Will I need a lift or can my 'deflated' breasts be filled out with implants? (photos)

You do have deflated breasts with the nipple/areolar complexes below your breast crease. You will need a lift (vertical or lollipop incisions) to remove the excess saggy skin and make your areolae smaller. I would suggest cohesive silicone gel implants in a submuscular pocket due to the tissue thinness. The choice of implants is based on your chest wall and breast dimensions, but I would caution you in choosing large implants. You do not have the tissues to support them! See a board certified plastic surgeon for an in person consultation/evaluation to decide what would be your best long term choice. Good luck.

This is a great question and one that I think many patients often wonder.  It is always best to have a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon evaluate you in person and give you some options.  My guess would be that there is more than one way to get a nice result in you case, and options would include a breast augmentation only, breast augmentation with a perareolar lift (incision around the areola only, and we often narrow a widened areola as part of the procedure) or a breast augmentation and full breast lift.  One other option to consider:  for patients who are right on the border as to whether or not an implant would be required or helpful, I will often offer to stage the procedure:  perform the breast augmentation first and then wait at least a few weeks or longer to see how things settle and if the patient is satisfied.  If you are, then you have saved yourself the cost and incisions of a lift, but if not, you can always come back and have the lift done anytime in the future.Lots of options, but your question is an excellent one and you do have choices when it comes to getting a nice result!

Your breasts are on the borderline of being properly treated with the breast implant only. The larger the implant the better the ptosis will be camouflaged. I would not however rule out breast augmentation with concurrent mastopexy is the best solution in your particular case.

Thank you for your question and photos.  Judging from your photos, I would recommend a breast lift with implants to achieve a more predictable and long term result.  This should be done at the same time.  Scars are unpredictable and a trade off for the improvement you will achieve with the procedure. In general, patients do well with the scars.  Talk to your surgeon about scarring and strategies that he/she employs after surgery to minimize scarring.  Ask to see representative before and after photos of their patients' results.  Always choose a board certifies plastic surgeon.  Good luck!

A physical examination is required for your to get concrete answers to your questions, of course.  There are many options that are beyond the scope of this forum. You will get the answers you need during a consultation with a plastic surgeon.Is some cases a two stage approach is beneficial for the patient in which a lift is done as a first stage and implants are placed as a second stage.  Or, the approach can be reversed.  However, implants placed in very sagging breasts can lead to even more stretching of the skin and sagging.Best wishes.

This is a frequently asked question. An implant alone or an implant with a lift will produce very different results. There are benefits and trade-offs of both options. A very large implant would be necessary if no lift was performed. That would not produce the best long term cosmetic result.Following the advice from a surgeon on this or any other website who proposes to tell you what to do based on two dimensional photos without examining you, physically feeling the tissue, assessing your desired outcome, taking a full medical history, and discussing the pros and cons of each operative procedure may not be in your best interest. I would suggest that you find a plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and ideally a member of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) that you trust and are comfortable with. You should discuss your concerns with that surgeon in person.Robert Singer, MD FACSLa Jolla, California

Based on the photos you have posted I believe you will get your best results with a skin tightening or breast lift procedure. Having said that there is no replacement for an in person exam with a board-certified plastic surgeon who can meet with you and review all of you options.I hope this helpsDr. Edwards

 Thank you for the question and pictures. It is difficult to give you accurate advise with the photographs posted, given that your arms are elevated. However, based on the significant amount of ptotic (sagging) skin and the presence of lower breast skin sitting on upper abdominal wall skin, I think that it is likely that you will be best off undergoing breast lifting as well as breast augmentation surgery. You  are correct in that the “trade-off” with breast lifting surgery are the presence of scars;  you will need to weigh the pros/cons associated with breast  augmentation/lifting surgery carefully. When the time is right, seek consultation with board-certified plastic surgeons who can demonstrate significant experience helping patients in your situation. Be careful that you do not choose your plastic surgeon based on promises of less scarring;  it would be a shame to undergo breast surgery and be disappointed with the outcome of the procedure performed. Best wishes.

IMO you really need a full lift to reposition and downsize your nipple areola complex and to avoid a ginormous implant which would be needed to fill out all of your loose skin and a ginormous implant will look hideous on a slim gal like you.  I would be beware of a periareolar lift.  In your case it would compromise your shape and shape is ALWAYS more important that the scar when it comes to breast and body contouring.  In the vast majority of patients, scars fade and are well worth the nice shape but a weird contour does not change.  See my blog about the limitations of a periareolar augmentation/lift.  Again, this is just my opinion but I've spent the last 20 + years doing this and this is something I've learned the hard way!

Thank you for your question and photograph.  Based on your photographs the breasts appeared deflated but also the nipple appears low and likely below the inframammary crease.  Of course an in person examination is needed to based on the photograph I would suspect you will need a combination breast lift and augmentation.