Do I need a lift or will just implants offer fullness?

Question

Hi I am 33 looking to get breast implants but have been told I need a lift (I really don’t want one). Looking at my nipple height compared to crease I thought I would be just about okay to go with implants alone to create a fuller breast. What are your opinions? Please excuse green colourings to keep privacy thank you.

Ted Eisenberg, DO, FACOS, FAACS · Answer

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. 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 size and style breast implant 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

Albert Ko, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question and pictures. Yes, I do think you will need a lift for aesthetic purposes. However, if you are comfortable with the nipple areolar complex being below the breast fold then you can forgo the lift component. I recommend that you meet with your surgeon and go over your goals and concerns. Best of luck!

Bennett Yang, MD · Answer

Hello and thank you for the question and the photos. Based on your photos it appears your nipple position is slightly low however on lateral view the position appears to be above the infra mammary crease. In these cases I typically recommend just to implant alone. Implants and lifts are not interchangeable procedures. Implants make your breast bigger they do not lift your breasts they can create the appearance of a lift in cases where the breasts show deflation such as a flat tire getting filled with air. typically we will see this post pregnancy post breastfeeding changes to the female breast. In cases where there is significant sagging of excess skin and the breast tissue hangs low a breast implant will never correct this problem rather those patients require a lift and also possibly implants.

A conservative approach would be to just do the implants first allow yourself to heal over the following six months to a year and then decide later if you feel a lift is still necessary. my suspicion is that it will not be.

your photos indicate one side position nipple is higher than the other and you need to be aware that post surgery this difference will be magnified. implants tend to improve size differences but it worsens shape and position differences because whatever difference you have now gets magnified when the implants are placed. this might want you to consider having that one lower side lifted slightly.

I recommend under the muscle silicone gel implants in these cases it will provide you the best long term result and most natural looking appearance with lowest risk of capsular contracture. doing a lift in cases where the implant is behind the muscle is always safer than when the implant is in front of the muscle

As always be healthy, no smoking and make sure any health care conditions you have are being managed by your primary care physician. I would advise you to seek several board certified plastic surgeons in your area for consultations before making any decisions.

Best to you

Sarah Kennedy, MD · Answer

This is a very common question and can be a complex decision! When making the decision for whether or not a patient needs a lift in addition to an implant (augmentation mastopexy), I rely on the breast measurements to help me make my recommendation, particularly the measurement from your nipple to the breast fold. For my patients who are on the border of needing a lift vs not, I discuss the option of staging the procedure where I do a breast augmentation (implants alone) and see how they settle overtime and then reassess 6 months later if the patient needs/desires a lift. Many patients at 6 months are happy with a more "relaxed" look and do not desire the scars of a lift! But it keeps the lift on the table as a future option. This is what I would recommend in your case.

Do I need a lift or will just implants offer fullness?

Answers (4)

Answer: Implant vs Pexy

Answer: Implant vs Pexy

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Breast Implants

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.

Do I need a lift or will just implants offer fullness?

Answers (4)

Answer: Implant vs Pexy

Answer: Implant vs Pexy

Browse related questions

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Breast Implants

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.