Would a Periareolar lift be the right decision for me? (photo)

You do appear to have a good shape to your breasts, you do not have a breast droop needing an uplift. I would not recomend having surgery to your breasts. One could potentially reduce the size of the areola by doing a periareolar areola reduction (as in a doughnut lift), but there is a risk of stretching and the transition between your areola and the chest skin will become very sharp. 

Hi Meghan890,

Breast lift surgery aims to re-volumize the breast with either and natural implant or fat grafting followed by nipple repositioning using the lift. I prefer to use a vertical incision (lollipop pattern) breast reduction technique instead of the anchor scar pattern for more significant lifts. This reduces more noticeable scarring than usual. Mastopexy that requires less than 2cm of lift only needs a donut incision. Every incision is also closed in five precise layers without using reactive sutures that can cause inflammation and eventual scarring.

If you are considering a breast lift, you should consult with a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your options and make sure your surgeon understands your goals. Only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.

Daniel Barrett, MD, MHA, MS

Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery

Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery

Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

A periareolar lift provides essentially no lift. It does create a scar around the areola and this scar can spread if subjected to tension and give an unattractive "tomato" breast appearance. One option for you is just to have implants and avoid unnecessary scarring because you have minimal sagging. If you do want a lift, the vertical approach is best. It is effective and if done by an experienced surgeon will provide an excellent lift without undue tension on the skin around the areola. Yes, you do have to accept a vertical scar. I discuss the different types of breast lift on my website.

From your photos, you look like you have a nice shape already and, whilst the nipples may ideally benefit from a very minor lift, I personally don't think it's worth the scarring involved. You are right in your assumption that these scars (and the nipples) stretch so it's also not a very effective technique in reducing nipple size. In addition, it will do almost nothing to improve the shape of your breasts. As usual, best option for you is to have a face-to-face consultation with someone who can examine you, get a sense of your tissue characteristics and go through your options in detail.

Overall you have a nice shape to your breasts.   Your areola are not excessively large and the asymmetry, although present, is not significant.  I would caution against surgery.  For many the scar is a great trade-off.  For you I don't think it is worth it.Dr Rodger Shortt, plastic surgeon in Oakville, Ontario.

Thank you for your question. Based on the pictures you provided you could undergo an areolar reduction resulting in a circular scar only and the left side could be lifted as well. The scar will be visible since the natural transition form your areola to the breast skin is interrupted and the areola(s) can potentially stretch overtime, one side more so than the other.  Since you are I believe only looking for a small amount of improvement I recommend you being seen and examined by a board certified plastic surgeon who can review the pros but also cons of the procedure with you for you to make the best possible decision. Together, he / she can develop a surgical plan specifically for you. Best wishes, Franziska Huettner

Yes a periaerola lift would reduce your aerola and slightly  lift the lower side. However. I feel your aerola enlargement is so minimal I would wonder if the post op scarring is worth the minimal change in aerola size. Just asking. Discuss with your surgeon and look at post op photos to help you decide. Good luck.

Hello and thank you for your question.  The
best advice you can receive is from an in-person consultation.  Based on
your photographs, you may benefit from an areolar reduction.  This can also provide a slight lift in your breasts.  This decision should
be based on a detailed discussion with equal input from both you
and your surgeon.   Make sure you specifically look
at before and after pictures of real patients who have had this surgery
performed by your surgeon and evaluate their results.   The most
important aspect is to find a surgeon you are comfortable with. I recommend
that you seek consultation with a qualified board-certified plastic surgeon who
can evaluate you in person.
Best wishes and good luck.
Richard G. Reish, M.D.  FACS
Harvard-trained plastic surgeon

Hi thereThanks for your question. If your aim is specifically to reduce your areolae then a donut shaped excision should be fine (of course you are aware of potential stretching). It would be possible to make this slightly eccentric and this would have a minor lifting benefit too although you would have some ruckling of the skin too for a whileIf you wanted a more significant elevation of the nipple then you would need to accept a vertical scarGood luck!

I tend to avoid using peri-areola scars (scars around the areola) because they are more likley to stretch and widen over time almost reversing the result of the surgical procedure. I always recommend to have a vertical scar as this limits the stretching. The scar is a big concern for many patients but with careful scar care it has the potential to heal really well.If you do decide to go for a peri-areola incision then I would recommend that you ask to see before and after photos that show the scar a year or more after surgery.I would recommend meeting with a plastic surgeon to fully discuss the pros and cons for both scar types to find out more about the procedure and what results you should expect.