Lift required? Advice? (photo)

Thanks for your question. The nipples are in a good position relative to your breasts, so I would suggest that it is unlikely that a lift will be needed alongside your augmentation. However, you may wish to address any pre-existing asymmetry between your breasts by adjusting the skin envelope of the breasts at the same time as the augmentation.

Dear Sensible165643,
determining whether you need simply a breast augmentation versus a breast lift can be somewhat complicated. It depends on a number of factors including skin laxity and current nipple position. Generally speaking, if the nipples are lower than the inframammary line the patient will most likely need a breast lift. If the nipples are at or above the inframammary line we can generally get by with just a breast augmentation depending on the size of the implant the patient wants. I often still using implant when I perform a breast lift because it provides more upper breast fullness after the lift. To be sure a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon will help determine what the patient actually needs.
Daniel Barrett, MDCertified, American Board of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Your breasts are asymmetrical in volume, shape and position. I recommend a mini lift. Using a circumareola incision, your breast tissue is reshaped, elevated higher on the chest wall and more medial to increase your cleavage. At the same time, fat transfers or small implants can be placed totally submuscular.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

I recommend an in person consultation with a plastic surgeon to discuss your goals and be measured. 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, if interested. 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

Thank you for your question and photo. Based on this photo, you have significant asymmetry. On the right side you have pseudoptosis or sagging of the lower pole of the breast. You also have thin breast tissues. You will need a breast lift on the right side with the augmentation. Breast implant selection is based on your chest wall anatomy and breast dimensions, skin stretchability. Placing a very large implant hoping to improve the sagging and avoid a lift, will just overstretch the smaller breast with very thin tissues already. This will lead to more stretching and sagging. Bad idea. See a board certified plastic surgeon for an in person consultation/evaluation. Good luck.

Hi, thank you for sharing your question. It is unlikely that you will need a lift. Based on your photo, you appear to be a good candidate for breast augmentation without implants.

An in person evaluation or more views would help with the best recommendation for you. From the submitted photo it appears there is some asymmetry with one breast being larger and sagging lower. In order to fully correct this a lift with implants would be needed. I encourage you to visit with a board certified plastic surgeon near you for a consultation. Together you can discuss the look you want to achieve and options available to reach that goal.

One breast sags more than the other breast now. You could just have an augmentation, but you still might sag more on one side than the other. The lift on the lower breast might be the best option.

Thank you for sharing your picture Sensible,you might be able to have a breast augmentation without an uplift but seems like an uplift could give you a higher profile with a more perky shape,and help you avoid sagginess in the future.

Hi! This would really depend on how large you want to go with your implants. Your nipples appear to be in a good position, but you have a lot of extra skin and would likely need a larger implant to fill all of that skin. In addition, you have more skin on the right than the left which can make things look asymmetric. A lift includes skin removal which tightens the skin around the implant providing a more round shape. With a Dual Plane technique (leaving the implant partially under the muscle and partially within the breast tissue), you can sometimes fill in that tissue without needing the lift. I think you would be fine with augmentation alone on the left, but would consider a lift on the right for better symmetry. Ultimately, I think you could go either way, depending on what your goals are.