Can I get away with just a breast enlargement rather than an uplift too? 38yr old mother of 4, with a breast size of 32b

Hello, thank you for your question. Based on your photos your breast is asymmetrical, you may benefit from a breast augmentation with lift. A breast augmentation and a breast lift work hand and hand to enhance the overall shape and size of a woman’s breasts. These procedures are ideal for increasing the size of the breasts while restoring balance and youthfulness to a woman’s bust.

I recommend an in person evaluation by 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 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. You should also be aware that results of surgery can change in the future with significant weight change and/or stretching of skin from the milk of pregnancy. Dr. Ted Eisenberg, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and Author. RealSelf Distinguished Hall of Fame Inductee.

Thanks for your question. It is one that many patients ask when they come in because no one is a big fan of scars that go along with a breast lift. Some patients with a very minor amount of droop will have that corrected with a breast augmentation. Although this might be the case for your right breast, I don't think it is for the left side. Based on your photo, you have enough of a breast asymmetry--with more skin on the left side--that I doubt you would be happy with the aesthetic result without a lift on that side. Hope this helps!

You could do implants alone, however the left side will continue to be lower, fuller and more out to the side compared to your smaller, higher right breast. If you want better symmetry, you could consider implants plus a donut nipple lift on the left areola with the goals of more closely matching up to your right breast. The goals here would be an improvement as there is no such thing as perfect symmetry.

Good afternoon!
I think you are an excellent candidate for a submuscular augmentation with saline or silicone implants. You do not have to have a lift- we will just use two different sized implants to achieve better symmetry! When you come in to the office I will measure your chest, we will review photos together, and you will have the opportunity to try on the implant sizers to determine the exact size and profile to achieve your goal size and shape!

Dear marya99,
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

Thank you for your question! As you can see, you have 2 totally different breasts. If they both looked the same, with either the right or the left, you certainly could have implants alone but given the fact that they look so different, you may benefit from a lift on the side that is lower. Is it imperative to do the lift? Not necessarily, but your breasts will still look different from each other. If you are looking to try to get better symmetry, consider the lift. If symmetry isn't as important, you could do just the augmentation and get fuller breasts with upper pole fullness, but they will still look different from each other. I hope that this helps!

If you want symmetry, you will need a lift on the lower breasts. However, if that does not bother you, you can just have an augmentation. In your bra, they will look the same.