Should I get a breast lift or is an areola reduction enough? (photos)

You will not get an adequate result with areola reduction alone.  The nipple would still point downward and the degree of gather that would be required to get the large circle to close around the small new areola would leave a pretty significant and gathered scar with a tendency to spread and widen.  You would do much better with a formal mastopexy.  The size of the areola may make this a somewhat complicated procedure, depending on the amount of unpigmented skin you have beneath the areola.  The margin between a great and poor result in cases such as this is slim.  I would recommend you see an expert in the field.  Certainly a board certified plastic surgeon but beyond that, one that does a lot of breast lift surgeries with excellent outcomes.  Best of luck.  

The majority of my patients who have nipples at the lowest point on their breasts wish to have a full breast lift rather than just a reduction in areola size.  A plastic surgeon could describe the different types of breast lifts in detail and their expected outcomes.

To downsize your areolas, you will need
a full mastopexy. Not only will it downsize your areolas to a nice, crisp round
shape, but also your breasts will be nicely reshaped and lifted. The
satisfaction rate is very high with these procedures and I would not hesitate
to recommend it to you. Know that the procedure can affect your ability to
breast feed, so you want to hold off if this is important to you. Thanks for
sharing.

It's important to understand that even with an areola reduction, there will be scars placed on your breasts to surgically reduce the nipples.  All scars fade with time, but I would suggest that if you are going to undergo an operation, you should have the operation and associated scars which are going to give you the most aesthetically pleasing breasts, which in my opinion would be a breast lift with areola reduction.  An areola reduction alone will not likely give you a happy result.  I would also encourage you to maintain a steady weight prior to surgical intervention as large fluctuations in weigh such as what you describe can have dramatic changes on your postoperative results.  Best of luck!

The areola can be reduced to around 4cm.  This diameter is more of a stand which then allows a skin reduction in a circular fashion of 2 to 4 cm.  This will lift and compress the breast slightly.

You will need breast lift.  Areolas are reduced as a part of lifting operation.  Areolar reductions alone will not do anything for you.

You could certainly have the areolas (nipple complex) reduced without having a formal breast lift performed. In fact that particular operation would in your case elevate the nipples somewhat. However, having that alone performed without a definitive breast lift will still leave your nipples near the bottom of your breasts and will still leave you with a substantial amount of breast sag. I think you would get a better cosmetic result with a formal breast lift which not only will reposition the nipples to the proper level, it will also reshape the breasts to improve the form.It is important to note that future pregnancies, weight fluctuations, aging and gravity will all conspire to pull the breasts down again. Therefore, it may be necessary to have the breast lift revised after all pregnancies are completed. Consequently, you could make a reasonable argument to delay any definitive breast lift procedure until that time - especially if you're not too unhappy with the current shape.Bottom line is that there is no "right" or "wrong" answer. There are options and trade off's which must be considered so that you can make the best decision for you.For more information about a breast lift check out the link below.Best wishes!

Thank you for a wonderful question.as you know the best way to address that issue in on the consultation office and the pictures you send have limited projection, but after a quick review, i think a breast lift would give you best results, and since you are a young women you want a procedure that give you predictable results.

Thank you for your question. Of course you need an in person exam and consultation for the best answer.However based on your photos  I would guess that you will need a breast lift and that areola reduction will not give you the best result. For more information please see the link below:

When we review year photographs head on, we can see that the nipple itself is below the inframammary fold and that no native breast tissue can be seen below your areola.  This indicates an absolute need for a breast lift. Reducing the areola alone will not give you a satisfactory result. Best of luck!