What type of Breast Lift do I need? (photos)

You have large breasts with a lot of excess skin in the horizontal and vertical direction. You therefore need an anchor lift in order to remove skin in each direction. I would recommend you consider reducing your size some while you have the lift to lessen the chance of early recurrence of your sagging. Discuss all options with your surgeon. Good luck.

Good morning,
It depends on what your goals are in terms of shape, height and size. The larger the implant, and the more natural you want to appear, then the lesser of the lifts you can choose. It would help if you could post some goal pics- that would allow me to tell you exactly what type of lift and implant you need.

The choice is really either a lollypop or inverted T scar pattern. The lift with no vertical scar is a non-starter; for most breasts it will look terrible and the vertical scar is the one that will most likely become invisible with time. Although there has been a push to eliminate the inframammary scar, the inverted T scar pattern produces that most reliable long term result and is the inevitable scar pattern when a lollypop lift needs fixing. The inverted T scar pattern directly addresses skin excess in both vertical and horizontal vectors, leaving the best scar appearance and breast shape.

The technique I recommend is 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.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

You most likely would get a standard anchor type lift because your breasts need to be lifted pretty far. A slight reduction may also be needed. The lollipop lift might be offered by some surgeons. Whatever you do don't get a donut lift.

Dear aseg1128,
my preferred lift is a lollipop lift when a periareolar won't do (ie greater than 2cm lift required). The lollipop technique was created by a Canadian plastic surgeon named Elizabeth Hall-Findley and treats the breast as a three dimensional structure instead of two dimensions (anchor - lift). Most importantly it does not require the horizontal component scars that the anchor-lift requires and breasts appear much more natural, lifted, and less boxy. Lastly, the lift lasts longer because the lollipop doesn't rely on the skin to hold the breast up, its actually breast tissue thats being brought together to support the breast and hence improves longevity. If you are considering surgery, I would suggest you consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination, you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Just based on your photos, you will need at least the vertical lift. The peri-areolae lift will not be sufficient for you. Some surgeons will only do the anchor lift.

Great question. Based on the photos, I would suggest a vertical lift and you may require a short horizontal incision (anchor) at the base of the breasts. A vertical breast lift would allow for narrowing of the breasts, more projection of the breasts, and more upper fullness of the breasts. The short horizontal incision would shorten the distance on the lower half of the breasts, so it is not too long.

From your photos it appears you would benefit from an anchor lift. You can consider auto augmentation with this procedure to give you more upper pole fullness without adding implants. I've included a video on this procedure that I hope you find helpful.

There are numerous options: Vertical lollipop lift or anchor shaped incision lift each produce different degrees of cosmetic improvement. I would favor an anchor shaped incision because of the size of your breasts.

Keep in mind that following the advice from a surgeon on this or any other website who proposes to tell you exactly what to do without examining you, physically feeling the tissue, assessing your desired outcome, taking a full medical history, and discussing the pros and cons of each operative procedure would not be in your best interest. I would suggest your plastic surgeon be certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and ideally a member of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) that you trust and are comfortable with. You should discuss your concerns with that surgeon in person and be very realistic about your potential cosmetic result.

Robert Singer, MD FACS

La Jolla, California