Why Do Some Doctors Choose Anchor Lift over Lollipop?

The goal of a breast lift is twofold: to elevate the nipple/areola and to tighten up the skin to give a perkier shape to the breast.  In a patient who already has a good shape but just needs a little bit of a nipple/areola lift then a donut lift would be appropriate.  If a small amount of skin tightening is necessary then the lollipop lift would work.  For someone who is sagging quite a bit and needs a lot of skin tightening then the standard anchor-type breast lift would be the choice.  It is up to the examining (and operating) plastic surgeon to determine which technique would best fit your situation.  I find that the lollipop lift tends to leave a small pucker of skin at the base of the vertical scar.  While many doctors tell me that this pucker resolves over time, I don't think any patient really wants to have a pucker.  With that in mind, I tend to fix the pucker by cutting it out during the surgery.  This leaves a slight horizontal scar but not as much as with the traditional anchor lift. 

   Lollipop lift is a relatively easy technique and requires less time to perform and works well in the right patients.  The full breast lift allows for the surgeon to create a much tighter result with nicer shape and greater longevity.  There are so many subtleties here that you are best to look at results of plastic surgeons.  The round, perky, high, tight breasts with superior pole fullness are achieved by few.  Another key is longevity, and the relative laxity of the skin determines the longevity.  Find the plastic surgeon with ELITE credentials who performs hundreds of breast lifts each year.  Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA