Interested in getting breast augmentation, do I need a lift to help fill out the tops of my breast from breastfeeding? (photos)

Your nipples appear to be located below your breast fold, therefore a lift would be recommended if you’d like more fullness in the upper portion of your breasts. Implants wouldn’t be necessary, unless you’d like dramatically more fullness.

Hello,
Thank you for the question.
Based on your photos, you appear to be a good candidate for a donut mastopexy (breast lift) which will put your nipples into the correct position, and decrease the size of nipple/areola.
Breast implants will give you additional upper pole breast volume and fullness.
I would encourage you to seek a consultation with a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon to further discuss your options, specific techniques, concerns and expectations.
I hope this helps.Best regards, Dr. Karanetz
Dr. Irena KaranetzBreast Fellowship-TrainedBoard Certified Plastic Surgeon

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. They then get to choose what looks right for them. 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

Thanks for your question! Because of the location of your nipple and areola, I would suggest a lift with an implant to get an optimal result. If you just did an implant, your breasts would be larger but would still have a very heavy, droopy look to them. Good luck!

The technique I recommend is a lift using The Bellesoma Method. This will reshape your breast tissue creating upper pole fullness without implants, elevate them higher on the chest wall and more medial to increase your cleavage. Vertical scars are avoided, nipple sensation (in 95%) and the ability to breast feed are maintained. Later, fat transfers can be performed if additional volume is desired.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Dear MGPBM19,
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, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Hello @MGPBM19 Thank you very much for your question and showing your pictures. I do suggest a breast lift accompanied by implants. Getting a breast augmentation with implants won't solve that the that the skin is lax. For the most adequate aesthetic result what we want is to raise the breast and rearrange it, to put it in its place, so that the projection of the breast from the anterior axillary line to the external midline is balanced and that the position of the areola and the nipple in most cases is as central as possible. Before the surgery, the plastic surgeon must assess the individual characteristics of the patient's breasts, as well as her general condition for a correct indication of the intervention. Best wishes! Alan Gonzalez MD

You would do best with a lift. With just an augmentation, you will have bigger and still sagging breasts that may sag more over time.

To get the best result, I would recommend a breast lift to reposition the nipple and reshape the breast. There is enough breast tissue to not require an implant unless you want to be significantly bigger.

Thanks for posting very good photos, it really helps. You are border line needing a lift. Might offer larger implant (400cc+++ ranges) with donut lift. Fees from $6,000-$12,000.