Deflated B after breastfeeding & weight loss - will I need a lift?

Dear jillsxo,
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

Your breasts are asymmetrical in volume, shape and position. The technique I recommend is 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.

Your nipples are right at your breast fold. Which makes you borderline needing a lift. A well done dual plane augmentation would give you a nice result with full breasts and a centralized nipple. But it will be a mature breast look and not super perky. Personally I would recommend the dual plane augmentation and have the lift in the future if it just is not perky enough. Chances are you can avoid the cost and scar of a lift. 95 % of the dual plane augmentation patients I do never feel a need for the lift. Good luck.

Although it is sometimes difficult to judge by photos alone whether a patient needs a lift, you have significant amount of skin and tissue in the lower pole which extends beyond your breast tuck. I would recommend a breast lift and breast implants for adding the volume, specially in the upper pole.

I would recommend you see a board certified plastic surgeon that has experience in performing a breast augmentation and mastopexy at the same surgery.

Hope that helps.

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

Thank you for your question and photos. An examination in person would be required to provide you with an accurate treatment plan but from your photos it appears that you would be an excellent candidate for a breast augmentation alone. For patients such as yourself I generally recommend a subfascial augmentation (above the muscle) to best fill out the deflated breast and not allow for the separation that a sub pectoral or dual plane technique can sometimes cause knows as a "waterfall" deformity wherein the implant is high and the breast is "falling off" the implant giving the breast an oval shape instead of a round shape we expect to see in the pretty breast.

All of that said, an examination in person may lead us to conclude that a left is required, in which case you would likely need an implant as well ("augmentation mastopexy").

Do your research, and select your plastic surgeon based on whether or not your feel that his or her aesthetics seem to align with you own, based on his or her Before and After gallery. Best of luck to you.

Hi, thank you for sharing your question. You may be able to avoid a lift with a dual plane breast augmentation. An in person exam by a board certified plastic surgeon will provide you with the best options for your goal. I hope this helps.

Hi. Stand in front of a mirror and lift your arms over your head. This is how much an implant alone will lift the nipple. If the nipples sit 5-6cm above the fold, then an uplift won't be needed. Even if the nipples sit lower than this and you are happy to accept a low nipple position, then implants alone will be fine. Be warned, though, implants alone will not correct your nipple height asymmetry.... best of luck

Depending on your goals for surgery you may be able to avoid a lift. If you would like the nipple position raised and a more "perky" look then a lift will be needed. If you simply want more volume you can avoid the lift but understand that the nipple position will essentially stay in the same place.

While you may be able to avoid a lift, it would most likely involve a rather large and well projected breast implant to achieve that goal. A full consultation would be required and I recommend you work with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. The consultation would involve getting measurements, tissue analysis and trying to match up your goals with a possible surgical solution.