Breast Lift on Small Breasts

I’ve gotten several requests for updates over the years, so five years later here’s where we are: I’m still extremely happy with my results.

I’ll be updating you on the aesthetics, scarring, sensation, and healing process

Aesthetics - 10/10. My weight has fluctuated upward and back downward (within a 40 pound range) several times since my surgery, and my breast skin had poor elastic recovery prior to surgery due extensive stretch mark trauma during puberty and during massive depression weight gain. That has had consequences for the level of maintained perkiness, but honestly? That’s just life. For reference I was 142 pounds on the day of my surgery. Today I am 175 pounds, and for a brief period I got up to 185 pounds before quickly coming back down (think on the order of less than 3 months).

Scarring - 9/10. My scars are rarely noticed unless I point them out. I followed the instructions almost to the letter, but I also have the benefit of skin that scars extremely well. I did, however, get back to physical activity a little too soon. That resulted in some increased atrophic scarring in the incision at the base of my breast. If I did it over again, I would have stayed away from upper body physical exertion for a full three months. Maybe even up to 6.

Sensation - 7/10. This one was hard to wrestle with. The sensation will never, ever be the same. Compared to before my surgery, I’d say I regained about 30% of surface sensation at the nipple itself but it was very slow and it took many years. In a twist of fate that I have never heard described anywhere else, but CHRIST I wish someone had warned me this could happen… I quickly regained and maintained 80-90% of the DEEP nipple sensation but it’s NOT LOCATED UNDERNEATH MY CURRENT SITE OF MY NIPPLES. That sensation is located where my nipples USED to be (about 1-2 inches below the dead centre of my nipples as they are now).

This had severe impacts on my psychological and sexual health for many years - but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I experienced a type of ‘phantom limb syndrome’ for years. My brain and my bodily sensations told me my nipples were still where they used to be, but when I (or someone else) went to touch them… they weren’t there.

This caused body dysphoria/dysmorphia that made me HATE having my breasts touched. If you want to talk big science words, in one fell swoop this surgery rendered my proprioceptive ‘image/blueprint’ of myself invalid. I would liken it to what I imagine people experience when they have to relearn how to speak, or walk. It felt wrong. It was confusing and frustrating beyond belief. It made me hate myself for good long while and it decimated my sex life for 2+ years.

The Good News: it got better. I received the advice to ‘play’ with them. Touch them. This was mostly in service of giving my body an incentive to regrow nerve connections to the area, but it had an additional effect beyond that. It acted like a sort of physiotherapy. Pushing through my discomfort and physically exploring the area allowed my brain to create a new proprioceptive ‘blueprint’, which in turn gradually (and I mean GRADUALLY) reduced my distress. I was able to desensitize myself to the fact that my body was NOT the same as before, while also learning what my current body IS. The pleasure came back, albeit it looks/feels very different now. It will never be what it was before, but it’s still pretty darn good.

Healing Process - 3/10. The actual, visible, physical healing process was easy. The process of rediscovering my own body and the psychological impact of that, was not. Still, knowing what I know now, I would still do it again.

I hope this update helps a lot of people make the right decision for them. My story is just one of the possible outcomes, with its own consequences and path to recovery.

Update from my second follow-up at 4 weeks post.
Dr. Toy clarified for me that I can expect feeling to return over the course of several months! I must have absorbed the info about it being 6 weeks somewhere else. Whoops!
I'm healing very well. As per Dr. Toy's reccomendation I keep silicone tape on 24/7, and change it weekly. Initially I talked to him about using the Embrace bandage system but he saved me $500 US by letting me know that it wouldn't add to my healing process. (Embrace functions by relieving tension on incisions so they can heal finer as well as topical application of silicone.) My breasts are already so small that there's no need to reduce tension as using silicone tape in conjunction with a firm support sports bra is functionally the same thing.
My bruising is completely invisible now, though I still have some soreness to the touch around the incisions themselves. Sensation is a wildcard. I can't feel any parts of my skin that were detached yet, but the parts that weren't such as above my nipples are often hyper sensitive to pain and touch with occasional burning or tingling. If you have any questions I'm an active user, comment and I'll reply!

I wasn't able to post a pre-surgery photo in my original review, so for reference here is my before photo. As of right now I haven't gotten any feeling back in my nipples. I'm told I can expect to get feeling back as late as six weeks. I'm at the 3 week mark and getting nervous about it. I will be updating with more photos as I continue to heal.