the breasts are still too heavy or too large and the patient wants to be significantly smaller. If most of the breast volume has already disappeared and your concern is mainly sagging and empty skin, then a lift rather than a true reduction may be more appropriate.
That said, many “breast lift” procedures also remove a small amount of tissue while reshaping the breast, so the difference is not always completely separate. Your surgeon can tailor the operation: lift only if you want to preserve volume, or reduction-lift if you want to be smaller and lighter.
If you want more upper fullness, a lift alone may not fully create that, especially after major weight loss. Some patients consider a small implant or fat grafting with a lift, but that depends on your goals and tissue quality.
My advice would be to first make sure your weight is stable after WLS. Then consult a plastic surgeon about a mastopexy versus reduction-mastopexy. Based on what you wrote, you likely need a lift more than a reduction, unless you still feel the breasts are too large or heavy.

Jeffrey M. Darrow, MD · Answer

Thank you for your photos and congratulations on your weight loss. The key questions to ask yourself is: am I only unhappy with the position of my breasts but I am happy with their volume, or am I unhappy with both the position of my breasts and their volume. If you are completely happy with the volume of your breast tissue, but you just don’t like the position of your breasts then a breast lift will correct this. On the other hand, if you are unhappy with both the volume of your breast and their position, then a breast reduction would decrease the volume and give you a lift at the same time. Have a detailed consultation with your Plastic surgeon to express your concerns. Best wishes.

Ted Eisenberg, DO, FACOS, FAACS · Answer

Questions to improve breast appearance: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 if desired. 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 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

Serdar Bora Bayraktaroglu, MD · Answer

you need a breast lift (mastopexy) rather than a breast reduction. Because weight loss surgery causes breast volume and fat to disappear, leaving you with deflated tissue and stretched skin, a lift is necessary to reshape the remaining tissue and reposition your nipples. A reduction removes glandular tissue, which would only make deflated breasts smaller. Many patients choose to combine a breast lift with implants or fat transfer to restore lost fullness. Consult a board-certified plastic surgeon to determine the ideal approach for your specific anatomy and aesthetic goals.

Semih Yildiz, MD, FEBOPRAS · Answer

The photos show substantial breast ptosis, loose skin, asymmetry, and still a meaningful amount of breast tissue after weight loss. A lift and a reduction both reposition the nipple and tighten the skin; the difference is how much breast tissue is removed.

If you are comfortable with your current volume and mainly want the breasts higher and reshaped, a mastopexy may be appropriate. If you also want a smaller, lighter breast or have neck, back, shoulder, exercise, or skin-fold symptoms, a reduction with lift may better match the goal. Tissue can also be redistributed during a lift to improve shape, but photographs cannot determine the final cup size or the amount that should be removed.

Because your bariatric surgery was relatively recent, wait until your weight has reached its intended range and remained stable, often for at least several months. Nutritional status is also important for wound healing; your bariatric and surgical teams should review protein intake, blood count, iron, B12, folate, vitamin D, and other relevant deficiencies. With this degree of ptosis, an anchor-pattern scar may be needed. Meet with a board-certified plastic surgeon after weight stabilization and decide first whether your priority is preserving volume or becoming smaller.

Gary M. Horndeski, MD · Answer

You would benefit from a breast lift using the Bellesoma. 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.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Manuel Diaz, MD · Answer

Hello, many congratulations on turning 29! From what I can see in the photograph, it doesn't appear that the main problem is having too much breast tissue, but rather that you've lost a significant amount of volume and have excess skin, causing your breasts to sag. Therefore, I would initially consider a mastopexy (breast lift) more appropriate than a breast reduction. A reduction is primarily indicated when the goal is to decrease the size and weight of the breasts; a mastopexy, on the other hand, allows for the removal of excess skin, repositioning of the nipple, and reshaping of the tissue to give it a more suitable position and form.
However, if in addition to a lift you want to regain some of the volume you've lost, especially in the upper part of the breast, we would need to assess during the consultation whether combining a lift with a silicone implant would be beneficial. This will depend on how much breast tissue you have remaining and the desired outcome.
There's something very important in your case: after bariatric surgery, we need to ensure your weight is stable and your nutritional status is adequate before performing body contouring surgery. It's generally recommended to maintain a stable weight for several months, because continuing to lose weight after surgery can affect the outcome.
Of course, a photograph allows us to get a first impression, but it doesn't replace an in-person evaluation. During the consultation, I would measure the size and position of your breasts and nipples, the quality of your skin, the amount of available tissue, and the degree of sagging to determine exactly which technique would be most suitable for you.
Based on your current appearance, my first choice would be to consider a mastopexy, possibly with volume restoration, rather than a reduction.

Mauricio Serrano Reyes, MD · Answer

Hello! I hope you're doing well.
Based on your photos, you may be a good candidate for a breast reduction (reduction mammoplasty), which would be performed using an inverted T (anchor) mastopexy technique.
My recommendation would be to combine the procedure with breast implants, as this can provide not only a breast lift but also better fullness and cleavage in the upper pole of the breasts, resulting in a more youthful, balanced, and natural-looking shape.
A personalized consultation would allow us to evaluate your anatomy and goals in detail so we can determine the treatment plan that best suits your expectations.

5'2, 155 lbs., 70 pound weight loss. Should I get a breast lift or a reduction? (Photos)

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